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FORINFRA-Nasj.sats. forskn.infrastrukt

A Norwegian Argo Infrastructure - a part of the European and Global Argo infrastructure

Awarded: NOK 4.0 mill.

The science of climate dynamics and climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our century. Understanding and predicting changes in both the atmosphere and the ocean requires data sets of the highest quality. The project will provide an ocean o bservation system for the Nordic Seas, with autonomous profiling floats, that deliver high-quality in-situ data, in near-real time, and at any time. This observation system will be a part of a world-wide monitoring program. The infrastructure proposed he re is to operate an array with minimum 10 profiling Argo floats in the Norwegian Sea and eventually extra floats in the Greenland and Iceland Seas. The floats will be equipped with pressure, temperature, salinity, oxygen, and fluorescence (chlorophyll-a) sensors, and can be used as platforms for additional sensors. The observations will be available, on the internet for all users, in near-real time, i.e. within 24 hours. The main objective is to monitor: - the ocean climate variability - the water mass t ransformation - the physical and biological variability of the upper ocean - the deep currents, using the drift of the floats The infrastructure will provide data for climate research, both physical- and biological oceanography, which is necessary to und erstand ocean processes and their role in the climate system, and also with relevance for ecosystem studies. The Argo floats can also serve as platforms for other future sensors, and these data will be included in the Argo data system. It is also propose d that Norway becomes a member of the Euro-Argo European Research Infrastructure Consortium, a European contribution to the international Argo programme, with IMR as representative.

Funding scheme:

FORINFRA-Nasj.sats. forskn.infrastrukt

Funding Sources