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Advancements in Sea Surface Salinity Research

Stephen Riser
Stephen Riser
Professor
University of Washington

Dr. Riser's primary interests include the ocean's role in climate; circulation of the ocean and ocean/atmosphere/ice interactions through direct observations; and the interactions between physical aspects of circulation and the biogeochemical properties of the ocean.

Webinar Clip
Sea surface salinity research has come a long way, initially being measured from ships and more recently with autonomous floats such as wave gliders and Argo. Beginning in the mid 1970s, satellites were launched into space to measure various oceanographic processes. One of them, the Aquarius satellite (launched in 2011) is able to take continuous global sea surface salinity measurements, allowing scientists to get a more accurate picture of global salinity.

Full webinar: From Skin to Deep

Click here for a transcript of this clip (PDF, 47.4 KB).

Resources
Applicable Science Standards
  • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Planning and Carrying Out Investigations. Scientists and engineers plan and carry out investigations in the field or laboratory, working collaboratively as well as individually. Their investigations are systematic and require clarifying what counts as data and identifying variables or parameters.
  • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information. Scientists and engineers must be able to communicate clearly and persuasively the ideas and methods they generate. Critiquing and communicating ideas individually and in groups is a critical professional activity.