Float types | Argo
Core Argo floats
The Argo array is currently comprised of several float models:
ARVOR
built by NKE-INSTRUMENTATION in France in close collaboration with IFREMER.  Its predecessor is the PROVOR float.
APEX
float produced by Teledyne Webb Research
SOLO-II which was designed and built by Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  Its predecessor is the SOLO float.
S2A
float is produced by MRV Systems in the USA who bought the rights to the SOLO-II and manufactures it under the rebranded name of the S2A float
NAVIS
built by Sea-Bird in the USA
There are a handful of other floats used in Argo as well, but not in large numbers.  These include the NOVA, NEMO and HM2000 floats.  Pictures of floats are below.  Schematics are found
here
The
SBE
temperature/salinity sensor is the most common CTD on core Argo floats, but the number of
RBR
CTDs is growing. In the beginning, the
FSI
sensor was also used. The temperature data are accurate to a few millidegrees over the float lifetime. For discussion of salinity data accuracy please see the
Data FAQ
.  For more information on technical limitations for floats, click
here
An Arvor float courtesy of Olivier Dugornay at IFREMER
An APEX float courtesy of Howard Freeland
A SOLO-II float from Scripps Institution of Oceanography
An S2-A float courtesy of MRV Systems
A NAVIS float courtesy of SeaBird
A NOVA float courtesy of METOCEAN
Deep Argo floats
Two deep Argo floats are designed to go to 6000m (Deep SOLO and Deep APEX) with an
SBE-61 CTD
designed for 6000m.
Deep SOLO
floats were developed at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and were licensed to MRV Systems for commercial production.  Deep APEX floats are no longer produced by Teledyne Webb.
Two other deep Argo floats are designed to go to 4000m (Deep Arvor and Deep NINJA) with an extended depth SBE-41 CTD.
Deep Arvor
floats are made by NKE and
Deep NINJA
floats were developed in collaboration with Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Tsurumi-Seiki Co., Ltd. (TSK), and are manufactured by TSK for commercial production.
Pictures of floats are below.  Schematics are found
here
A Deep SOLO float courtesy of Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Deep APEX courtesy of Teledyne Webb
A Deep Arvor float courtesy of NKE
A Deep NINJA float courtesy of JAMSTEC
BGC-Argo floats
Several core floats also have BGC versions including the
PROVOR CTS
APEX BioGeoChem
, and the
NAVIS-BGCi
floats. For more detailed information on the BGC-Argo mission, click
here
.  Pictures of floats are below.  Schematics are found
here
A NAVIS BGC float courtesy of https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00439
An APEX BGC float courtesy of https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00439
A PROVOR BGC float courtesy of https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00439