1. The Argo Project: An International Partnership Dean Roemmich, International Argo Steering Team The role of partnerships in: Creating Argo Coordination of the Argo project Providing floats Deploying floats Data management Technology development Utilization of Argo data Argo has been created and implemented through international partnerships. The U.S. investment in Argo is greatly leveraged by partner efforts. A Japan-Argo deployment

2. Creating Argo The Argo Steering Team was a creation in 1998 of GODAE and CLIVAR’s Upper Ocean Panel, asked to “build an international consortium to implement and maintain the global array”. International agency/agency partnerships have played an equally critical role. For documentation on Argo design, data, meeting reports etc, see http://www-argo.ucsd.edu A US Argo float is deployed by a NZ R/V on April 9, 2005 at 54 o S 178 o W; 1st profile 10 days later

3. International Coordination The Argo Steering Team (Co-chairs D Roemmich and H Freeland) is responsible for international consensus and communications, regarding deployment strategies and planning, technology development, and science. The Argo Data Management Team (Co-chairs S Pouliquen and M Ignaszewski) oversees protocols and procedures to ensure uniform datasets of best quality and timeliness (near-real time and delayed-mode). The Argo Project Office (Director J Gould, Technical Coordinator M Belbeoch) provides a broad range of management and technical support (meeting planning and reporting, communications, array tracking, ….) The Argo home page at http://www-argo.ucsd.edu

4. Each float collects a CTD profile and drift velocity every 10 days. The U.S. provides 50% of the global Argo array. International partners provide the other 50%. Providing floats

5. Year1999200020012002200320042005* Floats deployed41116299457672857289 Northern hemisphere376722332737637385 Southern hemisphere44976130296484204 All Argo partners have regional priorities, but all have agreed that a global array is the highest priority. The early northern hemisphere bias of the array is being corrected. Providing floats *2005 floats deployed through April 26

6. XBT sampling has remained fairly steady in terms of profile numbers as the XBT networks evolve toward line sampling modes. Argo is far more global than a ship-based system could ever be, provides salinity and reference velocity in addition to temperature, greater depth and better data quality than XBTs.

7. Deploying floats The geographic spread of Argo partners and their individual capabilities provide many opportunities for remote deployments. (e.g. French floats in eastern S Atlantic and western S Indian). Float deployment in the western tropical Pacific is enabled without EEZ complications through concurrence of 14 SOPAC nations, who also provide regional logistical support.

8. Deploying floats NIWA’s R/V Kaharoa is a highly cost effective vessel for float and drifter deployment. Blue - deployed, Red - future Apr-Jun 2006 Apr- Jun 2005 Oct 2005 – Mar 2006 A collaboration of U.S. and N.Z. Argo partners has resulted in deployment of 186 floats, plus surface drifters, in the South Pacific. The N.Z. and SOPAC participation illustrates how small-nation Argo partners are playing a large role in Argo’s success.

9. Data management International contributions to Argo data management include the CORIOLIS Global Argo Data Assembly Center in Brest. This contribution includes: One of the two GDACs. Development of formats and data exchange protocols. Leadership of Argo’s Data Management Team. Products using Argo data for GODAE. CORIOLIS analysis of T and S at 1000 m, April 20, 2005.

10. Technology development U.S. technologies dominate in Argo at present. U.S. role in technology improvement is critical. 90% of Argo floats and 100% of CTDs are U.S. - built. French-designed floats account for 10% of Argo. A new design (gear pump) is being developed in Japan. Competition is healthy for Argo. U.S. APEX 70% U.S. SOLO 20% France PROVOR 10% Japan design

11. Utilization of Argo data Argo data are used routinely in operational analysis and forecast systems in Australia, France, EU centers, Japan, UK and USA. Argo is a primary source of subsurface data for GODAE and CLIVAR. International scientific meetings: First Argo Science Workshop (Tokyo, 2003), IAPSO GODAE/Argo session (Cairns, 2005) and CLIVAR/Argo South Pacific Science Workshop (Concepcion, 2005). A list of Argo publications is at http://www-argo.ucsd.edu.http://www-argo.ucsd.edu Several initiatives will utilize Argo data in secondary education, including SEREAD and a pending application to ICSU. Operational centers Using Argo data

12. Conclusion International partners, large and small, play critical roles in all aspects of Argo implementation. Partnerships not only make Argo possible, but also more affordable. Through leveraging, the U.S. cost per Argo CTD profile drops from about $200 to $100. While the U.S. role in float technology is dominant, international efforts in utilizing Argo data are especially impressive. Argo web portal at http://www.argo.net