Recent Publications

Li, W., Wang, Z., Lee, G., and Huang, H. (2024). Ecological and Sediment Dynamics Response to Typhoons Passing from the East and West Sides of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and its Adjacent Sea Area ScienceDirect »

Shao, J., Huang, S., Chen, Y., Qi, J., Wang, Y., Wu, S., Liu, R., and Du, Z. (2023). Satellite-Based Global Sea Surface Oxygen Mapping and Interpretation with Spatiotemporal Machine Learning ACS »

Chi, N.-H., Thompson, E., Chen, H., Shcherbina, A., Bingham, F., and Rainville, L. (2023). Spatiotemporal Variability of Rainfall and Surface Salinity in the Eastern Pacific Fresh Pool: A Joint In Situ and Satellite Analysis During the SPURS-2 Field Campaign AGU »

Bytheway, J., Thompson, E., Yang, J., and Chen, H. (2023). Evaluation of the RainFARM Statistical Downscaling Technique Applied to IMERG over Global Oceans Using Passive Aquatic Listener In Situ Rain Measurements AMS »

Anejinou, O., Ebinne, E., and Ajibola-James, O. (2023). Automated Retrieval of Sea Surface Salinity from Satellite Data and Investigation of the Spatio-Temporal Variation of Ocean Salinity Across the West and Central African Coasts IHO »

Salt is essential

Circulating through our bodies and our seas, it impacts the health of people and the planet. Salt dissolved in seawater – measured as salinity – drives currents that distribute heat and carbon around the globe. So, salt not only preserves our food, it helps to preserve our climate by contributing to global ocean circulation.

Earth is an ocean planet

Key water cycle processes – precipitation and evaporation – mostly occur over the ocean. Thus, monitoring sea surface salinity patterns provides important clues about changes in our environment.

NASA observes salinity

Merging data from satellites and other instruments, our mission is to better understand ocean circulation, the water cycle, and climate.

How Salty Are You…?

Salinity Stories

Adding a Pinch of Salt Improves El Niño Models
Ocean Salinity from space

HIGHLIGHTS

Sea ice boundary
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High Latitudes

Salinity is a "key ingredient" for high-latitude ocean ecological communities  »

Cloudy day along the coast
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Salinity & Soil Moisture: Water Cycle Links

Water evaporating from the ocean sustains precipitation on land  »

Map of annual averaged surface TA
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Monitoring Total Alkalinity & Ocean Acidification

Total alkalinity (TA) is needed to assess ocean acidification  »

LEARN MORE

Iceberg
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The Role of Salt

More than just a seasoning  »

Water cycle diagram
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Following the Water Cycle

Vital to life - critical to understand  »

Temperature-salinity diagram
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Density and Ocean Circulation

Salinity and temperature drive the ocean's motion  »

Sea surface salinity map
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Salinity’s Connections to Climate

Salinity - a driving force for weather and climate  »

Global sea surface salinity
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Measuring Salinity

The perspective from space  »