The

First Argo Science Workshop

Tokyo, Japan

November 12-14 2003

Background to Argo

Argo is a pilot project of the Global Ocean and Global Climate Observing Systems and is co-sponsored by the WCRP’s Climate Variability and Predictability project (CLIVAR) and the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE). Argo is building towards an array of 3000 floats that will each deliver profiles of temperature and salinity at 10 day intervals between the ocean surface and 2000m. The floats are planned to cover the ice-free regions of the global ocean. Data are freely exchanged both in real time and in delayed mode. The array has now (December 2003) reached over 33% of its final total. The final array is planned for completion in 2006

Workshop objectives

This was the first meeting specifically dedicated to demonstrating the early achievements of Argo. It presented an opportunity to :-

• Exchange information on the early results obtained using Argo and other profiling floats

• Demonstrate the present and likely future value of Argo for a wide range of applications

• Identify ways in which Argo can best meet the needs of scientists and ocean applications and operational programmes

Workshop format

The workshop was a mix of invited and submitted plenary talks, poster sessions. There was a demonstration of Argo float data access and displays by float and sensor manufacturers. The total attendance was 220.

Scientific contributions

All of the oral presenations and many of the posters can now be downloaded from this site.

Workshop organising committee

Howard Freeland IOS, Pat Bay, Canada
John Gould SIO, La Jolla, USA
Brian King SOC, Southampton, UK
Helen Phillips CSIRO, Hobart, Australia
Steve Piotrowicz NOAA, Arlington, VA, USA
Steve Riser U.Washington, Seattle, USA
K Radhakrishnan INCOIS, Hyderabad, India
Dean Roemmich SIO, La Jolla, USA

Workshop sponsors

The primary sponsors of the workshop were the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC) and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA funding was administered through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO In light of the regional interest in the workshop the North Pacific Marine Science Organisation (PICES) was also a sponsor.