Abstract
This study was carried out to determine the optimal number of ARGO floats in the East Sea in order to maximize their applications. The dominant spatio-temporal scale, size of the domain, and the typical float lifetimes in the East Sea were taken into consideration. The mean spatial de-correlation scale of temperature on isobaric surfaces reaches about 60 km. The minimum necessary number of floats is about 82 on average in order to secure independent ARGO profiles with the de-correlation scale. Considering the float lifetimes, about 27 floats per year should be deployed to maintain the 82 ARGO float array every year. To obtain spatially uniform distribution of ARGO float data, mean residence time and dispersion rate (basin area/residence time) of ARGO floats were evaluated in each basin of the East Sea. A faster (slower) dispersion rate requires more (less) ARGO floats to maintain the spatially uniform number of floats. According to the analysis, it is likely that the optimal ratio of the number of floats for each basin is 1:2:4 corresponding to Ulleung Basin:Yamato Basin:Japan Basin. In order to maintain relatively uniform ARGO observing networks, it is necessary to establish a long-term plan for deployment strategy based on float pathways and the dispersion rate parameters estimated by using currently active ARGO float trajectory data as well as reanalysis data.