• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.643-650
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• 2009

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been developing one mobile and one stationary SLR system since 2008 named as ARGO-M and ARGO-F, respectively. KASI finished the step of deriving the system requirements of ARGO. The requirements include definitions and scopes of various software and hardware components which are necessary for developing the ARGO-M operation system. And the requirements define function, performance, and interface requirements. The operation system consisting of ARGO-M site, ARGO-F site, and Remote Operation Center (ROC) inside KASI is designed for remote access and the automatic tracking and control system which are the main operation concept of ARGO system. To accomplish remote operation, we are considering remote access to ARGO-F and ARGO-M from ROC. The mobile-phone service allows us to access the ARGO-F remotely and to control the system in an emergency. To implement fully automatic tracking and control function in ARGO-F, we have investigated and described the requirements about the automatic aircraft detection system and the various meteorological sensors. This paper addresses the requirements of ARGO Operation System.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.179-188
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• 2015

This study was carried out to determine the optimal number of ARGO floats in the East Sea in order to maximize their applications. The dominant spatio-temporal scale, size of the domain, and the typical float lifetimes in the East Sea were taken into consideration. The mean spatial de-correlation scale of temperature on isobaric surfaces reaches about 60 km. The minimum necessary number of floats is about 82 on average in order to secure independent ARGO profiles with the de-correlation scale. Considering the float lifetimes, about 27 floats per year should be deployed to maintain the 82 ARGO float array every year. To obtain spatially uniform distribution of ARGO float data, mean residence time and dispersion rate (basin area/residence time) of ARGO floats were evaluated in each basin of the East Sea. A faster (slower) dispersion rate requires more (less) ARGO floats to maintain the spatially uniform number of floats. According to the analysis, it is likely that the optimal ratio of the number of floats for each basin is 1:2:4 corresponding to Ulleung Basin:Yamato Basin:Japan Basin. In order to maintain relatively uniform ARGO observing networks, it is necessary to establish a long-term plan for deployment strategy based on float pathways and the dispersion rate parameters estimated by using currently active ARGO float trajectory data as well as reanalysis data.

• Atmosphere
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.4-23
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• 2004

To monitor the world's oceans and understand the role of the oceans for climate change, an Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (ARGO) program has been carried out since year 2000. Autonomous profiling floats of about 820 are reporting the vertical temperature, salinity, and pressure profiles of the upper 2000 m underwater at regular time intervals. Meteorological Research Institute (METRI) of Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) launched 45 floats at the East Sea and the western Pacific to understand characteristics of water properties and develop the global ocean observation system as a part of international cooperation project. In this study, we introduce ARGO program, METRI-ARGO and the features of APEX float itself and their data formats. We also describe the significant points to be considered for using ARGO data.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.119-130
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• 2015

Impacts of Argo temperature assimilation on the analysis fields in the East Sea is investigated by using DAESROM, the East Sea Regional Ocean Model with a 3-dimensional variational assimilation module (Kim et al., 2009). Namely, we produced analysis fields in 2009, in which temperature profiles, sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) anomaly were assimilated (Exp. AllDa) and carried out additional experiment by withdrawing Argo temperature data (Exp. NoArgo). When comparing both experimental results using assimilated temperature profiles, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the Exp. AllDa is generally lower than the Exp. NoArgo. In particular, the Argo impacts are large in the subsurface layer, showing the RMSE difference of about $0.5^{\circ}C$. Based on the observations of 14 surface drifters, Argo impacts on the current and temperature fields in the surface layer are investigated. In general, surface currents along the drifter positions are improved in the Exp. AllDa, and large RMSE differences (about 2.0~6.0 cm/s) between both experiments are found in drifters which observed longer period in the southern region where Argo density was high. On the other hand, Argo impacts on the SST fields are negligible, and it is considered that SST assimilation with 1-day interval has dominant effects. Similar to the difference of surface current fields between both experiments, SSH fields also reveal significant difference in the southern East Sea, for example the southwestern Yamato Basin where anticyclonic circulation develops. The comparison of SSH fields implies that SSH assimilation does not correct the SSH difference caused by withdrawing Argo data. Thus Argo assimilation has an important role to reproduce meso-scale circulation features in the East Sea.

• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.283-294
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• 2021

An Observing System Experiment (OSE) using Global Ocean Data Assimilation and Prediction System (GODAPS) was conducted to evaluate the assimilation impact of Argo floats, deployed by National Institute of Meteorological Sciences/Korea Meteorological Administration (NIMS/KMA), in marginal seas around Korean peninsula. A data denial experiment was run by removing Argo floats in the Yellow Sea and the East Sea from an operational run. The assimilation results show that Argo floats bring the positive impact on the analysis of ocean internal structure in both Yellow Sea and East Sea. In the East Sea, overall positive impact in the water temperature and salinity context is found, especially outstanding improvement from 300 to 500 m depth. In the Yellow sea, the assimilation impact on water temperature and salinity is also large within 50 m depth, especially greater impact than the East Sea in salinity. However, in the Yellow Sea, the influence of Argo floats tends to be restricted to the vicinity of Argo floats, because there was only one Argo float in the middle of the Yellow Sea during the experiment period. Given that the only limited number of Argo floats generally contribute in a positive way to the improvement of the GODAPS, further progress could be expected with adding more observations from Argo floats to current observing systems.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.561-570
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• 2023

In order to improve the predictability of marine high-impacts weather such as typhoon and high waves, the marine observation network is an essential because it could be rapidly changed by strong air-sea interaction. In this regard, the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences, Korea Meteorological Administration (NIMS/KMA) has promoted the Argo float observation program since 2001 to participate in the International Argo program. In this study, current status and future direction of the NIMS/KMA Argo program are presented through the internal meeting and external expert forum. To date, a total of 264 Argo floats have been deployed into the offshore around the Korean Peninsula and the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The real-time and delayed modes quality control (QC) system of Argo data was developed, and an official regional data assembling center (call-sign 'KM') was run. In 2002, the Argo homepage was established for the systematic management and dissemination of Argo data for domestic and international users. The future goal of the NIMS/KMA Argo program is to improve response to the marine high-impacts weather through a marine environment monitoring and observing system. The promotion strategy for this is divided into four areas: strengthening policy communication, developing observation strategies, promoting utilization research, and activating international cooperation.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.121-124
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• 2006

Argo drifters provide information of the vertical structure in the water column and have a potential for the improvement of understanding phytoplankton primary production and biogeochemical cycles in combination with ocean color satellite data, which can obtain the horizontal distribution of phytoplankton biomass in the surface layer. Our examples show that using Argo drifters with satellite-measured horizontal distribution of phytoplankton biomass at the sea surface allow an improved understanding of the development of the spring bloom. The other possible uses of Argo drifter are discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1353-1361
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• 2008

Quality control of Argo(Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography) data is crucial by reason that salinity measurements are liable to experience some drift and offset due to biofouling, contamination of sensor and wash-out of biocide. The automated Argo real-time quality control has a limit of sorting data quality, so that WJO program is adopted as standardized method of Argo delayed mode quality control (DMQc) in the world that is a precise quality control method. We conducted DMQC on pressure, temperature and salinity measured by Argo floats in the Pacific Ocean including expert evaluation. Particularly, salinity data were corrected using WJO program. 4 salinity profiles of Argo delayed mode were compared with nearby in situ CTD data and other Argo data in deep layer where oceanographic conditions are stable in time and space. The differences of both salinities were lower than target accuracy of Argo. As compared with the difference of salinities before DMQC, those after DMQC decreased by 60-80 percent. Quality of delayed mode salinity data seemed to be improved correcting salinity data suggested by WJO program.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.204-211
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• 2004

Autonomous profiling CTD floats are a useful tool for observing the oceans. We, however, cannot perform post-deployment calibration of the CTD's attached to the floats, and the assessment of the accuracy and stability of the profile data from the floats is one of the important issues in the delayed mode quality control of the profiles. Variations in salinity in the intermediate level of East Sea is comparable to the accuracy of salinity data required by the international Argo Program, which is 0.01. Therefore, we can assess the credibility of salinity data from the floats deployed in the East Sea using three independent methods while considering the East Sea as a salinity calibration bath. The methods utilized here are 1) comparison of high quality CTD data and float data obtained at similar locations at similar time, 2) comparison of float data obtained at similar locations at similar time, and 3) investigation of long term stability and accuracy of salinity data from parking depths. All three methods show that without any calibration, the salinity data satisfy the accuracy criterion by the Argo Program. While assuming that the intermediate level temperature in the East Sea is as homogeneous as the salinity, we have applied the three methods to temperature data. We found that the accuracy of temperature reading is 0.01$^{\circ}C$, which is about twice larger than the requirement by the Argo Program, 0.005$^{\circ}C$. This does not mean that the temperature readings are inaccurate, because the intermediate level temperature does vary spacially and temporally more than the accuracy interval required by the Argo Program. If we take into account the variation in the intermediate level temperature, the accuracy of temperature data from the floats is not significantly different from that proposed by the Argo Program. Therefore, one could use both temperature and salinity profiles from the floats assessed in this study without calibration.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 2005

Using data from Argo floats collected in the Southern Ocean, we describe water mass prop erties and flow fields at intermediate levels (1000m and 2000m levels). Water mass properties from Argo floats, which are consistent with those from previous hydrographic surveys, reflect the movement of the floats well even without quality control on the Argo data. Since the flow fields from the Argo floats do not cover the entire Southern Ocean, we could not obtain a general circulation pattern, especially at the 2000m level. We, however, can confirm the general eastward tendency due to ACC largely following the topography.