@article{fdi:010085008,
  title = {{V}ertical variability of near-surface salinity in the tropics : consequences for {L}-band radiometer calibration and validation},
  author = {{H}enocq, {C}. and {B}outin, {J}. and {P}etitcolin, {F}. and {R}everdin, {G}. and {A}rnault, {S}abine and {L}attes, {P}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}wo satellite missions are planned to be launched in the next two years; the {E}uropean {S}pace {A}gency ({ESA}) {S}oil {M}oisture and {O}cean {S}alinity ({SMOS}) and the {N}ational {A}eronautics and {S}pace {A}dministration ({NASA}) {A}quarius missions aim at detecting sea surface salinity ({SSS}) using {L}-band radiometry (1.4 {GH}z). {A}t that frequency, the skin depth is on the order of 1 cm. {H}owever, the calibration and validation of {L}-band-retrieved {SSS} will be done with in situ measurements, mainly taken at 5-m depth. {T}o anticipate and understand vertical salinity differences in the first 10 m of the ocean surface layer, in situ vertical profiles are analyzed. {T}he influence of rain events is studied. {T}ropical {A}tmosphere {O}cean ({TAO}) moorings, the most comprehensive dataset, provide measurements of salinity taken simultaneously at 1, 5, and 10 m and measurements of rain rate. {T}hen, observations of vertical salinity differences, sorted according to their vertical levels, are expanded through the tropical band (30 degrees {S}-30 degrees {N}) using thermosalinographs ({TSG}), floats, expendable conductivity-temperature- depth ({XCTD}), and {CTD} data. {V}ertical salinity differences higher than 0.1 pss are observed in the {P}acific, {A}tlantic, and {I}ndian {O}ceans, mainly between 0 degrees and 15 degrees {N}, which coincides with the average position of the intertropical convergence zone ({ITCZ}). {S}ome differences exceed 0.5 pss locally and persist for more than 10 days. {A} statistical approach is developed for the detection of large vertical salinity differences, knowing the history of rain events and the simultaneous wind intensity, as estimated from satellite measurements.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {A}tmospheric and {O}ceanic {T}echnology},
  volume = {27},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {192--209},
  ISSN = {0739-0572},
  year = {2010},
  DOI = {10.1175/2009jtecho670.1},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010085008},
}