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Title: Aquarius salinity and wind retrieval using the cap algorithm and application to water cycle observation in the Indian ocean and subcontinent

Author
item YUEH, S - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item TANG, W - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item FORE, A - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item CHAUBELL, J - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item HAYASHI, A - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
item Jackson, Thomas
item BINDLISH, R - Science Systems, Inc

Submitted to: International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2013
Publication Date: 7/21/2013
Citation: Yueh, S., Tang, W., Fore, A., Chaubell, J., Hayashi, A., Jackson, T.J., Bindlish, R. 2013. Aquarius salinity and wind retrieval using the cap algorithm and application to water cycle observation in the Indian ocean and subcontinent [abstract]. International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). 2013 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aquarius is a combined passive/active L-band microwave instrument developed to map the ocean surface salinity field from space. The primary science objective of this mission is to monitor the seasonal and interannual variation of the large scale features of the surface salinity field in the open ocean with a spatial resolution of 150 km and a retrieval accuracy of 0.2 psu globally on a monthly basis. The measurement principle is based on the response of the L-band (1.413 GHz) sea surface brightness temperatures to sea surface salinity. The Aquarius/SACD was launched on June 10, 2011, and the instrument has been operational since 25 August 2011. In this article, we use all available data to assess the performance of the Combined Active-Passive (CAP) algorithm for simultaneous retrieval of salinity and ocean surface wind vectors. In addition, we illustrate the application of the Aquarius data to the water cycle research in the Indian Ocean and subcontinent.