TAO and TRITON Collaboration
The TAO array became
the TAO/TRITON array on 1 January 2000. This name change recognizes the
introduction of TRITON (Triangle Trans-Ocean Buoy Network) buoys in the
western Pacific by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
(JAMSTEC). TRITON buoys have replaced ATLAS buoys at 12 sites along 137°E,
147°E, and 156°E beginning in 1999 as indicated in the table below.
TRITON has been implemented in close collaboration with TAO under the auspices
of CLIVAR, GOOS, and GCOS. TRITON buoys are serviced by the Japanese research
vessel MIRAI. The TAO Project at NOAA / PMEL worked closely with the TRITON
project at JAMSTEC to maximize consistency in sensor types and sampling
schemes between TAO and TRITON buoys. TAO and TRITON buoys were also deployed
side-by-side at several sites in the western Pacific for six month to
one year check-out periods in 1998-99 to assure that parameters were consistently
being measured by the two buoy systems. Finally, JAMSTEC and PMEL have
worked together to assure that the TRITON buoy data are subject to free,
open, and timely exchange. The combined
TAO/TRITON data are managed and distributed as a unified and integrated
data set by the TAO
Project.
Status of integration of TRITON
and TAO buoy data
| TRITON
and TAO buoy data have now been integrated into a single data set.
At present, the following sites include TRITON data beginning on the
date shown. |
| 8°N,
156°E |
Feburary 25 1999 |
| 5°N,
156°E |
November 12 1999 |
| 2°N,
156°E |
November 11 1999 |
| 0°,
156°E |
November 9 1999 |
| 2°S,
156°E |
November 6 1999 |
| 5°S,
156°E |
November 5 1999 |
| 5°N,
147°E |
November 19 1999 |
| 2°N,
147°E |
Feburary 18 1999 |
| 0°,
147°E |
November 17 1999 |
| 8°N,
137°E** |
September 28 2001 |
| 5°N,
137°E |
September 29 2001 |
| 2°N,
138°E* |
October 25 1999 |
| 0°,
138°E*** |
October 27 1999 |
*TRITON buoys are deployed at 138°E whereas earlier ATLAS buoys
were deployed at 137°E.
**TRITON buoy deployed at 8°N,137°E was previously an ATLAS
buoy deployed at 7°N,137°E
***This site is a JAMSTEC augmentation of the TAO/TRITON array. |
|
