TOGA-TAO: A moored array for real-time measurements in the
tropical Pacific Ocean
Hayes, S.P., L.J. Mangum, J. Picaut, A. Sumi, and K.
Takeuchi
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 72(3),
339-347 (1991)
The importance of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation
phenomenon in year-to-year fluctuations of the global climate has
led to efforts to improve the real-time ocean observing system in
the tropical Pacific. One element of this improved system is the
TOGA-TAO (Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean) Array of wind and upper ocean
thermistor chain moorings. This array, the result of an
international effort, has already provided the rudiments of a
basin-wide, real-time observing system and plans call for a major
enhancement during the second half of the TOGA decade. The
development of the TAO array is discussed, recent results from the
pilot measurements are described, and plans for the expanded array
are presented.