Tropical Atmosphere Ocean project

The Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) project is a major international effort that instrumented the entire tropical Pacific Ocean with approximately 70 deep ocean moorings. The development of the TAO array in 1985 was motivated by the 1982-1983 El Niño event and ultimately designed for the study of year-to-year climate variations related to El Niño and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Led by the TAO Project Office of the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), the full array of 70 moorings was completed in 1994.

The completed TAO array provides in-situ data collection of high quality oceanographic and surface meteorological data for monitoring, forecasting, and understanding of climate swings associated with El Niño and La Nina. In January 2000, the TAO array was renamed the TAO/TRITON array in recognition of the contribution made by the TRITON (Triangle Trans-Ocean Buoy Network) moorings. The TRITON moorings are situated along, and to the west of, 156E and are operated and managed by JAMSTEC.

The TAO/TRITON array has been the dominant source of upper ocean temperature data near the equator over the past 25 years. The TAO/TRITON array consists of approximately 70 moorings in the tropical Pacific Ocean that measure surface meteorological and subsurface oceanic parameters. All data are transmitted to shore in real-time via the Argos System of satellites. The moorings include NOAA TAO moorings in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, and Japanese TRITON moorings in the western Pacific Ocean. The TAO/TRITON moorings measure winds, sea surface temperature, relative humidity, air temperature, and subsurface temperature at 10 depths in the upper 500 m. In addition, five moorings along the equator measure ocean velocity. The TAO moorings are serviced by NOAA's research ship, the KA'IMIMOANA, which is dedicated to implementing and maintaining the TAO project while Japan maintains the TRITON moorings in the western Pacific Ocean.

The array is a major component of global ocean and global climate observing systems including the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Observing System, the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The TAO/TRITON array project is supported by America thru NOAA, from Japan by JAMSTEC, and France contributes via IRD.

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