From HMS Challenger to Argo and beyond

The data from ocean temperature and salinity profiles are fundamental in our understanding of Earth’s climate system and particularly ocean heat storage-, a key contributor to sea level rise. The main source of these profiles is now Argo floats, which in the twenty-first century have become a central element in climate change monitoring and forecasting.

The meeting From HMS Challenger to Argo and beyond, which took place on 21 November 2018 at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton, highlighted the key developments in our ability to collect ocean profiles over the past 140 years, assessed the present situation, and looked to the future. The meeting was sponsored by the History Groups of the Royal Meteorological Society and the Challenger Society for Marine Science.