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OCEAN · ARGO FLOATS

Argo Floats — the Ocean, Measured

Drifting through the world ocean right now are nearly 3,900 robotic floats. Every ten days each one sinks to about 2,000 metres, then rises back to the surface taking the temperature and saltiness of the water all the way up — and radios it to a satellite before it dives again. This map shows where they surfaced last. Tap any float to see the actual water column it just measured. Nothing here is modelled; it is the sea, read by instrument.

FULL MAP →

Floats & profiles: Argo / Argovis · core floats in blue, biogeochemical (BGC) floats in green

Understand the floats

FIELD GUIDEWhat is an Argo float — and what does “measured, not modelled” mean?

How one float reads the deep

1 · DRIFT & DIVEIt parks at ~1,000 m and drifts with the current, then dives to ~2,000 m.
2 · RISE & MEASURERising slowly, it samples temperature & salinity at hundreds of depths — the column on this map.
3 · SURFACE & SENDAt the surface it fixes its position by satellite, transmits, and sinks again — about every 10 days.

Two kinds drift out there: core floats measure temperature and salinity; BGC (biogeochemical) floats add oxygen, nitrate, pH and chlorophyll — the chemistry of a living, breathing ocean. The array has been building since 2000 and the data are a free public good, released within hours of each surfacing.

Related layers

OCEANOceans & Seas — where each float is driftingOCEANSea Temperature — the surface the floats start fromOCEANOcean Currents — what carries the floats

SEE IT ON THE MAP

Tap a float and watch the deep ocean draw itself.

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