An Introduction to the Argo Data Sytem South Pacific Workshop 11 – 14 October 2005 Mark Ignaszewski FNMOC

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Outline Data system features Data system overview Available data Data access

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Argo: A global collaboration Participating countries: 20 –Principle investigators: over 30 National data centers: 9 Float manufacturers: 6 Goal of the data system Provide a globally consistent data set Freely and easily available Meet the needs of the operational (real-time) and research communities

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Data Consistency Data are distributed in controlled formats –GTS data are in the TESAC code form –Server data are in standardized netCDF files File format and data consistency are checked for every file before distribution Standardized quality control procedures are used by all data providers Meta-data for each float must be available before data for the float can be distributed

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Data Availability Data is distributed on the GTS for operational centers Two global data servers –One in France, the other in the US –Both servers offer open access to all data via FTP Web interfaces

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Communities Served Operational (real-time) community Standard automated QC checks detect and flag bad data Data available on GTS and on the global servers Data are distributed within 24 hours of observation Research community Standardized delayed-mode QC techniques have been developed to calibrate Argo data (primarily salinity) –data are available 6 months to 1 year after observation

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Data System Schematic Users Global Argo Data Repository Argo Information Center Data Assembly Centers Argo Information Global Data Assembly Centers Principle Investigators Regional Data Assembly Centers GTS < 24 hrs Within hours 6 months - 1 year > 1 year AIC Notify coastal states of floats that might enter their EEZ Clearinghouse for Argo information Encourage participation by new countries Provide international coordination DACs Receive data from floats Apply standardized automated QC checks Insert data on the GTS Submit data to the GDACs Within 24 hours of observation 9 DACs (currently) Archive raw data RDACs Build high-quality reference datasets for their regions from all available data for use in delayed-mode QC process Perform basin-scale delayed-mode QC Produce regional products based on Argo data PIs Retrieve data from DACs Perform standardized delayed-mode QC Send delayed-mode data to the DACs GDACs Validate data format and consistency Provide ftp and Web access to ALL users 2 Global data centers (synchronized) Official source of Argo data GADR Permanently archive Argo data “Register” data with data inventories Provide data on hardcopy media for distribution Provide data transformation and integration tools NODC

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Argo Data Coverage 1 – 30 September 2005: 5981 Argo observations 2031 Active floats

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Combined Data Coverage

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Data: By Year Total Observations: 181,345 Delayed-mode QC: 24,769

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Data Access: FTP US GDAC: ftp://usgodae1.fnmoc.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/argo French GDAC: ftp://ftp.ifremer.fr/ifremer/argo Index files: “Index” of all files on the GDAC – text files –Includes additional information for easy searching (positions, times, etc) 3 “views” –DAC view: float files as provided by the DACs (“dac” directory) –Geographic view: files arranged by basin (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian) and day of observation (“geo” directory) –Latest-data view: files arranged by day of receipt at the GDAC (“latest_data” directory)

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 French GDAC

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 French GDAC

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 French GDAC: Data Selection Tool

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 French GDAC

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 US GDAC: Web interface

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 US GDAC: Argo Data Browser

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 US GDAC: Argo Data Browser

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 US GDAC: OPeNDAP OPeNDAP Functionality Export to binary or ASCII Subset Subsample Browse

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 US GDAC: LAS Select profile data by: Time Period Region Depth Range Additionally constrain by Float ID DAC Real-Time/Delayed Mode QC Values

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 US GDAC: LAS LAS Gaussian Metadata Pie Waterfall Comma Separated HTML Text

South Pacific Workshop October 2005 Important Addresses AIC Entry Page: Argo Project Office: Argo Information Center: argo.jcommops.org French GDAC: US GDAC: Data Guide: Please Provide Feedback! Argo mailing list service: listes.cls.fr/wws/info/argo