+ Salinity Basics + Classroom Activities + Concept Map + Salinity Data & Tools + Student Outcomes + Resources + Resources in Other Languages + Webinars + Games + Educators Workshop + Posters + Inspire Chat + Links

Analyzing sea surface salinity data patterns over time provides insight into variations in earth's water cycle. This is because some water cycle processes increase salinity while other processes decrease salinity:

Analyzing Monthly Environmental Data

Salinity patterns are governed by geographic differences in the "water budget." For example, like on continents, some areas of the ocean are rainy whereas others are arid and "desert-like." To learn more about the factors that influence salinity patterns, we invite you investigate – with the help of a "Data Analysis Sheet" – five pairs of data maps centered over the North Atlantic Ocean (listed below). Each map shows monthly conditions based on long-term averages. The challenge is to find the data set that most closely corresponds to sea surface salinity patterns.

Would you like the answers for the "Data Analysis Sheet"? Contact Annette deCharon, Senior Science Educator and Aquarius EPO Manager.

For more in-depth analysis, monthly images for all data sets are also available in .pdf format:
Sea surface salinity | Air temperature | Sea surface temperature | Evaporation | Precipitation
Evaporation minus precipitation (E-P)

Spatial Patterns, Annual Cycles, and Changes Over Time

In anticipation of the 2011 launch of Aquarius, our education technology team developed a set of interactive tools using historical salinity, temperature, and density data sets (NOAA World Ocean Atlas & Database, 2005). These data are available as three distinct yet complementary tools that highlight: (1) spatial patterns of long-term mean data; (2) annual cycle of monthly mean data; and (3) change over time of yearly mean data. Each interactive tool has its own "Tutorial" slide show.