Important note about updates to delayed-mode (D) Argo profile data

At the First Argo Delayed-Mode Quality Control Workshop in April 2005, it was agreed that in light of experience gained over the first 12 months of the Delayed-Mode process, all profiles passed through Delayed-Mode evaluation up to that time would be reviewed. Some of them would certainly have changes made to PSAL_ADJUSTED during the review and so some Delayed-Mode files held at the GDACs would be revised. Delayed-Mode files will be reviewed and changed where necessary by the end of 2005.

Users who have downloaded Argo data to their local computer, should therefore be aware that local copies of D mode files might be out of date compared with the latest versions published at the GDACs.

Users should also be aware that changes may be made to D mode files at any time by DACs and Delayed-Mode operators. For example D mode files may be revised when new CTD or float data become available after the original Delayed-Mode assessment and adjustment.

The definitive information about the creation and update times of a particular netCDF file are found in the variables DATE_CREATION, DATE_UPDATE, and HISTORY_DATE. The date of latest adjustment of a parameter can be found in CALIBRATION_DATE.

Anytime an Argo file is updated for any reason, the DATE_UPDATE variable will reflect the date of the update. The "profile index file" on the GDACs contains the DATE_UPDATE information (along with other information) for every file on GDAC and can be used to monitor updates. The profile index file is maintained in the top-level GDAC directory and is named "ar_index_global_prof.txt"; index files also exist for the meta-data and trajectory files.