FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Eastern Mediterranean salinification observed in satellite salinity from SMAP mission BT AF Grodsky, Semyon A. Reul, Nicolas Bentamy, Abderrahim Vandemark, Douglas Guimbard, Sebastien AS 1:1;2:2;3:2;4:3;5:4; FF 1:;2:PDG-ODE-LOPS-SIAM;3:PDG-ODE-LOPS-SIAM;4:;5:; C1 Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, USA Institut Francais pour la Recherche et l'Exploitation de la Mer, Plouzane, France University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA OceanScope, Plouzané, Brest, France C2 UNIV MARYLAND, USA IFREMER, FRANCE UNIV NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA OCEANSCOPE, FRANCE SI TOULON BREST SE PDG-ODE-LOPS-SIAM UM LOPS IN WOS Ifremer UMR copubli-france copubli-int-hors-europe IF 2.528 TC 18 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00503/61430/65113.pdf LA English DT Article AB One of the saltiest seas, the Mediterranean, experiences significant salinity variations in near surface layers. Satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) data obtained using Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission indicate steady salinification of the eastern Mediterranean Levantine Basin at a rate of ~0.14 psu/year during 2015–2018. Satellite-observed salinity changes are confirmed by Argo float data and suggest possible changes in properties of the Levantine Intermediate Water. Eastern Mediterranean salinification often coincides with a freshening of the western Ionian Sea. Based on satellite altimetry geostrophic currents, these salinity changes are concurrent with a weakening cyclonic circulation in the Levantine Basin and strengthening anticyclonic circulation in the Ionian Sea. The latter is indicative of the Adriatic-Ionian Bimodal Oscillation System. It is known that such circulation changes reduce (increase) the transport of fresh Modified Atlantic Water into the eastern Mediterranean (western Ionian Sea), and this is consistent with observed SSS changes. The quality and availability of satellite L-band (1.41 GHz) SSS estimates near the coast can be limited by land contamination. It is shown that absolute SSS retrievals exhibit up to 1 psu biases in the Mediterranean. This study's use of SMAP SSS anomaly mapping instead of absolute SSS illustrates that observed spatial/temporal SSS patterns allow investigation of time variable change in this basin and augment the existing regional observing system. PY 2019 PD OCT SO Journal Of Marine Systems SN 0924-7963 PU Elsevier BV VL 198 UT 000477916900006 DI 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2019.103190 ID 61430 ER EF