WHOI Argo Program

The Argo observational network consists of a fleet of 3000+ profiling autonomous floats deployed by about a dozen teams worldwide. WHOI has built about 10% of the global fleet. The mission lifetime of each float is about 4 years. During a typical mission, each float reports a profile of the upper ocean every 10 days. The sensors onboard record fundamental physical properties of the ocean: temperature and conductivity (a measure of salinity) as a function of pressure. The depth range of the observed profile depends on the local stratification and the float's mechanical ability to adjust it's buoyancy. The majority of Argo floats report profiles between 1-2 km depth. At each surfacing, measurements of temperature and salinity are relayed back to shore via satellite. Telemetry is usually received every 10 days, but floats at high-latitudes which are iced-over accumulate their data and transmit the entire record the next time satellite contact is established. With current battery technology, the best performing floats last 6+ years and record over 200 profiles.

Argo 观测网络由全球约十余支团队部署的3000余艘剖面自主浮标组成。伍兹霍尔海洋研究所（WHOI）建造了全球船队约10%的浮标。每个浮标的任务寿命约为4年。在典型的任务期间，每个浮标每10天上报一次上层海洋的剖面数据。船载传感器记录了海洋的基本物理属性：温度和电导率（盐度的一种度量）随压力变化的函数。观测到的剖面深度范围取决于当地的水层结构和浮标调节浮力的机械能力。大多数 Argo 浮标报告的剖面深度介于1-2公里。每次上浮时，温度和盐度测量值通过卫星传回岸边。遥测数据通常每10天接收一次，但位于高纬度且被冰封的浮标会累积数据，并在下一次建立卫星联系时传输整个记录。凭借当前电池技术，表现最佳的浮标可持续6年以上并记录超过200个剖面。