Float Technology Development

It is the long-term goal of the principal investigators of this grant to develop profiling floats with expanded capabilities in terms of better sensors, communications methods, greater operating depths, and ice capability. The objective of this work is to design, fabricate, and test 5 specific technological advances to profiling floats. These advancements include the following 1 adding Iridium communications to floats, 2 adding an acoustic rain gauge to floats. 3 adding a dissolved oxygen sensor, 4 producing a float that can operate to a depth of 2000 m anywhere in the world ocean, and 5 examining in detail methods for allowing floats to work under sea ice. To carry out this work, several floats with the capabilities listed above were built and tested. In general, these floats were Argo floats, purchased using funds from NOAA awarded to the University of Washington as part of the U.S. Argo program. The funds from this ONR grant were used to design and carry out the technological modifications necessary to meet the project objectives. The floats were deployed as Argo floats and the data were made a part of the Argo data stream.