Preparing the New Phase of Argo: Scientific Achievements of the NAOS Project

Type Article
Date 2020-10
Language English
Author(s) Le Traon Pierre-Yves1, 2, D'Ortenzio Fabrizio3, Babin Marcel4, Leymarie Edouard3, Marec Claudie4, 5, 6, Pouliquen SylvieORCID1, Thierry VirginieORCID7, Cabanes Cecile6, 12, Claustre HervéORCID3, Desbruyeres DamienORCID7, Lacour Leo4, 5, Lagunas Jose-Luis4, 5, 8, Maze GuillaumeORCID7, Mercier HerleORCID12, Penkerc'h Christophe3, Poffa Noe1, Poteau AntoineORCID3, Prieur Louis3, Racape Virginie7, Randelhoff Achim4, 5, Rehm Eric4, 5, Schmechtig Catherine MarieORCID9, Taillandier Vincent3, Wagener Thibaut10, Xing Xiaogang11
Affiliation(s) 1 : Ifremer, Plouzané, France
2 : Mercator Ocean International, Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
3 : CNRS-INSU, Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France
4 : UMI 3376 Takuvik, Joint International Laboratory, Département de Biologie et Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
5 : Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
6 : CNRS, IRD, Unité Mixte de Service 3113, IUEM, Univ. Brest, Plouzané, France
7 : CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), IUEM, Univ. Brest, Plouzané, France
8 : Recherche et Développement pour la Défense Canada – Centre de Recherches de l’Atlantique, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
9 : CNRS, Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers Ecce Terra, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
10 : CNRS, IRD, MIO UM 110, Aix Marseille Univ., Université de Toulon, Marseille, France
11 : State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hangzhou, China
12 : CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), IUEM, Univ. Brest, Plouzané, France
Source Frontiers In Marine Science (2296-7745) (Frontiers Media SA), 2020-10 , Vol. 7 , P. 577408 (27p.)
DOI 10.3389/fmars.2020.577408
WOS© Times Cited 6
Keyword(s) profiling floats, deep ocean, biogeochemistry, Mediterranean Sea, Arctic, Atlantic, Argo
Abstract

Argo, the international array of profiling floats, is a major component of the global ocean and climate observing system. In 2010, the NAOS (Novel Argo Observing System) project was selected as part of the French “Investissements d’Avenir” Equipex program. The objectives of NAOS were to consolidate the French contribution to Argo’s core mission (global temperature and salinity measurements down to 2000 m), and also to develop the future generation of French Argo profiling floats and prepare the next phase of the Argo program with an extension to the deep ocean (Deep Argo), biogeochemistry (BGC-Argo) and polar seas. This paper summarizes how NAOS has met its objectives. The project significantly boosted France’s contribution to Argo’s core mission by deploying more than 100 NAOS standard Argo profiling floats. In addition, NAOS deployed new-generation floats as part of three scientific experiments: biogeochemical floats in the Mediterranean Sea, biogeochemical floats in the Arctic Ocean, and deep floats with oxygen sensors in the North Atlantic. The experiment in the Mediterranean Sea, launched in 2012, implemented and maintained a network of BGC-Argo floats at basin scale for the first time. The 32 BGC-Argo floats deployed and about 4000 BGC profiles collected have vastly improved characterization of the biogeochemical and ecosystem dynamics of the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, experiments in the Arctic and in the North Atlantic, starting in 2015 and deploying 20 Arctic BGC floats and 23 deep floats, have provided unique observations on biogeochemical cycles in the Arctic and deep-water masses, as well as ocean circulation variability in the North Atlantic. NAOS has therefore paved the way to the new operational phase of the Argo program in France that includes BGC and Deep Argo extensions. The objectives and characteristics of this new phase of Argo-France are discussed in the conclusion.

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Le Traon Pierre-Yves, D'Ortenzio Fabrizio, Babin Marcel, Leymarie Edouard, Marec Claudie, Pouliquen Sylvie, Thierry Virginie, Cabanes Cecile, Claustre Hervé, Desbruyeres Damien, Lacour Leo, Lagunas Jose-Luis, Maze Guillaume, Mercier Herle, Penkerc'h Christophe, Poffa Noe, Poteau Antoine, Prieur Louis, Racape Virginie, Randelhoff Achim, Rehm Eric, Schmechtig Catherine Marie, Taillandier Vincent, Wagener Thibaut, Xing Xiaogang (2020). Preparing the New Phase of Argo: Scientific Achievements of the NAOS Project. Frontiers In Marine Science, 7, 577408 (27p.). Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.577408 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00654/76584/