Brief description
The IMOS Biogeochemical Argo sub-facility aims to undertake real time monitoring of the broad ocean state around Australia by deploying Biogeochemical Argo floats in scientifically important areas of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone, surrounding seas and the Southern Ocean. The data presented here, includes all Biogeochemical Argo profiles collected since 2002, and covers the oceans worldwide. In collaboration with the US SOCCOM project, the first IMOS Australia Biogeochemical Argo floats were deployed in the East Australia Current in September 2019. Biogeochemical Argo floats are profiling floats that, in addition to temperature and salinity (this data is provided by the IMOS - Argo Profiles - core data collection, https://catalogue-imos.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/4402cb50-e20a-44ee-93e6-4728259250d2), carry sensors to measure any combination of dissolved oxygen, pH, dissolved nitrate, chlorophyll fluorescence, particulate backscatter and incoming solar radiation (data provided for the first 4 variables only). A typical Argo float mission is to profile from 2000 m depth to the sea surface every 10 days. On deployment, the float sinks to a depth of 1000 m and drifts with the ocean currents for 9 days. Then the float sinks deeper to its profile depth (usually 2000 m) before starting to ascend through the water column measuring parameters as it rises. Once at the surface it transmits location and profile data via satellite to land-based Argo data centres. After transmission the float sinks again and repeats the cycle. Each Argo float is identified by a unique identification number called a WMO ID. WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) ID Numbers are assigned to measurement stations and observing platforms to enable researchers to keep track of, and uniquely identify their floats. The average life of the latest model APEX Argo floats are around 3.7 years or approximately 135 cycles. These statistics are for floats with the standard alkaline battery configuration from an analysis by Kobayashi et al (2009). In the Australian Argo program, the floats are deployed with a combination of lithium and alkaline battery packs which extends float lifetime. Argo Australia floats usually last 5 years.Lineage
Statement: The BGC-Argo data system has three levels of quality control. The first level is the real-time system that performs a set of agreed, automated checks on all float measurements. The real time quality control procedures are described in the Argo Quality Control Manual for Biogeochemical Data (http://dx.doi.org/10.13155/40879). Quality flags are: 0 - no quality control done; 1 - good data; 2 - probably good data; 3 - bad data that are potentially correctable 4 - bad data that is not correctable. A second level of data improvement called an adjustment (leading to "adjusted-mode" data) is applied for 4 out of the 6 standard BGC variables: oxygen, nitrate, pH and chlorophyll. For these 4 variables, only adjusted data should be used (found in the xy_ADJUSTED variable) as the adjustment corrects for drifts and offsets of the sensors relative to their factory calibrations. Adjustments can be made in real time once an operator has generated the appropriate coefficients, so adjusted variables can be present in real-time files. For the 4 variables indicated, only adjusted data are ready for operational use (https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00502). Optical backscattering and radiometry data can usually be used "as is". A third level of quality control is done in delayed mode, after the profiles are more than 6 months old. The data undergo rigorous semi-automated and manual tests and are inspected by an operator; adjusted data may be updated at this stage, and the QC refined. Delayed-mode QC usually begins 6-12 months into a float's life. Sensor-specific QC procedures for BGC-Argo can be found on the BGC-Argo data management website: https://biogeochemical-argo.org/data-management.php.Notes
CreditAustralia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). It is operated by a consortium of institutions as an unincorporated joint venture, with the University of Tasmania as Lead Agent.
CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere
Marine National Facility (MNF)
University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Curtin University
Issued: 13 05 2021
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(Link to Argo User's Manual)
uri :
http://www.argodatamgt.org/Documentation
(Biogeochemical Argo page on IMOS website)
uri :
https://imos.org.au/facilities/argofloats/bgcargo
(Biogeochemical Argo Measured Variables webpage)
uri :
https://biogeochemical-argo.org/measured-variables-general-context.php
(OGC WFS help documentation)
uri :
https://help.aodn.org.au/web-services/ogc-wfs/
(ncUrlList help documentation)
uri :
https://help.aodn.org.au/web-services/ncurllist-service/
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