Avaliação da salinidade superficial do mar proveniente dos satélites SMOS e Aquarius no Oceano Atlântico Tropical

Abstract

Salinity is key to improve the understanding of the ocean dynamics and climate change. The salinity measurements performed by Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA) program were the first collected by moorage in the Tropical Atlantic. In the last few years, two satellites were launched with the shared scientific goal of mapping SSS in the global ocean: Aquarius/SAC-D and Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS). The objective of this study is compare and validate the surface salinity data of SMOS and Aquarius satellites, both between them and them and PIRATA program data, of the Tropical Atlantic ocean (16ºN:20ºS/28ºW:40ºW). About 5 years (2010–2015) of Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) data of Aquarius, SMOS and PIRATA were analyzed. This work’s methodology is based on the extraction of temporal series, monthly averages differences, and maps with the SSS average spatial annual distribution. The results show that in general are differences between SSS data of the three instruments. The results also show that are seasonal changes, where the largest occurring in the North hemisphere, area under the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) influence, and small interannual changes. There is no spatial or temporal pattern for the difference between satellites data. Compared with the Aquarius satellite, SMOS better represented the spatio-temporal variability of surface salinity along Tropical Atlantic.