1. Argo & Google Ocean

2. Argo & Google Earth/Ocean Background
Aim: Design a product useful for Argonauts and for a larger public
To be presented to Google when ready, for a potential addition in the  Google Ocean  content offer
2 main elements:
Part I) Argo network status (the floats…)
Part II) Ocean state as seen by Argo (the products …)
All will be regrouped in a package and presented via a « tour »
Oceanographers will be allowed to tell stories on the floats, ocean, climate, etc, in order to:
« humanize » the Argo observing system
promote Argo as a pilar of the climate warning system

3. Part I) is ready in beta version…
Install Google Earth and/or upgrade to latest version:
Click on this link to add the new Argo layer in Google Earth:
It will include the following:
Active Floats
Inactive Floats
Deployment plans
Float Stories
Save it in your favorites. it is set up to refresh automatically but you can right click and « Refresh » on JCOMMOPS head layer.

4. Part I Network Status
The new Argo balloon is displayed when user click on any float or directly using the following link (change the platform code as appropriate for tests):
Hints:
-Select the « Argo » directory in the list of layers (left) and use « Ctrl + F »
Then type any platform code (WMO Id) to fly to the expected float.
-Click on the WMO Id to open the balloon in your preferred browser

5. Part I Network Status
If you use the AIC toolbar then you can use the usual shortcut

6. Part I Network Status
The new Argo balloon is made of 5 self-explanatory (?) tabs:
1) About this platform
2) Data
3) Operator
4) Stories
5) Photos
6) More info.
Suggestions ?
More/less tabs
Better vocabulary …

7. About this platform … - General information about the float
- Main metadata
General statistics …
What are the first elements we should see when selecting a float ??

8. About this platform …
Note the link to the « Profile view » that generates on the fly the GDAC trajectory and link to JAMSTEC web service,
which provides individual profile plots and data access. Such « fly to » feature should probably end up in the /Data section.

9. Data … -Data distribution statistics -Data (netCDF, ASCII) -Data Plots
-Diagnostic and QC tools from national, and global Argo data centres (DACs and GDACs/GDAR)
Links are listed (Diagnostic Pages) but
pictures can be embedded directly in the balloon
when exist (Data Plots)

10. Operator… Visibility for the operator(s): agencies and people involved
Access to operator (or P.I.) diagnostic pages
Access to operator « Argo products »
Suggestion to promote YOUR initiative?
Please provide the AIC with:
1) A short text describing your program.
2) the list of weblinks to your diagnostic pages.
If you are developing new pages please use only the unique WMO id
as a « key » in your URL. Today some uses internal Ids, Argos Ids, DAC names, and various combinations.
Some pictures or links are not yet included properly for those reasons.
3) The list of weblinks to your « Argo products »

11. Diagnostic pages/ Data plots
To summarize, 3 levels of tools are available for a given float:
GDAC, GDAR tools (in Data/)
DAC tools (in Data/)
PROGRAM tools (or PI, in Operator/)
Example: Test on UW #
Coriolis GDAC UW
AOML DAC

12. Stories … Float stories (the float of the month)
Keep sending your float stories to the Argo Project Office (Megan Scanderbeg, , ) ~30 stories available.

13. Photos …
Not all operators take photos of the deployments … but some do.
So here is a special tab that includes a (Picasa/Google) slideshow (if WMO matching photos tags )
Test on: # , # , # , # , # , # , # , # , # , #
Add your photos on-line at
Add a « tag » with the the WMO Id or just send your photos to the AIC&Project Office

14. More info… Legend, contacts, copyright, links, acknowledgements, etc.
This section certainly needs more contact points and links to additionnal
resources.

15. A cooperative effort …
GDACs, DACs, ARCs, PIs websites and tools are used.
This balloon aims to be a gateway to all information available on-line for a particular float.
Usefull for cross checks or QC.
Check here the list of links currently used (select « Platform Diagnostic Pages» and click OK, list can be ordered by DAC/Program/Country)
I am adding them gradually (~100 links for now)
JAMSTEC: individual profiles (plots/data)
CLS-Argos: access to Argos (new) trajectory data with full details (including ellipses of error) not yet available in real-time
Sample here
JMA latest (GTS) T&S plot

16. Remarks:
All information is dynamically generated (via requests in the DB)
For some technical reasons (transitions to new servers) some elements are not yet fully real time, but eventually everything will be made fully real-time.
Links (or pictures) to DACs, GDACS, PIs diagnostic tools are gradually recorded in DB.
Performances will be improved
Content within each tab will be clarified
A first suggestion was made to regoup all QC tools in a new tab. (currently in Data/). OK.
Anything important missing ?

17. Conclusion and Planning
Beta testing for Part I during March 2010
Please test and comment on the content (in general but in details if you wish)
Please provide appropriate information to promote your program
Please provide the links to your diagnostic tools and Argo products if needed
April 2010: Part II development
T/S/Anomalies data layers
May 2010: finalisation of the Argo package