Scientific Data (May 2024)

Simulated Sea Surface Salinity Data from a 1/48° Ocean Model

  • Frederick M. Bingham,
  • Séverine Fournier,
  • Susannah Brodnitz,
  • Akiko Hayashi,
  • Mikael Kuusela,
  • Elizabeth Westbrook,
  • Karly M. Ulfsax Carlin,
  • Cristina González-Haro,
  • Verónica González-Gambau

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03314-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract To study the validation process for sea surface salinity (SSS) we have generated one year (November 2011- October 2012) of simulated satellite and in situ “ground truth” data. This was done using the ECCO (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Oceans) 1/48° simulation, the highest resolution global ocean model currently available. The ground tracks of three satellites, Aquarius, SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) and SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) were extracted and used to sample the model with a gaussian weighting similar to that of the spaceborne sensor ground footprint. This produced simulated level 2 (L2) data. Simulated level 3 (L3) data were then produced by averaging L2 data onto a regular grid. The model was sampled to produce simulated Argo and tropical mooring SSS datasets. The Argo data were combined into a simulated gridded monthly 1° Argo product. The simulated data produced from this effort have been used to study sampling errors, matchups, subfootprint variability and the validation process for SSS at L2 and L3.