Ocean modelling & measurements: ARGO
Argo floats (or profilers) are are autonomous devices that measure temperature, salinity and pressure (p, equiv. to depth) between the ocean surface and a depth of 2 km. Once put into the water they actively ascend to the surface and descend to2 km in a 10-day cycle, while they are passively carried by horizontal currents. At the surface they send their data via satellite to a data centre. Temperature and salinity are the main physical properties of the ocean. They determine density and thus pressure, and, via the geostrophic relation, currents. The temperature distribution determines the thermal expansion of the ocean and thus partly the sea level rise. KNMI represents the Netherlands in the Euro Argo ERIC.
