TAO monitoring network
The TAO measurement network (TAO means Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean Array ) is the world's largest maritime measurement network.
construction
The measuring network extends over a length of about 8,000 miles, along the equator through the Pacific from New Guinea to Panama . It consists of 70 anchored measuring buoys, the data are transmitted via satellite . The measuring buoys are so-called ATLAS buoys (Autonomous Temperature Line Acquisition System). These measure air temperature , humidity , wind strength , surface temperature and temperatures up to 500 meters deep.
Project management
The TAO monitoring network is operated by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in the USA.
Goal setting
The buoys record oceanographic and near-surface meteorological variables.
effect
The particularly strong El Niño in 1982/1983 could not be predicted in advance because there was no daily updated weather data at the time. The TAO monitoring network has been providing the weather data required for the El Niño forecast since 1994.