ARGO float activities in 2013

The total effort of the 2013 consists in the deployment of 3 floats.

An Italian profiling float was deployed in the Ross Sea on 6 January 2013 from R/V Araon (South Korea). This float is an Arvor-I instrument manufactured by NKE in France. It is anchored and cycles between the surface and 1000 dbar every 1 day It measures temperature and salinity at each ascent, and transmits data to the Iridium satellite system when at surface where it is localized by GPS. This deployment in ice-free coastal Ross Sea in winter 2013 is part of the T-Rex experiment in collaboration with the KOPRI (Korea Polar Research Institute), and SOChIC (SouthernOcean ObservingSystem and ChokePoints: Italian Contribution).

The aim is to extend the time series of observations in the polynya using for the first time one ARGO Float anchored to 1100 m in depth (see diagram in figure 3) in such a way that have a profile per day of salinity and temperature of the entire water column from 1000 m depth to surface with a resolution of 20 m from 1000 to 500 m, 10 m from 500 to 250 m and 5 m from 250 m to surface.

Figure 3. Diagram of float anchored at Terra Nova Bay.

Unfortunately after 1 cycle this float encountered functioning problems and stopped transmitting data and only 29 profiles were obtained. In general, the reasons for theses failures are still unknown. They will be investigated in collaboration with the manufacturer NKE.

Two Italian profiling floats were deployed in the SO on 10 January 2013 from R/V Araon (South Korea).

The launch position established will allow ARGO Float to follow the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and characterize the thermohaline structure, obviously as long as they will be working and will send data.

These floats are Arvor-I instruments manufactured by NKE in France. They cycle between the surface and 2000 dbar every 10 days and drift at the parking depth of 1000 dbar. They measure temperature and salinity at each ascent, and transmit data to the Iridium satellite system when at surface where it is localized by GPS.

Table 2 Status information for the 3 Italian floats in the SO during 2013. Updated positions, status and cycles number are available at http://nettuno.ogs.trieste.it/sire/medargo/active/it_table_out.php?live=*