Argo-Two Decades: Global Oceanography, Revolutionized

Area of Science:

• Physical Oceanography
• Climate Science
• Ocean Observation Systems

Background:

• The Argo program is an international network of autonomous profiling floats.
• It measures ocean temperature and salinity from the surface to 2,000 meters depth.
• The program began in the early 2000s, building on decades of technological advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the accomplishments of the Argo observational array over its first two decades.
• To highlight the impact of Argo data on physical oceanography and climate science.
• To showcase the broad range of scientific discoveries enabled by Argo.

Main Methods:

• Deployment of nearly 4,000 autonomous robotic floats globally.
• Collection of ocean temperature and salinity profiles on nominal 10-day cycles.
• Real-time public data dissemination of over 2 million profiles.

Main Results:

• Elucidation of deep tropical Pacific zonal jets.
• Improved understanding of ocean eddies, mixing, and water mass formation.
• Quantification of ocean warming and ice melt contributions to sea level rise.
• Enhanced ocean variability studies and climate projections.

Conclusions:

• Argo data has revolutionized physical oceanography and climate research.
• The array has underpinned thousands of scientific publications and improved climate models.
• Argo continues to be crucial for monitoring ocean changes and informing climate forecasts.