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Water mission reveals insight into Amazon plume

3 September 2010

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How sea-surface salinity varies in the Tropical Atlantic Ocean as a result of the influx of fresh water from the Amazon River, as seen by ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. This influx is known as the Amazon Plume. The animation includes observations from mid-July to mid-August 2010 and highlights some interesting aspects of this region of ocean. A decrease in sea-surface salinity due to influx from the Orinoco River is also visible. These observations from SMOS are leading to new insights into how local currents affect these two major freshwater influxes.

Tracking the variability in surface salinity and how fresh and salty water interact is important for a better understanding, not only of ocean circulation, but also of water ecology, biogeochemistry and bio-optics (the study of how living organisms affect the light in the sea).

Credits: N. Reul, Ifremer & J. Tenerelli, CLS

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The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission makes global observations of soil moisture over Earth’s landmasses and salinity over the oceans. Variations in soil moisture and ocean salinity are a consequence of the continuous exchange of water between the oceans, the atmosphere and the land – Earth’s water cycle.

Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab

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The image, derived from SMOS data in July 2010, clearly shows the plume of fresh Amazon River water as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

Credits: I. Corbella, UPC / Google Earth

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SMOS observes sea-surface salinity down to 0.1 psu (practical salinity unit) for a 30-day average over an area of 200x200 km, which is comparable to detecting 0.1 g of salt in a litre of water.

Credits: ESA /AOES Medialab

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Average sea-surface salinity and global circulation

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Average distribution of sea-surface salinity. Areas of red indicate regions of high salinity and areas of green indicate low salinity. The map is overlaid with a simplified global ocean circulation pattern called the 'thermohaline circulation'. Temperature (thermal) and salinity (haline) variations are key variables affecting ocean circulation.

Credits: ESA

SMOS