Slideshow of Monthly Composite Maps (V.2)
Learn how Norman makes these maps! |
Monthly Composite Maps of Aquarius Data (V.2)
Click on the images for a closer view!
V.2 is based on the latest algorithms developed by the Aquarius Calibration / Validation working group.
Maps produced by Norman Kuring, NASA Goddard.
For weekly views, click on the "weekly" links, then use the blue arrows to scroll through the weeks. Click
here to see
a movie showing the first year of Aquarius data (Dec 2011 - Dec 2012).
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Long-Term Composite Image: 25-Aug-11 to 07-Jul-12 |
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Sea surface salinity data taken by the NASA Aquarius instrument.
Reds show higher salinity (40 grams per kilogram) and purples show relatively low salinity (30 grams per kilogram). Preliminary
(Version 1.3) data contain uncertainties and, over time, will be updated as further calibration and validation work are completed.
Data on these images in the southernmost ocean regions are not yet reliable as they are associated with high winds and low surface
temperatures. The north-south striped patterns are artifacts of small residual calibration errors and thus are not real. Low salinity
values immediately adjacent to land and ice-covered areas are due to proximity to coastlines or ice edges, which introduces errors
into the data. The maps show several well-known ocean salinity features such as higher salinity in the subtropics; higher average
salinity in the Atlantic Ocean compared to the Pacific and Indian oceans; and lower salinity in rainy belts near the equator, in
the northernmost Pacific Ocean and elsewhere. These features are related to large-scale patterns of rainfall and evaporation over
the ocean, river outflow and ocean circulation. Maps produced by Norman Kuring, NASA Goddard. |
Click on the images for a closer view!
[12-Jun-12] New research using salinity data from NASA's Aquarius instrument on the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory has given
scientists an unprecedented look at a key factor involved in the formation of an oceanic wave feature in the tropical Pacific
and Atlantic Oceans that influences global climate patterns. Original image:
Photojournal. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC
[09-Dec-11] Tropical Storm Lee made landfall over New Orleans on Sept. 2-3, 2011, with predicted rainfall of 15 to 20 inches (38 to 51 centimeters) over
southern Louisiana. This coincided with a surge in discharge from the Mississippi River (click image at left to enlarge) around that time (bottom chart). NASA's Aquarius
instrument on the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft detected a corresponding low-salinty feature, as seen in the Aquarius weekly composite image
(Aug 28 - Sept 3) in the top diagram (the low-salinity feature is the blue color region between the Mississippi River delta and the Florida
panhandle). This preliminary finding is likely the result of both the increased river discharge and heavy rainfall from the storm directly
on the sea surface. The low-salinity feature is gone by late October, as seen in the middle image. Further analyses will be done to verify
this finding. Original images:
Photojournal.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/USGS.
[23-Sep-11] Aquarius' first map of global ocean salinity. This map is a composite of the first two and a half weeks of data since the
instrument became operational on August 25. Yellow and red colors represent areas of higher salinity; blues and
purples indicate areas of lower salinity.
[Learn more]
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Aquarius/SAC-D is launched, June 10, 2011 |
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Annual mean surface salinity data [Data source: NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center's
World Ocean Atlas]
Global distribution of salinity data demonstrates sampling sparsity prior to launch of Aquarius [Data source: World Ocean Atlas]
Global distribution of salinity anomaly samples, winter months: December, January, February [Data source: World Ocean Atlas]
Global distribution of salinity anomaly samples, spring months: March, April, May [Data source: World Ocean Atlas]
Global distribution of salinity anomaly samples, summer months: June, July, August [Data source: World Ocean Atlas]
Global distribution of salinity anomaly samples, fall months: September, October, November [Data source: World Ocean Atlas]
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Glossary |
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anomaly: Deviation from the normal, mean, or average.
conductivity: A measure of the ability of a material to conduct or transmit an electric charge.
practical salinity unit (psu): Used to describe the concentration of dissolved salts in water, the UNESCO Practical Salinity Scale of 1978 (PSS78) defines salinity in terms of a conductivity ratio, so it is dimensionless. Salinity was formerly expressed in terms of parts per thousand (ppt) or by weight (parts per thousand or 0/00). That is, a salinity of 35 ppt meant 35 pounds of salt per 1,000 pounds.
salinity: A measure of the quantity of dissolved solids in ocean water. In general, salinity reflects the total amount of dissolved solids in ocean water in parts per thousand by weight after all carbonate has been converted to oxide, the bromide and iodide to chloride, and all the organic matter oxidized. Salinity is now measured as practical salinity units (psu).
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 prior to launch of Aquarius'))
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