JP3.20
Taking the pulse of climate change: NOAA's TAO buoys go from “research” to “operational”
Phoebe Woodworth, NOAA, Honolulu, HI
This year marks the transition of NOAA's Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean (TAO) buoy array from “research” to “operational” status. Comprised of over 70 buoys centered along the equator and spanning from 95°W to 137°E, the TAO array gathers atmospheric and oceanic data that allow scientists to track in real-time both ENSO cycles and climate change. Among the data collected by the buoys and their subsurface sensors are air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, short wave radiation, rainfall, sea surface temperature, and subsurface temperature and conductivity down to 500m. Buoys moored on the equator also monitor atmospheric and oceanic CO2 concentrations, thus providing scientists with the ability to monitor a key indicator of climate change. The TAO array is primarily serviced by the NOAA research vessel KA'IMIMOANA. The KA'IMIMOANA is NOAA's only research vessel whose principal mission is monitoring climate change. In addition to maintaining the TAO array, the KA'IMIMOANA also deploys surface drifters and subsurface Argo floats. Argo floats measure temperature and conductivity to a depth of 2000m and surface every ten days to transmit the data. All data collected through the TAO and Argo programs are freely available to researchers and are used to improve our understanding of ENSO and global climate change.
Joint Poster Session 3, Tropical Cyclones and Climate Change Poster Session
Monday, 21 January 2008, 2:30 PM-4:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
Previous paper Next paper