Argo Float Data: Temperature and Salinity Profiles from Australian Waters

Argo Australia contributes to a global partnership collecting ocean data from over 3,000 autonomous floats. Each float records temperature and salinity profiles from the upper 2000 meters approximately every 10 days, transmitting data via satellite. The dataset includes observations from the oceans surrounding Australia, maintained by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean heat content and climate change impacts based on temperature profiles from the upper 2000 meters.
• Analyzing salinity patterns and water mass distribution based on high-quality salinity measurements.
• Studying mid-depth ocean currents based on the float drift data mentioned in the description.
• Calibrating satellite-derived sea surface salinity data using in-situ float profiles.

Strengths

• Data is collected by a global array of over 3,000 autonomous profiling floats.
• Each float is designed to complete around 150 measurement cycles, providing longitudinal data.
• Profiles capture high-quality temperature and salinity data from the upper 2000 meters of the ocean.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the Argo Australia contribution area.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, contributing to the International Argo program.

Collection Method

Data gathered by battery-powered autonomous floats that ascend from depth every ~10 days, recording profiles and transmitting via satellite.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 19:10:05.606606; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Oceans surrounding Australia, with contributions from a global array across most of the world's ice-free oceans.