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Studythe warm pools of the Pacific-Indian Oceans with Argo float observation

Editor :China Argo Real-time    Time :2013-04-04 22:21:12    Visit :

       A research project named “Observation and study of the Indian Ocean warm pool with Argo floats” was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology in its Key Project Program of International Cooperation for Science and Technology in January 2003. Academician Cao Jiping from the First Institute of Oceanography, SOA is in charge of the project with Associated Prof. Yi Weidong from the same institute and Prof. Xu Jianping from the Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA to assist him in the implementation. The project will last 5 years from January 2003 to December 2007.

The study of the project covers four aspects as follows:

       1. Using Argo floats together with submerged floats and sectional observation, to get a better knowledge of the three dimensional structure of temperature, salinity and current and corresponding surface atmosphere field, especially the annual variation of these physical factors and to establish a correct physical description of the warm pool and provide basis of observational facts for dynamic studies.

       2. To carry out analysis of the marine dynamic process with Argo data as the base. To study the changing law of the thermocline in Pacific and Indian Oceans and to get to know the excitation, transmission and reflection of Kelvin and Rossby waves and the effect of these processes on the occurrence and development of El Nino and clarify the interaction way between Pacific and Indian Oceans. To study the relationship of the upper ocean variation and atmospheric forcing, and to clarify the effect and relative importance of the Indonesian throughflow and large scale air-sea interaction in linking the two oceans. To study the effect of the second step (or higher step) baroclinic modal in deciding the low frequent (inter annual or inter age) variation of the ocean.

       3. To develop assimilation technology of the Argo data. Combined with GODAE to carry out studies on the combination of Argo data with oceanographic models and to extract oceanographic information into full play.

       4. To study the possibility of using our own satellite to receive the Argo data so as to enhance the security of the data.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

       1. To deploy Argo 15 floats in Pacific and Indian Oceans in which 8 will deployed in the first two years and 7 in the last three years. Together with the floats deployed by other countries to get a reasonable coverage of the warm pool waters.

       2. Based on the floats deployed in this project and other projects (about 30 floats) to establish a real-time process system of the Argo data with the ability of real-time receiving, correction, storage and distribution to provide supports for scientific research and operational application.

       3. To cooperate with the Australian institute of oceanography to carry out observation of the warm pools including observation of the Indian Ocean throughflow with anchored buoys and in situ sectional observations in the warm pool waters, thus to build up an integrated observational data base for the study of Pacific-Indian Ocean warm pools.

       4. Based on the observation combined with historical data to make physical description of the mean climatic regime and its interannual variation of the dynamic and thermal structure of the warm pool.

       5. To fulfill the dynamic analysis of the variational process of the ocean using marine and atmospheric observational data with Argo data in the lead, the main aim of which is to clarify the variational law of Pacific-Indian thermocline during ENSO circulating period, the effect of the Indonesian throughflow in linking the two oceans, contribution of the basin scale air-sea interaction to the variation of the two oceans and dominance of the high step baroclinic process on the ocean low frequency memory.

       6. To fulfill the development of the assimilation technology of ocean model for the Argo data and to form ocean assimilation model for operational use.

       7. To realize the reception of Argo data with the satellite of our own and explore the possibility to produce the modules in China.