Sea-surface salinity

The top map shows sea-surface salinity derived from SMOS measurements, while the bottom map is derived from measurements of Argo profilers in the water (in situ). The higher detail in the SMOS data can be clearly seen when comparing the images. Data for both maps was collected for the August–September period in 2010 and 2011. The squares outline areas where salinity measurements have been compared in the following graph.