Workpackages
Links between the project work packages are summarised in the project logic diagram:
WP1 : COORDINATION
The project is managed by the Euro-Argo ERIC Program Manager, in close collaboration with the Euro-Argo ERIC Management Board. It covers the coordination of the technical and data management activities.
WP2 : FLOAT PROCUREMENT
The procurement has been done through a call for tenders organised by the Euro-Argo ERIC following Euro-Argo ERIC procurement rules described in the Euro-Argo financial rules that have been validated by the Euro-Argo ERIC Council on the 18th of July 2014.
Floats are checked by the Euro-Argo ERIC personal within 3 months from delivery using Ifremer float test facilities as described in WP3/Task 3.1.
In October 2016 all floats (150) were delivered to ERIC premises with the following schedule:
- 40 Iridium March 2016
- 40 Iridium May 2016
- 20 Iridium July 2016
- 20 Argos July 2016
- 30 Iridium September 2016
WP3 : FLOAT DEPLOYMENT
The Euro-Argo ERIC coordinates operations at sea and associated logistics. The succession of operations is as follows :
- Define a deployment plan after selection of the deployment opportunities
- Prepare the floats and organise their shipping to the deployment location
- Perform the deployment itself
- Monitor the at-sea behaviour of the float deployed
Task 3.1 : Preparing the floats
The Euro-Argo ERIC is in charge of the float preparation which involves reception and checking of the documentation delivered with the floats, checking proper functioning of all components, calibration of the sensors. It includes a tank test using Ifremer facilities that allow testing the capabilities of the floats to cycle and allows checking the T&S sensors by inter-comparing them during the test. Then mission parameters (data reduction, storage, coding, formatting, etc.) and transmission schedule are programmed. Finally, floats are conditioned for transport and shipping. This task also comprises the management of the stock between delivering by the manufacturer and the shipping to the deployment location.
All floats (150) have been tested in the Ifremer pool before the end of 2017. The ERIC technical team discovered problems with 4 floats, which were sent back to the manufacturer. Maintenance has been done and floats were re-delivered in September 2017. They have been tested again and eventually deployed.
Task 3.2 : Operations at Sea
Float deployments are organised by the Euro-Argo ERIC. Float deployments require adequate logistical support and easy access to information on research cruises for deployment opportunities. Floats will be deployed during research cruises or from ships of opportunity, which must be identified. For the identification of float deployment opportunities the Euro-Argo ERIC will interact both with the Euro-Argo Members and Observers that have privileged access to their national research vessel plans, and with the Ship Coordinator of the JCOMM in situ Observing Platform Support Centre (JCOMMOPS, www.jcommops.org/), located in the same building as the Euro-Argo ERIC.
Float deployment plans are developed by the Euro-Argo ERIC taking into account international recommendations (e.g. maintenance of a global array which requires filling gaps) and specific European interests (e.g. European regional seas). Since the start of Argo (see below), European partners have mainly contributed the monitoring of the Atlantic Ocean from north to south and with a lesser proportion in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In MOCCA, in collaboration with international partners, the Atlantic Ocean will be the first focus to contribute to an increased cooperation for Atlantic Ocean observations following the Galway declaration.
In December 2018, all 150 floats were deployed, taking into account the Euro-Argo and International Strategy and specific requirements from the Copernicus Marine Service and DG MARE/EMODNET.
Float deployments were notified through the Argo Information Centre (AIC) up to six months prior to deployment to meet the requirements of IOC Resolution XX-6. In case of deployment from commercial vessels or sailing ships, Euro-Argo provided training for the crews and logistical support.
Task 3.3 : At-Sea Monitoring
Monitoring of the behaviour of the floats at sea is coordinated by the Euro-Argo ERIC with the help of technology specialists (NERC-BODC, Ifremer, BSH and OGS). This monitoring is targeted to rapidly detect failures that would need to stop deployment and also to provide feedback to manufacturers on anomalies or improvements that need to be studied.
A website tool has been developed by Euro-Argo ERIC and Ifremer to monitor the MOCCA fleet and work toward the better monitoring of the whole European fleet. All the technical information provided by Ifremer and BODC DACs is loaded in the Coriolis database. A technical person from the Euro-Argo Central RI is periodically analysing the float behaviour and in particular the failures and provide a summary report that is distributed to the Euro-Argo ERIC partners. It also provides a support to cruise deployment providing rapid feedback on the data received to the people on board if there is a set of floats to be deployed. Finally, he is relying on the national experts from Ifremer, BSH, OGS and BODC for in depth analysis of failure and also liaising with float and sensor manufacturers, especially when new failure modes are identified.
Deliverables "D3.3.2 Description of the at sea monitoring procedure (revised)" and "D3.3.3 Report on at sea behavior of the MOCCA fleet" describe respectively the main functionalities of the tool and the analysis of the at sea behaviour of the MOCCA fleet.
WP4 : DATA MANAGEMENT
Task 4.1 : Coordination of the data management activities
The international Argo data system is based on two Global Data Assembly Centres, a series of 11 national Data Assembly Centres and several Delayed Mode operators. Their functions are summarised here.
The MOCCA fleet data processing is organised through Euro-Argo data centres and delegated to its members.
Task 4.2 : Real-Time processing
UK and France are sharing the real-time processing of the MOCCA floats.
Real-Time data processing will be applied on the MOCCA fleet according the Argo standard procedures. See Argo Data Management for further details.
Task 4.3 : Delayed-Mode Processing
Although real time procedures flag the gross errors in the data, there may still remain more subtle errors due to sensor drift (most often in salinity). Elaborate procedures have been devised, based on statistical methods, and scientific expertise from principal investigators (PIs). The procedures are constantly assessed and updated as necessary.
Delayed-Mode processing will be distributed among the 4 institutes involved in DMQC based on deployment's area:
- OGS for Mediterranean and Black Sea
- BSH for Nordic Seas and part of the Atlantic Ocean Floats
- BODC for Southern Ocean floats and part of the Atlantic Ocean Floats
- IFREMER for part of the Atlantic Ocean Floats
This activity started in 2018 as a minimum of one year of data is needed before the delayed mode processing can be performed.
Ifremer/Coriolis integrate all the Euro-Argo data into the GDAC and provide user access mode adapted to different mode of use: ftp access allowing data download for operational users, and Web access allowing data visualisation, selection and extraction with specific temporal and geographical criteria specified by users.
The Euro-Argo ERIC coordinates the data management activities and distributes the float processing to the WP4 partners according to the deployment areas. It also coordinates with EMODNet and COPERNICUS Marine Service to ensure that the data are properly disseminated to them, gather their feedback and take actions when needed with the WP4 partners.
Finally, the Euro-Argo ERIC, with the Management Board, will analyse the activities carried out and provide recommendations for the data management of the European contribution to the Argo international programme.