Argo is an array of more than 3,800 floats that are freely drifting around the globe to measure the temperature, salinity and turbidity of the upper ocean, at depths down to 2,000 m. But this is less than half the full depth of the ocean, and deeper measurements are needed to fully understand ocean energy and health.

Deep Argo is a system in development that will collect data down to depths of 6,000 m. To jump-start the Deep Argo effort, Paul G. Allen Philanthropies is committing $4 million to NOAA to implement a large array of these deep ocean floats.

Watch the NOAA video on Deep Argo or read more at PaulAllen.com.

Learn about Argo floats that are currently gathering data and view a timeline of Argo-related events and publications at http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/.

Argo is a part of the Global Climate Observing System/Global Ocean Observing System GCOS /GOOS.

Learn more about the sensors inside the Deep Argo floats at Sea-Bird Scientific and read about accuracy and stability testing of Deep Argo for polar locations.

Argo versus Deep Argo depths. (Image from NOAA Climate.gov)

Deep Argo float. (Image from NOAA Climate.gov)