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We examine the variability of near-surface salinity in a 10° × 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

10 pages, 4 figures, A new small wave rider called Surpact was developed for air-sea investigations. It was designed to attach to a drifter or a mooring and to float upon the surface waves in order to measure sea state and atmospheric sea level pressure as well as temperature and salinity at a small fixed depth from the surface. Wind speed is derived from Surpact sea state measurements, and the data are calibrated with colocated Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) wind retrievals during a four-month deployment in the North Atlantic subtropics. Individual 15-minute wind estimates present a root mean square difference on the order of 15% with the SSMIS wind retrievals for wind speeds less than 12 m s-1. The wind retrievals might lag the actual wind changes for moderate to strong winds by an hour. This article discusses the accuracy of these wind retrievals based on in situ data collected during the Strasse cruise in August and September 2012. Temperature and salinity data are also examined. The authors find, under some sunny conditions, radiative warming of the temperature probe reduces the accuracy of some of the daytime temperature data and also affects corresponding salinity estimates. Nonetheless, small realistic daily cycles of near-surface salinity (0.01 psu amplitude) were observed. Also, examples of wind time series collected during salinity drops caused by rainfall during late 2012 in the North Atlantic subtropics indicate no intensification of wind during these rain events, This effort is part of ESA SMOS cal-val projects, and is supported nationally in France by CNES/TOSCA with the Gloscal project, and in Spain at ICM/CSIC by the Spanish national R+D plan (project AYA2010-22062-C05)

Since the mid-1980s, physical oceanographers at the Institute of Marine Sciences have been involved in the use of Lagrangian drifters as a complementary technology for their oceanographic research. As Lagrangian observations became more feasible, these researchers continued developing their own drifters in what was to be the seed of current technological activities at the Physical and Technological Oceanography Department. In this paper we overview the work done during the last 30 years with special focus on Lagrangian developments from the initial activities to the latest developments. In addition to basic oceanography research applications, Lagrangian technological developments include prototypes for measuring surface and subsurface ocean properties, for tracking purposes in search and rescue operations and pollution events, and for monitoring ice motion and thickness in the Arctic. The paper emphasizes original and unpublished technical aspects related to the latest developments., Desde mediados de la década de los 80, los oceanógrafos físicos en el Instituto de Ciencias del Mar se involucraron en el uso de boyas Lagrangianas como una tecnología complementaria para su investigación oceanográfica. A medida que las observaciones Lagrangianas se volvieron más factibles, los investigadores continuaron desarrollando sus propios flotadores en lo que se convirtió en la semilla de las actuales actividades tecnológicas llevadas a cabo en el Departamento de Oceanografía Física y Tecnológica. En este artículo se presenta una visión general del trabajo realizado durante los últimos 30 años, con especial énfasis en el uso de flotadores a la deriva y desarrollos propios desde su inicio hasta las aplicaciones más recientes. Además de estudios básicos de investigación oceanográfica, los desarrollos tecnológicos llevados a cabo incluyen prototipos para medir las propiedades superficiales y sub-superficiales, para tareas de seguimiento en operaciones de búsqueda y rescate y eventos de contaminación marina o para monitorizar el grosor de la capa de hielo y su movimiento en el Ártico. En este trabajo se hace hincapié en aspectos técnicos originales e inéditos relacionados con los últimos desarrollos.

Special volume: Planet Ocean. Scientia Marina 80(Suppl.1) 2016.-- 18 pages, 22 figures, 1 table, [EN] Since the mid-1980s, physical oceanographers at the Institute of Marine Sciences have been involved in the use of Lagrangian drifters as a complementary technology for their oceanographic research. As Lagrangian observations became more feasible, these researchers continued developing their own drifters in what was to be the seed of current technological activities at the Physical and Technological Oceanography Department. In this paper we overview the work done during the last 30 years with special focus on Lagrangian developments from the initial activities to the latest developments. In addition to basic oceanography research applications, Lagrangian technological developments include prototypes for measuring surface and subsurface ocean properties, for tracking purposes in search and rescue operations and pollution events, and for monitoring ice motion and thickness in the Arctic. The paper emphasizes original and unpublished technical aspects related to the latest development, [ES] Desde mediados de la década de los 80, los oceanógrafos físicos en el Instituto de Ciencias del Mar se involucraron en el uso de boyas Lagrangianas como una tecnología complementaria para su investigación oceanográfica. A medida que las observaciones Lagrangianas se volvieron más factibles, los investigadores continuaron desarrollando sus propios flotadores en lo que se convirtió en la semilla de las actuales actividades tecnológicas llevadas a cabo en el Departamento de Oceanografía Física y Tecnológica. En este artículo se presenta una visión general del trabajo realizado durante los últimos 30 años, con especial énfasis en el uso de flotadores a la deriva y desarrollos propios desde su inicio hasta las aplicaciones más recientes. Además de estudios básicos de investigación oceanográfica, los desarrollos tecnológicos llevados a cabo incluyen prototipos para medir las propiedades superficiales y sub-superficiales, para tareas de seguimiento en operaciones de búsqueda y rescate y eventos de contaminación marina o para monitorizar el grosor de la capa de hielo y su movimiento en el Ártico. En este trabajo se hace hincapié en aspectos técnicos originales e inéditos relacionados con los últimos desarrollos, These include MIDAS-4 (ESP2005-06823-C05-1), MIDAS-5 (ESP2007-65667-C04-1), MIDAS-6 (AYA2010-22062-C05-01), CANOA (CTM2005-00444/MAR), MOC-2 (CTM2008-06438-C02-01), TIC-MOC (CTM2011- 28867), the Malaspina project (CSD2008-00077) and project ACI2009-0977 of the Spanish National Programme of Internationalization of R+D. E. García-Ladona, J. Salvador, P. Fernández and J.A. Jiménez wish to thank the TOSCA (G-MED09-425) and MEDESS-4MS (MED 2S-MED11-01) projects (INTERREG-IV MED programme) for funding many activities related to the ICM-PK1 drifter development; J. A. Jiménez was under contract by both projects. Financial support from the Fundación General CSIC (Programa ComFuturo) is acknowledged

