A Decade of Sea Surface Salinity

This visualization shows sea surface salinity (SSS) data of the oceans from August 2011 through July 2014. The data set used is from the Aquarius satellite. Aquarius is a collaboration between NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina to measure global sea surface salinity (the amount of dissolved salts in water). Measuring salinity can help us better understand the water cycle and can also lead to improved climate models.This visualization was created in part to support Earth Day 2020 media releases. Sea Surface Salinity

Aquarius is a collaboration between NASA and the Space Agency of Argentina to measure global sea surface salinity (the amount of dissolved salts in water). Measuring salinity can help us better understand the water cycle and can also lead to improved climate models. The visualizations show the complete observations of sea surface salinity taken during the life span (2011 through May 2015) of the Aquarius spacecraft. In these visualizations, sea surface salinity is shown ranging from 30 to 40 PSU (from blue to green to red) on a flat map using simple cartesian and extended Molleide projections. The visualizations were generated based on version 4.0 of the Aquarius data products. Salinity plays a major role in how ocean waters circulate around the globe. Salinity changes can create ocean circulation changes that, in turn, may impact regional and global climates. Rectangular flat map projection shows Sea Surface Salinity measurements taken by Aquarius in its whole life span (September 2011 - May 2015). The same data set of sea surface salinity in Mollweide map projection. Aquarius color bar showing salinity range from 30 to 40 PSU, going from blue to green to red.

AXIOM-1 (eXperimental Analysis of sea Ice and Ocean Mesoscale version 1) is a coupled analysis of the global ocean and sea ice obtained by assimilating Aquarius sea surface salinity (SSS) and MODIS chlorophyll data together with sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice concentrations from the OSTIA objective analysis into a global high-resolution coupled ocean/ atmosphere/sea ice model. The coupled model components are the MOM-5 ocean general circulation model, the GEOS-5 atmospheric general circulation model and the CICE sea ice model. The ocean and sea ice model horizontal resolutions vary from 11km to less than 3km in the Arctic and the atmospheric model resolution is the same as that used to produce the GMAO operational weather forecasts (25km).As a preamble to a fully coupled integrated earth system analysis, the atmospheric model is constrained to the GMAO MERRA-2 atmospheric reanalysis (prior to June 2013) and to the GMAO operational forward processing stream (after June 2013) while the SST, SSS, ice concentration and chlorophyll data are assimilated into the coupled model using a new methodology [State Adaptive Forecast-error Estimation (SAFE): https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/pubs/docs/Keppenne721.pdf] developed especially for high-resolution data assimilation.This animation shows the ocean SSS and sea ice thickness fields (shown over grid cells where the fractional ice coverage is greater than 15%) and the vertical integral of atmospheric precipitable water (transparent overlay) sampled every 6 hours from June 1, 2012 to November 1, 2014 from a reanalysis completed with the AXIOM-1 system. The precipitations associated with tropical cyclones and other major storm systems induce localized surface freshenings which makes the corresponding storm tracks visible in the SSS field. This animation shows sea surface sailinity, sea ice thickness, and atmospheric precipitable water.

The Aquarius spacecraft is designed to measure global sea surface salinity. It is important to understand salinity, the amount of dissolved salts in water, because it will lead us to better understanding of the water cycle and can lead to improved climate models. Aquarius is a collaboration between NASA and the Space Agency of ArgentinaThis visualization celebrates over three years of successful Aquarius observations. Sea surface salinity is shown on a spinning globe (with and without grid lines).The range of time shown is September 2011 through September 2014. This visualization was generated based on version 3.0 of the Aquarius data products. 3 years of sea surface salinity data displayed on a spinning globe focused on the northern hemisphere with date and color bar 3 years of sea surface salinity data displayed on a spinning globe (with grid lines) focused on the northern hemisphere with date and color bar 3 years of sea surface salinity data displayed on a spinning globe with date and color bar 3 years of sea surface salinity data displayed on a spinning globe (with grid lines) with date and color bar 3 years of sea surface salinity data displayed on a spinning globe focused on the northern hemisphere. No dates or color bar Print resolution still of the oceans around Africa Print resolution still of the oceans around Asia Print resolution still of the oceans around the Americas Aquarius color bar showing salinity range from 30 to 40 PSU, going from blue to green to red For More InformationSee [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aquarius/news/](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aquarius/news/)

