China took part in global Argo program in October 2001 and planed to deploy 100-150 floats in Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Oceans during 2002-2005 to set up a local oceanic observing network. Then in each year later, 20-30 floats are to be deployed for the network's operation in normal conditions.
China Argo is implemented through the cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Land, the China State Ocean Administration, China Navy, China Academic of Sciences and China Meteorological Administration.
Until now 29 Argo floats have been deployed by China in Pacific and East Indian. 8 floats are active. 949 profiles from 27 floats (two floats have no measurements) have been processed by the end of October 2005. Argos messages from active floats are being transferred to the DAC in real-time. All profiles are passed through RTQC system, which was the same as AOML's
General Goals of China Argo Project
The internationally advanced Argo floats of new generation will be introduced into China and launched in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean neighboring China (a few floats will be deployed in the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean) to establish the oceanic observing network of Chinese oceanic real-time observing system (China Argo system) .