Consistency of the delayed-mode ARGO dataset

P. Galaup, V. Thierry, S. Guinehut, P.Y Le Traon, E. Autret, F. Gaillard, C. Coatanoan

Ifremer - Centre de Brest
DOPS/LPO
BP70
29280 Plouzane cedex
France

ARGO data center provide delayed-mode data in applying the delayed-mode procedure, as defined in the last ARGO quality control manual. The procedure is based on a statistical tool that compares ARGO data to hydrographic reference database. Complementary tools are used to help discriminate between real ocean events and sensor drifts and offsets. Although the correction proposed is based on an objective method, the final correction may be subjective as choices have to be made by the delayed-mode operators and the PI responsible of the float. Here we investigate ways to verify the consistency of the delayed-mode ARGO dataset.

An analysis tool developed at the Coriolis data center provides, in real time, gridded fields of temperature and salinity over the global ocean. Residuals from those analyses help in the determination of the real-time quality control flag of the data. This tool is adapted to the delayed mode data and we investigate whether it can be used to verify the consistency of the delayed-mode data set. MERCATOR also provides global real time gridded fields in combining ARGO data with altimetry data (and other data set). As for the Coriolis analyses, the method is applied to the delayed-mode data set and we investigate whether residuals analysis are helpful to determine the consistency between this data set and the altimetry data.