The salinity field of the global oceans is attracting increasing attention, due to its influence on ocean-atmosphere exchanges, its role as an indicator of the water cycle and its potential for improved climate forecasting. New sources of salinity data are now available (The Argo Project profiling float array: http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/) and others are on the horizon (The Aquarius satellite mission to be launched in March 2009 will measure sea surface salinity: http://aquarius.gsfc.nasa.gov ).
All investigators (PIs, post-docs and students) working toward the understanding of the regional and global processes linked to the variability and trends of salinity in the coupled climate system were invited. Also those able to address the technical challenges of long-term salinity measurements were invited to attend. The goal of the workshop was to produce a “white paper” articulating the significance of salinity measurements to the advancement of understanding, and ultimately predicting, climate; outlining the necessary measurements; and describing additional activities to enable the full utilization of these measurements. To this end the meeting forma entailed invited presentations, and an emphasis on group discussions, with poster space available to all attendees.
The Workshop was held in the Redfield Auditorium of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, May 8-10, 2006. It was followed immediately by the Aquarius/SAC-D Third Science Workshop (May 10-12), given the strong connection between the workshop goals and the satellite mission's surface salinity measurement capabilities.
8 May (Day 1) | |||
0730 | Continental Breakfast | ||
0830 - 0845 | Welcome and Introductions, goals and logistics | Carton/Schmitt | |
Session 1: Surface Water Fluxes | |||
0845 - 0915 | New estimates of global evaporation | Yu | |
0915 - 0945 | Estimates of global precipitation | Arkin | |
1015 - 1030 | Morning Break | ||
1030 - 1100 | Evaporation minus Precipitation | Schmitt | |
1100 - 1200 | Discussion: Future of surface flux estimates: can oceanic data provide constraints? | Schmitt | |
1200 -1300 | Break for Lunch | ||
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Session 2: Salinity structure: trends and variability | ||
1300 - 1330 | Salinity and Climate Dynamics | Johnson | |
1330 - 1400 | Atlantic Ocean Salinity Trends | Dickson | |
1400 - 1430 | Salinity trends from archival data | Curry | |
1430 - 1500 | Arctic Ocean Salinity Trends | Proshutinsky | |
1500 - 1530 | Afternoon Break | ||
1530 - 1630 | Discussion: | ||
1730 - 1830 |
Poster Session and light snacks/beverages
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9 May (Day 2)
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0730 | Continental Breakfast | ||
Session 3: Trends and Variability of Salinity | |||
0830 - 0900 | Southern Ocean Salinity Trends | Gordon | |
0900 - 0930 | Pacific Salinity Variability | Lukas | |
0930 - 1000 | Tropical Salinity Variability | Delcroix | |
1000 - 1015 | Morning Break | ||
1015 - 1115 | Discussion: What do changing salinities tell us about the water cycle? | Large | |
Session 3: Salinity and Climate | |||
1115 - 1145 | Salinity and El Nino predictability |
Busalacchi
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1145 - 1215 | Paleo-salinity issues |
M. Schmidt
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1215 - 1315 |
Lunch
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Session 4: Observations and monitoring opportunites | |||
1315 - 1345 | Salinity Trends revealed by ARGO |
Riser
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1345 - 1415 | Thermosalinographs on VOS |
Reverdin
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1415 - 1445 | Inferring fluxes from surface convergences: salinity on surface drifters | Niiler | |
1445 - 1500 |
Afternoon Break
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1500 - 1530 |
In-situ sensors: New developments
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Schmitt | |
1530 - 1700 | Discussion: Are there specific experiments that need to be done? What are the observational requirements for monitoring salinity variability in the coastal zone, the tropics, subtropics, and at high latitudes? |
Gordon
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10 May (Day 3) | |||
0730 | Continental Breakfast | ||
Session 5: Future Prospects | |||
0830 - 0900 | Remote Sensing and Aquarius Mission Overview | Lagerloef | |
0900 - 0930 | Improved salinity measurements to constrain oceanic fluxes: Prospects for data assimilation |
Carton/Large
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0930 - 1030 | Discussion: What are the elements of an improved salinity monitoring system for climate? water cycle? Aquarius |
Schmitt
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1030 - 1045 | Morning Break | ||
1045 - 1200 | Discussion: SWG White paper and future plans |