Research ship measurements of temperature and salinity

There is another important link between Argo and traditional research ship measurements of temperature and salinity. The link is two-fold; the first being that ship-based measurements provide, albeit sparse, observations of changes in the deeper ocean, where Argo floats cannot sample (though this may be possible in future). The second is that research ship measurements provide independent and verifiable calibration data for the salinity sensors of Argo floats. This helps to ensure that Argo data are of the highest possible quality for use in climate change research.