Page 9 - June 2026 Insider

INSIDER • June 2026

Page 9
Field Trip to Scripps Institution of Oceanography

(May 1, 2026)
Thanks to Chapter Field Trip Co-Director Cindy Wollaeger, more than a dozen ARCS
members and their friends met at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) on
May 1 to learn how faculty and student scientists collect data on the warming of the
earth’s oceans through the Argo project. SIO both founded the project and leads all US
participation, interacting with numerous global partners.
As explained by Physical Oceanography
Professor Sarah Purkey, PhD, Argo is an
almost 30-year long international program
that collects information from inside the
ocean using a fleet of 4500+ robotic
instruments deployed in oceans all over the
world. These “floats” – all of which
deployed by the U.S. are built on site at SIO
– are like giant syringes, drifting with the
Professor Sarah Purkey, PhD shows float
locations on a global map. ocean currents and moving up and down
between the surface, a mid-water level and
the ocean floor. Each instrument (float) spends almost all its
life below the surface, measuring temperature, salinity,
pressure and oxygen, pH, nitrate, and chlorophyll.
Argo data are now the most abundant source of underwater
information. These data help scientists understand how the
physical state of the ocean is changing over time. Over its long
lifespan, the ARGO data has contributed to many applications,
including weather forecasting over land and the ocean; early
warning for extreme weather events; operational military
support and search and rescue; oil and gas energy management Professor Purkey
and operations; ocean current predictions for maritime safety demonstrating parts
and route selection; and federal marine law enforcement. of the float.

ARCS members and friends examine Members and friends enjoying a lunch
the lab where floats are manufactured. at Caroline's near the Scripps Pier.