Photo Album
10.12.01
Click on the image to see a larger view
An ARGO Float is a small (about 3 feet in length)
black tubular shaped instrument that measures temperature and
salinity in the water. It's interesting particularly because it
is so simple. The middle part of the instrument, called a bladder,
is made of a thick rubber material that can inflated like a balloon.
It has a pump inside that inflates or deflates the bladder which
changes its volume while keeping the mass the same. A deflated
state has an increased density which makes the ARGO sink to a
depth of 900 meters below the surface. There it drifts for 10
days collecting data. Then the bladder is inflated so the ARGO
rises to the surface and transmits its data to a satellite. When
the transmission is complete, it deflates again and begins the
whole process anew. This will go on for four years! As part of
an international project Dr. Weller, our Chief Scientist, and
a group of scientists hope to have 3000 of these in the water
all over the world collecting data. We will be deploying a total
of 6 at the points marked on the photo. The one you see in the
photo was deployed at 2.5 o S.
Note for educators: Although Jennifer and Jane's reseearch cruise ended, the EPIC research continues. Please use this web site, Jennifer and Jane's lesson plans, daily logs, the videos, and the photos to educate your students about climate, El Niño, and scientific research in general. Consider this web site, as well as the TAO web site, a resource for teaching your students. Many organizations and countries are involved in funding the EPIC Experiment. Primary U. S. funding is provided by The National Science Foundation and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This website is maintained and frequently updated by
NOAA's Office of Global Programs
ogpwebmaster@noaa.gov.
Some of the material on this website may require one of the following plug-ins
if not already installed on your system:
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