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We examine the variability of near-surface salinity in a 10° x 10° region of the eastern North Atlantic, the location of the first part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS-1). The data used were collected over a two-year period, largely by a group of two types of profiling floats equipped with sensors that record high-resolution temperature and salinity measurements in the upper few meters of the water column. By comparing the SPURS-1 measurements to observations in the area from previous decades, we examine variability at time scales ranging from a few hours (mostly consisting of rainfall-driven decreases in salinity) to diurnal cycles in temperature and salinity, seasonal variability and the annual cycle, and finally to decadal-scale changes. The relationship of near-surface salinity to the hydrological cycle suggests a continuous spectrum of variability in this cycle from hours to decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the North Atlantic subtropical gyre lies a salinity maximum region, relatively constant in time, yet forced by a seasonally varying strong evaporation zone located several degrees south and advected by wind-driven Ekman currents and geostrophic gyre currents and eddies. Large-scale calculations using in situ salinities to quantify salt divergence in the mixed layer, together with freshwater flux products, cannot account for the observed surface salinity signature. Small-scale and vertical processes must complete the budget. The Aquarius satellite system, launched in June 2011, now provides sea surface salinity observations every seven days at approximately 100 km spacing. Here, we reexamine the surface freshwater balance in the salinity maximum region, the location of the Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) campaign, from a satellite-sensed perspective. Advection of surface salinity by Ocean Surface Current Analyses Real-time (OSCAR) satellite-based surface currents is investigated for the whole region as well as within two boxes that isolate the salinity maximum and the maximum evaporation regions. Locations of imbalance, variability of surface salinity forcing terms, and areas of potential transport and redistribution are explored using satellite observations. A discussion then considers the vertical pathways by which surface waters reach and exchange salinity with the deep ocean, thus contributing to the signal seen at the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface salinity variations and processes affecting surface salinity in the high-salinity region of the subtropical North Atlantic (the SPURS-1 area) are investigated by combining data from in situ observations and satellite remote-sensing measurements. On temporal average, the surface freshwater flux term (evaporation minus precipitation) in the SPURS-1 region increases mixed-layer salinity. Oceanic advection plays the largest role in compensating this salinity increase. On seasonal time scales, mixed-layer salinity increases from April to August and decreases from September to March. This seasonal evolution of the mixed-layer salinity is largely controlled by the freshwater flux term, with vertical entrainment playing a secondary role. The domain-averaged oceanic advection and diffusion terms do not show significant seasonal cycles. The sum of all estimated salinity budget terms largely captures salinity variations on interannual time scales. Unlike the seasonal cycle, variations in freshwater flux, oceanic advection, and vertical entrainment all contribute to interannual variations in surface salinity. Oceanic advection plays a larger role in salinity changes during 2008-2012, whereas the surface freshwater flux term dominates surface salinity evolution during 2004-2007 and in 2013. Although evaporation in the SPURS-1 region dominates the mean freshwater flux, precipitation plays a larger role in interannual variations of the freshwater flux. Separating the advection term into geostrophic and Ekman components indicates that the Ekman component dominates the total advection term. The effect of Ekman advection on salinity changes in the SPURS-1 region is closely linked to the spatial distribution of salinity anomalies. Therefore, it is important to understand large-scale forcing changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aquarius satellite mission and Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) are providing the scientific community with new insights into the role seawater salinity plays in the Earth system. Aquarius and SPURS scientists and engineers, working with the University of Maine-based Salinity Public Engagement and Communications team, developed webinars that focused on how these programs' findings increase knowledge about topics such as the water cycle, ocean circulation, and climate. Direct involvement of research scientists and engineers was key to the success of these efforts. These experts learned how to use interactive concept maps to "deconstruct" scientific content into simpler graphical formats for their presentations. A benefit to webinar participants, presenters, and facilitators was that they honed their critical thinking skills. In addition, the webinars allow people traditionally not represented in science, technology, engineering and math to gain better access to high-quality NASA materials. Post-event audience evaluation data provide valuable feedback on the impacts of sharing the results of ocean salinity research beyond the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the intensity and spatial-temporal distribution of rainfall over the ocean is critical in understanding the global hydrological cycle. However, rain has proven difficult to measure over the ocean due to problems associated with platform motion and flow distortion combined with the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall itself. Underwater acoustical rain gauges avoid these issues by using the loud and distinctive underwater sound generated by raindrops on the ocean surface to detect and quantify rainfall. Here, the physics and operation of and results from an instrument that uses underwater ambient sound to measure rainfall rate and wind speed are presented. Passive Aquatic Listener (PAL) instruments were mounted on a buoy deployed at Ocean Station P and on 13 Argo profilers that were deployed as part of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration-sponsored Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) field experiment in the North Atlantic Ocean. The PALs provide near-continuous measurements of rain rate and wind speed during the two-year period over the SPURS study region defined by the Argo profilers. Comparisons of PAL data with rain and wind measured by other techniques, including direct in situ observations and satellite measurements, show good agreement for both rain rate and wind speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated a 100 x 100 km high-salinity region of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre during the Sub-Tropical Atlantic Surface Salinity Experiment/Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (STRASSE/SPURS) cruise from August 21, 2012, to September 9, 2012. Results showed great variability in sea surface salinity (SSS; over 0.3 psu) in the mesoscale, over 7 cm of total evaporation, and little diapycnal mixing below 36 m depth, the deepest mixed layers encountered. Strong currents in the southwestern part of the domain, and the penetration of freshwater, suggest that advection contributed greatly to salinity evolution. However, it was further observed that a smaller cyclonic structure tucked between the high SSS band and the strongest currents contributed to the transport of high SSS water along a narrow front. Cross-frontal transport by mixing is also a possible cause of summertime reduction of SSS. The observed structure was also responsible for significant southward salt transport over more than 200 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Atlantic subtropical salinity maximum harbors the saltiest surface waters of the open world ocean. Subduction of these waters gives rise to Subtropical Underwater, spreading the high-salinity signature over the entire basin. The Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) is aimed at understanding the physics controlling the thermohaline structure in the salinity maximum region. A combination of moored and autonomous float observations is used here to describe the vertical water mass interleaving in the area. Seasonal intensification of interleaving in late spring and the abundance of small-scale thermohaline intrusions point to an important role for submesoscale processes in the initial subduction and subsequent evolution of Subtropical Underwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Drifter Program deployed a total of 144 Lagrangian drifters drogued at 15 m depth, including 88 equipped with salinity sensors, in support of the first Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS-1) in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean with the goal of measuring salt fluxes associated with surface currents. The quality-controlled data set consists of 996,583 salinity observations collected between August 2012 and April 2014. A comparison of the drifter salinities with Aquarius satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) data shows that the lifespan of the salinity sensor fitted to the drifters is of the order of one year. The salinity and velocity data from the drifters were used to validate salt transport divergence computed with satellite products, with satellite salinity taken from the standard Aquarius v3.0 data set. The results indicate good agreement between the two independent methods, and also demonstrate that the effect of the eddy field combined with SSS variability at the surface dominates the signal. SSS variability within spatial bins as compared to Aquarius-beam footprints measured by drifters can be in excess of 0.1 psu. This result suggests that careful evaluation of the representation error is required when single-point in situ measurements, such as those collected by Argo floats, are used to validate spatially averaged Aquarius salinity data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed the data management system for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration-sponsored Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) Atlantic field campaign (SPURS-1). Data management support means more than simply collecting and archiving static data sets. It involves a complex mixture of data visualization, interaction with principal investigators, Web development, public outreach, quality assurance, and archiving for posterity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]