Abstract
After recalibration of the temperature and conductivity sensors of three Argo profiling floats recovered after operations for four to nine months, the results indicate that the floats basically showed no significant drift, either in temperature or salinity, and adequately fulfilled the accuracy requirement of the Argo project (0.005°C for temperature and 0.01 psu for salinity). Only the third float showed a significant offset in salinity of about −0.02 psu, as expected from comparison between the float data and the shipboard conductivity-temperature-depth data. This offset was caused by the operational error of the PROVOR-type float, in which the surface water was pumped immediately after the launch, fouling the conductivity sensor cell.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Argo Science Team (2000): Report of the Argo Science Team 2nd Meeting (AST-2) March 7-9, 2000, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Southampton, U.K.
Inoue, A., M. Miyazaki, K. Izawa, K. Ando, Y. Takatsuki and K. Mizuno (2002): Stability of water temperature in the conductivity and temperature calibration system and result of calibration experiments. ARGO Technical Report FY 2001, JAMSTEC, 9–17.
Iwasaka, N., T. Suga, K. Takeuchi, K. Mizuno, Y. Takatsuki, K. Ando, T. Kobayashi, E. Oka, Y. Ichikawa, M. Miyazaki, H. Matsuura, K. Izawa, C.-S. Yang, N. Shikama and M. Aoshima (2003): Pre-Japan-ARGO: Experimental observation of upper and middle layers south of the Kuroshio Extension region using profiling floats. J. Oceanogr., 59, 119–127.
Mizuno, K. (2003): On the termination of Argo float. Umi no Kenkyu(Oceanography in Japan), 12, 37–57 (in Japanese with English abstract and figure captions).
Oka, E., K. Izawa, A. Inoue, K. Ando, N. Shikama, K. Mizuno, K. Suehiro and K. Takeuchi (2002): Is retrieve of Argo floats possible? JAMSTECR (Report of Japan Marine Science and Technology Center), 46, 147–155 (in Japanese with English abstract and figure captions).
Riser, S. and D. Swift (2003): Long-term measurements of salinity from profiling floats. J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. (submitted).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oka, E., Ando, K. Stability of Temperature and Conductivity Sensors of Argo Profiling Floats. Journal of Oceanography 60, 253–258 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOCE.0000038331.10108.79
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOCE.0000038331.10108.79