@article{fdi:010061316,
  title = {{F}ormation and variability of the {S}outh {P}acific sea surface salinity maximum in recent decades},
  author = {{H}asson, {A}. and {D}elcroix, {T}hierry and {B}outin, {J}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}his study investigates causes for the formation and variability of the {S}ea {S}urface {S}alinity maximum ({SSS}>36) centered near 18 degrees {S}-124 degrees {W} in the {S}outh {P}acific {O}cean over the 1990-2011 period at the seasonal time scale and above. {W}e use two monthly gridded products of {SSS} based on in situ measurements, high-resolution along-track {V}oluntary {O}bserving {S}hips thermo-salinograph data, new {SMOS} satellite data, and a validated ocean general circulation model with no direct {SSS} relaxation. {A}ll products reveal a seasonal cycle of the location of the 36-isohaline barycenter of about 400 km in longitude in response to changes in the {S}outh {P}acific {C}onvergence {Z}one location and {E}asterly winds intensity. {T}hey also show a low frequency westward shift of the barycenter of 1400 km from the mid 1990s to the early 2010s that could not be linked to the {E}l {N}ino {S}outhern {O}scillation phenomena. {I}n the model, the processes maintaining the 22 year equilibrium of the high salinity in the mixed layer are the surface forcing (approximate to+0.73 pss/yr), the horizontal salinity advection (approximate to-0.37 pss/yr), and processes occurring at the mixed layer base (approximate to-0.35 pss/yr).},
  keywords = {maximum sea surface salinity ; {SPCZ} ; mixed layer salinity budget ; {ENSO} ; tropical {S}outh {P}acific {O}cean ; {PACIFIQUE} ; {ZONE} {TROPICALE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {G}eophysical {R}esearch. {O}ceans},
  volume = {118},
  numero = {10},
  pages = {5109--5116},
  ISSN = {2169-9275},
  year = {2013},
  DOI = {10.1002/jgrc.20367},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010061316},
}