LEAD: NASA s Aquarius instrument is observing the saltiness of the ocean surface from space.1. Bright orange colors = very salty. Blue = lower saltiness.2. Flying 400 miles above Earth, Aquarius can detect a change as little as a pinch of salt in a gallon of water.3. Scientists are studying why some hurricanes that pass over the Amazon River plume of lower saltiness tend to get stronger.TAG: Aquarius should help with El Niño forecasting as well.More information: http://aquarius.umaine.edu/cgi/sci_results.htm

New daily maps show seasonal variations in salinity in the oceans of the world. Ocean surface salinity For More InformationSee [https://aquarius.nasa.gov](https://aquarius.nasa.gov)

The Aquarius spacecraft is designed to measure global sea surface salinity. It is important to understand salinity, the amount of dissolved salts in water, because it will lead us to better understanding of the water cycle and can lead to improved climate models. Aquarius is a collaboration between NASA and the Space Agency of ArgentinaThis visualization celebrates over a year of successful Aquarius observations. Sea surface salinity is shown at various locations around the globe highlighting the following:the Atlantic Ocean is generally much more salty than the Pacificlow salinity waters in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific are transported westwardhigh influxes of fresh water from the Amazon River basin can be clearly seenlow salinity waters are transported by the Labrador current to the southhigh influxes of fresh water from the Ganges River basin can be seen keeping the Eastern Indian Ocean lower salinity than the Western Indian OceanThe range of time shown is December 2011 through Decemeber 2012. The data continuously loops through this range every 6 seconds. This visualization was generated based on version 2.0 of the Aquarius data products with all 3 scanning beams. A narrated tour of Aquarius sea surface salinity data highlighting interesting features including: the North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, Amazon outflow, Labrador current, and Indian Ocean.For complete transcript, click here.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. A Spanish language narrated tour of Aquarius sea surface salinity data highlighting interesting features including: the North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, Amazon outflow, Labrador current, and Indian Ocean.For complete transcript, click here. A tour of Aquarius sea surface salinity data highlighting interesting features including: the North Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, Amazon outflow, Labrador current, and Indian Ocean. Print resolution still showing the salty North Atlantic. Print resolution still showing the low salinity region in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Print resolution still showing the massive outflow of fresh water from the Amazon River. Print resolution still showing the low salinity melt water transported near Greenland and Labrador. Print resolution still showing the higher salinity Western Indian Ocean compared to the low salinity Eastern Indian Ocean. Print resolution still showing the Atlantic Ocean. Print resolution still showing the Pacific Ocean. Aquarius color bar intended for the public. The salinity range is low to high, going from blue to green to red. Aquarius color bar intended for scientists. The salinity range is 30 to 40 PSU, going from blue to green to red. For More InformationSee [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aquarius/news/data-first-year.html](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aquarius/news/data-first-year.html)

The Aquarius spacecraft is designed to measure global sea surface salinity. It is important to understand salinity, the amount of dissolved salts in water, because it will lead us to better understanding of the water cycle and can lead to improved climate models. Aquarius is a collaboration between NASA and the Space Agency of ArgentinaThis visualization celebrates over a year of successful Aquarius observations. Sea surface salinity in the northern hemisphere is shown as the globe slowly rotates. The data cycles through a single year, 2012, and repeats. Two versions of the visualization are provied: a version with dates and a scientific color bar and another version without dates and a simpler color bar. The range of time shown is December 2011 through Decemeber 2012. The data continuously loops through this range every 6 seconds. This visualization was generated based on version 2.0 of the Aquarius data products with all 3 scanning beams.http://The Aquarius spacecraft Aquarius spinning globe without dates and with public colorbar. Aquarius spinning globe with dates and with science colorbar Print resolution still of the Atlantic Ocean. Print resolution still showing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Print resolution still of the Eastern Pacific. Print resolution still of the Western Pacific Ocean. Print resolution still of oceans around Africa. Aquarius color bar intended for the public. The salinity range is low to high, going from blue to green to red. Aquarius color bar intended for scientists. The salinity range is 30 to 40 PSU, going from blue to green to red. For More InformationSee [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aquarius/news/data-first-year.html](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/aquarius/news/data-first-year.html)

NASA s Earth Systems Science Pathfinder Program. JPL is managing Aquarius through its commissioning phase and will archive mission data. Goddard will manage Aquarius mission operations and process science data. CONAE provided the SAC-D spacecraft and the mission operations center. Salinity as measured by Aquarius

Sea Surface TemperatureThe oceans of the world are heated at the surface by the sun, and this heating is uneven for many reasons. The Earth ) of sea surface temperature and salinity used in these animations come from the World Ocean Atlas 2005 (WOA2005)