Rivers are considered to be one of the most influential hydrological pathways for the waterborne transport and therefore estuaries are critical areas for a pollution hazard. To describe that hazard, the risk of exceeding the allowed concentration values of the pollution substance in such environment is often used. The analytical model calculates concentration statistics directly from the fundamental advective-diffusion equation for the case of continuous, steady conservative transport with the dominant stream flow mean velocity such is the case of low tide estuaries. This work investigates how different data can be used for validation of the developed analytical model for conservative transport in an estuary. The presented results indicate that field measurements of temperature and salinity could be useful data acquisition technique to validate and compare different analytical and/or numerical models for conservative transport in an estuary.

This thesis deals with internal waves propagating along a lutocline and their influence on the local sediment transport dynamics in the German Ems estuary. Additionally, the operability of oceanographic instruments in highly turbid waters, which is the case in the Ems estuary, is verified.

In preparation for the European Space Agency SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) satellite mission, radiometric and oceanographic measurements were performed in December 2000 and January 2001 and in November 2001 from a fixed platform in the NW Mediterranean to improve the modelling of the sea surface emissivity at L-band and new semi-empirical models were derived. Now one of these models has been used to retrieve sea surface salinity from L-band radiometric data acquired with a different instrument and different location. These data were acquired in August 2003 over the continental shelf within the influence of the Rio de la Plata, from Argentina to Brazil, southern Atlantic ocean with the STARRS airborne radiometer. Results show that the radiometer is capable of realistically detecting natural variations in surface salinity even though the model was derived in very different oceanographic conditions and from data collected by a different instrument., Para preparar la misión satelital SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) de la Agencia Espacial Europea, varias medidas radiométricas y oceanográficas se llevaron a cabo en el año 2000 y 2001 desde una plataforma fija en el Mediterráneo noroccidental. El objetivo de estas campañas era mejorar los modelos de la emisividad superficial del mar en banda L y de ellas se derivaron varios modelos semi-empíricos. Ahora, unos de estos modelos se ha usado para el cálculo de la salinidad superficial del mar a partir de datos radiométricos en banda L, obtenidos con un instrumento diferente y en un área distinta. Estos datos se adquirieron en agosto del 2003 en la plataforma continental desde Argentina a Brasil, en el Atlántico sur, donde hay una gran influencia del Río de la Plata, con el radiómetro STARRS a bordo de un avión. Los resultados muestran que el radiómetro es capaz de detectar las variaciones naturales de la salinidad del mar, independientemente de que el modelo semi-empírico usado fuera derivado en condiciones oceanográficas completamente diferentes y con un instrumento distinto.

8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, [EN] In preparation for the European Space Agency SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) satellite mission, radiometric and oceanographic measurements were performed in December 2000 and January 2001 and in November 2001 from a fixed platform in the NW Mediterranean to improve the modelling of the sea surface emissivity at L-band and new semi-empirical models were derived. Now one of these models has been used to retrieve sea surface salinity from L-band radiometric data acquired with a different instrument and different location. These data were acquired in August 2003 over the continental shelf within the influence of the Rio de la Plata, from Argentina to Brazil, southern Atlantic ocean with the STARRS airborne radiometer. Results show that the radiometer is capable of realistically detecting natural variations in surface salinity even though the model was derived in very different oceanographic conditions and from data collected by a different instrument, [ES] Para preparar la misión satelital SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) de la Agencia Espacial Europea, varias medidas radiométricas y oceanográficas se llevaron a cabo en el año 2000 y 2001 desde una plataforma fija en el Mediterráneo noroccidental. El objetivo de estas campañas era mejorar los modelos de la emisividad superficial del mar en banda L y de ellas se derivaron varios modelos semi-empíricos. Ahora, unos de estos modelos se ha usado para el cálculo de la salinidad superficial del mar a partir de datos radiométricos en banda L, obtenidos con un instrumento diferente y en un área distinta. Estos datos se adquirieron en agosto del 2003 en la plataforma continental desde Argentina a Brasil, en el Atlántico sur, donde hay una gran influencia del Río de la Plata, con el radiómetro STARRS a bordo de un avión. Los resultados muestran que el radiómetro es capaz de detectar las variaciones naturales de la salinidad del mar, independientemente de que el modelo semi-empírico usado fuera derivado en condiciones oceanográficas completamente diferentes y con un instrumento distinto, This study is a contribution to the MIDAS-3 and MIDAS-4 projects funded by the Spanish National Programme on Space (ESP2004-00671, ESP2005-06823-C05) to develop algorithms for retrieving sea surface salinity for the SMOS mission