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What's TRITON

What is TRITON buoy ?
  1. The TRITON (Triangle Trans-Ocean buoy Network) is a series of buoys for measuring surface meteorology and upper ocean.
  2. The buoys will be deployed by JAMSTEC in collaboration with many countries in and around the Pacific Ocean as part of international climate research programs.
  3. The purpose is for scientific research on warm water in the equatorial ocean affecting world climate change.
What do the buoys measure ?
  1. The buoys measure wind, air temperature, humidity, precipitation, short wave radiation, water temperature, salinity and current. The water temperature and will be measured down to 750m depth.
  2. The data are transmitted via satellite near real time and provided to researchers in the world.

 

The buoy data are utilized for daily weather forecasts in the world.
  1. In the tropics, there are very few location or ships regularly report the weather. The buoy data are utilized for daily weather firecasts and improve the skill of numerical midels such as Typhoon occurrence prediction. Thus those buoys will also help the safety of ship's operation.
Where the buoys are deployed ?
  1. JAMSTEC will deploy 18 buoys in the western tropical Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean.
  2. In the central and eastern Pacific , USA has deployed Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) buoys. The TRITON buoys have been deployed at the following locations.

Nominal Exact Locations Deployed date
8N,156E
8° - 01.30'N, 155° - 56.11'E
10 Feb. 2005
5N,156E
4° - 58.49'N, 156° - 02.18'E
8 Feb. 2005
2N,156E
2° - 02.23'N, 156° - 01.21'E
5 Feb. 2005
0N,156E
0° - 00.73'N, 156° - 02.98'E
2 Feb. 2005
2S,156E
2° - 01.00'S, 155° - 57.59'E
31 Jan. 2005
5S,156E
5° - 01.93'S, 156° - 01.50'E
29 Jan. 2005
5N,147E
4° - 57.87'N, 147° - 01.69'E
21 Jan. 2005
2N,147E
1° - 59.54'N, 147° - 01.09'E
24 Jan. 2005
0N,147E
0° - 03.65'N, 147° - 00.70'E
25 Jan. 2005
8N,137E
7° - 38.95'N, 136° - 41.92'E
13 Jun. 2004
5N,137E
4° - 51.60'N, 137° - 15.62'E
21 Jun. 2004
2N,138E
2° - 04.02'N, 138° - 03.74'E
16 Jun. 2004
0N,138E
0° - 02.03'N, 137° - 52.90'E
18 Jun. 2004
8N,130E
7° -58.83'N, 130° - 02.10'E
24 Jul. 2004
5N,130E
under a pause
-
2N,130E
2° - 01.69'N, 130° - 11.39'E
25 Jul.-2004
5S,95E
5° - 02.21'S, 94° - 58.58'E
9 Jul. 2004
1.5S,90E
1° - 36.17'S, 90° - 04.49'E
12 Jul. 2004

The buoys are securely anchored
  1. The buoys are securely anchored by steel cable and weight.
  2. The buoys are under a great deal of tension and, if lifted out of water, are dangerous to you and your crew.

 

The buoy data help fishing activities
  1. Sea surface temperature is important to decide fishing fields. The buoy data are provided to weather centers in the world in real time. The weather centers, in turn, produce charts of sea surface temperature and distribute them via radio-fax broadcasts to fishing boats.

 

Advise to fishermen
  1. Do keep sharp lookout for the buoys at sea; they should be visible on radar with radar reflector and can be avoided.
  2. Don't moor to the buoys.
  3. Don't deploy fishing gear around or near to the buoys.
  4. If your gear tangles with the buoy, Do not damage or cut the buoy mooring line.
  5. If you find any damage on buoys, please report to the TRITON Office of JAMSTEC.