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ARGO FLOAT
What's this?
a) A giant syringe for elephants
b) An instrument for determining the state of the ocean
c) A heat-guided torpedo
Answer: an instrument for determining
the state of the ocean
Blame it on El Niño
The oceans account for close to three-quarters of the
Earth's surface, and directly influence the climate. The
El Niño current, for instance, has been
associated with a number of severe weather phenomena.
By studying variations in ocean currents, we can better
predict floods, ice storms, tornadoes, and so on. In the
past, people studied the oceans from ships or anchored
stations, but it was hard to gather and compile data collected
all over the world.
Personality profile
The Argo float records the ocean temperature, salinity
and pressure, and transmits these data by satellite, giving
researchers instant access over the Internet. The float
can descend to 2000 m and drift for 10 days. Its route
as it drifts is also a valuable indicator of ocean currents.
The float adjusts its buoyancy by means of an oil bladder
that it fills or empties with an automatic piston, to
change its volume.
An international project
Fifteen countries are now collaborating on the Argo project
and two more will soon join them. All in all, experts
plan to release 3,000 of these floats within a few years
in nearly every ocean around the planet. This fleet will
give us the information we need to paint a more detailed
and accurate portrait of ocean currents. The data will
be published and can even be used in the classroom by
teachers interested in climate change.
Thanks!
The Argo float is on loan from the Institute of Ocean
Sciences of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
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