Using Saildrones to Validate Arctic Sea-Surface Salinity from the SMAP Satellite and from Ocean Models

The Arctic Ocean is one of the most important and challenging regions to observe—it experiences the largest changes from climate warming, and at the same time is one of the most difficult to sample because of sea ice and extreme cold temperatures. Two NASA-sponsored deployments of the Saildrone vehicle provided a unique opportunity for validating sea-surface salinity (SSS) derived from three separate products that use data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. To examine possible issues in resolving mesoscale-to-submesoscale variability, comparisons were also made with two versions of the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) model (Carroll, D; Menmenlis, D; Zhang, H.). The results indicate that the three SMAP products resolve the runoff signal associated with the Yukon River, with high correlation between SMAP products and Saildrone SSS. Spectral slopes, overall, replicate the −2.0 slopes associated with mesoscale-submesoscale variability. Statistically significant spatial coherences exist for all products, with peaks close to 100 km. Based on these encouraging results, future research should focus on improving derivations of satellite-derived SSS in the Arctic Ocean and integrating model results to complement remote sensing observations.

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Keywords: sea surface salinity; validation; coastal

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MDPI and ACS Style

Vazquez-Cuervo, J.; Gentemann, C.; Tang, W.; Carroll, D.; Zhang, H.; Menemenlis, D.; Gomez-Valdes, J.; Bouali, M.; Steele, M. Using Saildrones to Validate Arctic Sea-Surface Salinity from the SMAP Satellite and from Ocean Models. Remote Sens. 2021, 13, 831. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13050831

AMA Style

Vazquez-Cuervo J, Gentemann C, Tang W, Carroll D, Zhang H, Menemenlis D, Gomez-Valdes J, Bouali M, Steele M. Using Saildrones to Validate Arctic Sea-Surface Salinity from the SMAP Satellite and from Ocean Models. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13(5):831. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13050831

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vazquez-Cuervo, Jorge, Chelle Gentemann, Wenqing Tang, Dustin Carroll, Hong Zhang, Dimitris Menemenlis, Jose Gomez-Valdes, Marouan Bouali, and Michael Steele. 2021. "Using Saildrones to Validate Arctic Sea-Surface Salinity from the SMAP Satellite and from Ocean Models" Remote Sensing 13, no. 5: 831. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13050831

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Author Biographies

Jorge Vazquez-Cuervo

J. Vazquez-Cuervo currently serves on the Project Science Team for NASA's Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Center (PO.DAAC). His position includes providing both technical and scientific support for remote sensing of sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity. He has served as the Principal Investigator for the NASA/NOAA Pathfinder Sea Surface Temperature Project, Principal Investigator supporting the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) and currently serves as the incoming Chair for the GHRSST project. His awards include the “Manned Space flight Awareness”, NASA Group Achievement Award in support of the Global Data Assembly Center and the JPL Bonys Award in support of the Aquarius Project. He received his PhD in geological sciences from the University of Southern California in 1991.

Chelle Gentemann

Chelle Gentemann is a passionate advocate for open science, open source software, and inclusivity. As a physical oceanographer focused on remote sensing, she has worked for over 25 years on retrievals of ocean temperature from space and using that data to understand how the ocean impacts our lives. Her more recent research focuses on interdisciplinary science using cloud computing, open source software algorithm development, air-sea fluxes, biophysical interactions, and upper ocean physical processes. She has served on scientific committees, notably as co-chair of a standing committee for the National Academy of Sciences and has presented to a federal house committee on NASA's implementation of scientific community priorities.

Wenqing Tang

Wenqing (Wendy) Tang Jet Propulsion Laboratory 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 300-323, Pasadena, CA 91109 [email protected] (818) 354-8199 (Tel); (818) 393-6720 (Fax) Education Ph.D., Physics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (1987) M.S., Computer Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (1987) M.S., Physics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (1984) B. S., Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China (1981). Professional Experience Summary: Wenqing Tang has extensive experiences on Earth remote sensing retrieval algorithm development and scientific data applications. She is currently on the NASA Aquarius calibration/validation team, and Co-Investigator of NASA Ocean Vector Wind Science Team (OVWST), Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM), and Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS). Her recent research activities include: Aquarius radar/radiometer geophysical model functions and Combined Active Passive (CAP) algorithm; the effect of geophysical parameters on L-band microware including rain, SST and air-sea stability; using SSS to estimate the moisture supply and apply to study the Indian monsoon onset; deriving the surface wind diurnal cycle from constellation of satellites; relating wind and stress under tropical cyclones using scatterometer; and collaboration with Univ. of Texas team on US Great Plain drought early warning system using SMAP soil moisture data.

Dustin Carroll

Dr. Dustin Carroll is a physical oceanographer who uses state-of-the-art numerical ocean models and observations to advance understanding of how freshwater, ice, and biogeochemical systems interact with coastal and large-scale ocean circulation. He is also a research affiliate at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Hong Zhang

Ou Wang's Picture Address: Jet Propulsion Laboratory M/S 300-323 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91109 Phone: 818.393.3204 Ou Wang Education B.S. Physical Oceanography, Ocean University of Qingdao, China (1992) Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography, Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University (2002) Research Interests Ocean state estimation through adjoint method and Kalman filter Adjoint sensitivity studies of ocean state Global and regional sea level change Large-scale ocean dynamics and thermodynamics Technical point of contact for end-to-end elements of the ECCO ocean state estimation system, including input forcing and observations, forward model and assimilation codes, production, outputs, documentations, and analysis tools.

Dimitris Menemenlis

25+ years of experience working with general circulation models and ocean state estimation technology. Developer of Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm) and contributor to Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Oceans (ECCO) and Carbon Monitoring System Flux (CMS-Flux) projects.

Jose Gomez-Valdes

Personal Data: Full Professor CICESE Institute Experience in Remote Sensing Head of Post-doctoral studies Number: Gómez Valdés José Category: TITULAR RESEARCHER SNI: RESEARCHER II Department: DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Division: DIVISION OF OCEANOLOGY Mail: [email protected] Extension: 24050

Marouan Bouali

Professional experience: Colorado State University September 2011 - March 2014 Department Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Location Fort Collins, United States Position Research Scientist National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration September 2011 - March 2014 Department National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Location College Park, United States Position Research Scientist

Michael Steele

Dr. Steele's interest lies in the large-scale circulation of sea ice and water in the Arctic Ocean. He uses both observed data and numerical model simulations to better understand the average circulation pathways as well as the causes of interannual variations in these pathways. Analysis of ocean observations has focused on the upper layers, which are generally quite cold and fresh. Dr. Steele has active field programs in which data are collected in the field by his team and others, using aircraft, ships, and autonomous sensors like buoys and profiling floats. He is also involved in efforts to improve computer models of the arctic marine system, via the Arctic Ocean Model Intercomparison Project, AOMIP. Funding for his research comes from the K-12 and college students. Mike Steele People Education began work at the Polar Science Center in 1987. Department Affiliation; Education B.A. Physics, Reed College, 1981 Ph.D. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Princeton University, 1987

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Using Saildrones to Validate Arctic Sea-Surface Salinity from the SMAP Satellite and from Ocean Models

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