line, month, and variable to be plotted, from pull-down menus. The plots are prepared from the data most recently acquired and processed at PMEL, and always reflect the most recent data from the TAO buoys. Initially limited to selected section lines and variables from the TAO buoy array, access has been widened to include all sections and variables. Related data sets include TOGA drifting buoy data, operational analyses model data from the National Meteorological Center, and TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite data, which are compared with the TAO data as plots and animations. The URL is http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/realtime.html.
TAO data can be obtained in ASCII formatted files from the TAO Data Delivery home page at http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/data-delivery.html. Related information, such as sample programs to read the data and related publication references, are included.
C. Java
Java applets demonstrate the improved interactivity and reduced network data transfers of Java for data access. Demonstration projects include a Java-enhanced interface to conventional real time TAO data and graphics, a highly interactive graphics applet written entirely in Java, and an animation of TAO sea-surface temperature and winds (Figs. 4, 5, http://www.epic.noaa.gov/epic/java/java-info.html). These applets require a recent version of Netscape or some other Web browser that supports Java. Java provides a flexible and highly interactive user interaction with the data that has been previously unavailable on the Web.
III. TAO INFORMATION ON WORLD WIDE WEB
Use of the World Wide Web has widened public access to information about the TAO project and to data from the TAO buoys. Including background information about the TAO buoy array, the buoys, sensors, scientific publications, as well as access to TAO data and graphics, the TAO Project pages have proven to be an important resource for scientists, educators, and students. Additional, related material of particular interest to students, educators, and the general public has been included in the form of Web pages, such as (1) "Impacts of El Nino and Benefits of El Nino Prediction" (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/el-nino/impacts.html), (2) "What is an El Nino?" which is an illustrated explanation of the ENSO phenomenon (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/el-nino-story.html), and (3) the El Nino Theme Page, which inelsides contextual information in the form of a Frequently Asked Question section about El NiBo, El Niflo measurements, forecasts, analyses, predictions, historical perspectives, and from sources widely distributed throughout the world on the World Wide Web (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/el-nino/), and (4) the new Ka'imimoana Web Page (http://rho.pmel.noaa.gov/atIasrs/kaitni.html), which provides near real-time images and data from the newly commissioned NOAA Research Vessel Ka 'imiosoana, which was designed
Fig. 6. Web access to EPIC data (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/epic/doc/web-utilities.html, http://www.epic.noaa.gov/epic/epicselect.html).
