@article{fdi:010061562, title = {{S}ea surface salinity observations from space with the {SMOS} satellite : a new means to monitor the marine branch of the water cycle}, author = {{R}eul, {N}. and {F}ournier, {S}. and {B}outin, {J}. and {H}ernandez, {O}. and {M}aes, {C}hristophe and {C}hapron, {B}. and {A}lory, {G}. and {Q}uilfen, {Y}. and {T}enerelli, {J}. and {M}orisset, {S}. and {K}err, {Y}ann and {M}ecklenburg, {S}. and {D}elwart, {S}.}, editor = {}, language = {{ENG}}, abstract = {{W}hile it is well known that the ocean is one of the most important component of the climate system, with a heat capacity 1,100 times greater than the atmosphere, the ocean is also the primary reservoir for freshwater transport to the atmosphere and largest component of the global water cycle. {T}wo new satellite sensors, the {ESA} {S}oil {M}oisture and {O}cean {S}alinity ({SMOS}) and the {NASA} {A}quarius {SAC}-{D} missions, are now providing the first space-borne measurements of the sea surface salinity ({SSS}). {I}n this paper, we present examples demonstrating how {SMOS}-derived {SSS} data are being used to better characterize key land–ocean and atmosphere–ocean interaction processes that occur within the marine hydrological cycle. {I}n particular, {SMOS} with its ocean mapping capability provides observations across the world's largest tropical ocean fresh pool regions, and we discuss from intraseasonal to interannual precipitation impacts as well as large-scale river runoff from the {A}mazon–{O}rinoco and {C}ongo rivers and its offshore advection. {S}ynergistic multi-satellite analyses of these new surface salinity data sets combined with sea surface temperature, dynamical height and currents from altimetry, surface wind, ocean color, rainfall estimates, and in situ observations are shown to yield new freshwater budget insight. {F}inally, {SSS} observations from the {SMOS} and {A}quarius/{SAC}-{D} sensors are combined to examine the response of the upper ocean to tropical cyclone passage including the potential role that a freshwater-induced upper ocean barrier layer may play in modulating surface cooling and enthalpy flux in tropical cyclone track regions.}, keywords = {{SURFACE} {MARINE} ; {SALINITE} ; {TELEDETECTION} {SPATIALE} ; {IMAGE} {SATELLITE} ; {INTERACTION} {OCEAN} {ATMOSPHERE} ; {CYCLE} {HYDROLOGIQUE} ; {EAU} {DOUCE} ; {COURS} {D}'{EAU} ; {DEBIT} ; {PRECIPITATION} ; {VENT} ; {COURANT} {SUPERFICIEL} ; {UPWELLING} ; {CYCLONE} {TROPICAL} ; {VARIATION} {SAISONNIERE} ; {VARIATION} {PLURIANNUELLE} ; {ZONE} {TROPICALE} ; {ATLANTIQUE}}, booktitle = {{T}he earth's hydrological cycle}, journal = {{S}urveys in {G}eophysics}, volume = {35}, numero = {3}, pages = {681--722}, ISSN = {0169-3298}, year = {2014}, DOI = {10.1007/s10712-013-9244-0}, URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010061562}, }