Argo Float 5901066

It's been 10 days since we last looked at our adopted Argo Float 5901066. It has surfaced again and amazingly, has travelled only 4 km in the last 10 days. Click on the image to see an enlargement.

Adopting an Argo Float

Location of Argo Float in relation to New Zealand

We have 'adopted' an Argo Float and will keep a watch on where it travels. It was deployed off the Kaharoa which is a NIWA Vessel. The Kaharoa deployed the float on it's journey across to Chile.
This Float has been in the water for 2562 days so far and has travelled 486 km.
Like all Argo Floats, it travels at a depth of 1000m for 9 days with the Ocean Current. Then on the 10th day it drops to 2000m (just like our Cartesian Divers do) and for the next 10 hours takes readings of temperature and salinity up the water column before sending that data off to a satellite.
We can access that info through Google Earth. Have a look at all the Floats around the world for yourself by downloading the Argo Float Google Earth Application here

An enlarged view of the journey (trajectory)

Argo Floats

We have been finding out all about Argo Floats. There are over 3600 of them in our oceans, measuring temperature and salinity (the saltiness).



Argo Floats are a cool piece of technology. Each float sinks to 1000m for 9 days and on the 10th day sinks further to 2000m and for the next 10 hours, takes its measurements up the water column. It then sends the info off at the surface to a satellite  (and anyone can access this data).

Google Earth has an awesome app that lets you see where the Argo Floats are in real time. Click here to download the app from the Argo website.
Your Google Earth will start to look like this... lots of little green dots appearing- showing you the location of the Argo Floats. You can also zoom in and get information about any of these floats, along with seeing where they have travelled- their trajectory.

Argo Float Cross section- used by permission

Argo Floats sink and float because they have an internal oil bladder and a battery that pumps the oil from one part to the other- very similar way to how a Cartesian diver works. We had a go at making Cartesian divers to see this for ourselves.