More Than 50 Years of Successful Continuous Temperature Section Measurements by the Global Expendable Bathythermograph Network, Its Integrability, Societal Benefits, and Future

Goni, Gustavo JorgeSprintall, JanetBringas, FrancisCirano, MauroDong, ShenfuDomingues, RicardoGoes, MarlosLopez, HosmayMorrow, RosemaryRivero, UlisesRossby, ThomasTodd, Robert E.Triñanes Fernández, Joaquín ÁngelZilberman, NathalieBaringer, MollyBoyer, TimCowley, RebeccaDomingues, Catia M.Hutchinson, KatherineKramp, MartinMata, Mauricio M.Reseghetti, FrancoSun, CharlesBhaskar TVS, UdayaVolkov, Denis2020-04-052020-04-052019Goni GJ, Sprintall J, Bringas F, Cheng L, Cirano M, Dong S, Domingues R, Goes M, Lopez H, Morrow R, Rivero U, Rossby T, Todd RE, Trinanes J, Zilberman N, Baringer M, Boyer T, Cowley R, Domingues CM, Hutchinson K, Kramp M, Mata MM, Reseghetti F, Sun C, Bhaskar TVS U and Volkov D (2019) More Than 50 Years of Successful Continuous Temperature Section Measurements by the Global Expendable Bathythermograph Network, Its Integrability, Societal Beneﬁts, and Future. Front. Mar. Sci. 6:452http://hdl.handle.net/10347/21164The first eXpendable BathyThermographs (XBTs) were deployed in the 1960s in the North Atlantic Ocean. In 1967 XBTs were deployed in operational mode to provide a continuous record of temperature profile data along repeated transects, now known as the Global XBT Network. The current network is designed to monitor ocean circulation and boundary current variability, basin-wide and trans-basin ocean heat transport, and global and regional heat content. The ability of the XBT Network to systematically map the upper ocean thermal field in multiple basins with repeated trans-basin sections at eddy-resolving scales remains unmatched today and cannot be reproduced at present by any other observing platform. Some repeated XBT transects have now been continuously occupied for more than 30 years, providing an unprecedented long-term climate record of temperature, and geostrophic velocity profiles that are used to understand variability in ocean heat content (OHC), sea level change, and meridional ocean heat transport. Here, we present key scientific advances in understanding the changing ocean and climate system supported by XBT observations. Improvement in XBT data quality and its impact on computations, particularly of OHC, are presented. Technology development for probes, launchers, and transmission techniques are also discussed. Finally, we offer new perspectives for the future of the Global XBT NetworkengCopyright © 2019 Goni, Sprintall, Bringas, Cheng, Cirano, Dong, Domingues, Goes, Lopez,Morrow,Rivero,Rossby,Todd,Trinanes,Zilberman,Baringer,Boyer,Cowley, Domingues, Hutchinson, Kramp, Mata, Reseghetti, Sun, Bhaskar TVS and Volkov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these termshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Expendable bathythermographsSurface currentsSubsurface currentsMeridional heat transportOcean heat contentSea levelExtreme weatherMore Than 50 Years of Successful Continuous Temperature Section Measurements by the Global Expendable Bathythermograph Network, Its Integrability, Societal Benefits, and Futurejournal article10.3389/fmars.2019.004522296-7745open access