ARGO: Capabilities for Deep Ocean Exploration

Developed by the Deep Submergence Laboratory of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, ARGO is an unmanned instrument platform designed for deep ocean search and survey. Integrating both visual and acoustic imaging techniques for real-time viewing, ARGO is a system which provides continuous, around-the-clock operation for seafloor exploration. With a design depth of 6,000 meters, it is towed on a steel-armored coaxial cable which supports several channels of frequency-multiplexed signals. In addition, surface support is highly integrated, bringing together ship control, navigation, and vehicle operation into a transportable control center. In our expedition that found the TITANIC, this system was tested for the first time and proved itself by delivering the exciting pictures of the famous shipwreck lying on the bottom of the ocean. This paper will briefly describe ARGO and the reasons for its development. Examples of ARGO imaging from our first year of operation will demonstrate how modern oceanographers remotely sense the ocean floor.