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Schanze, J.J. and Lagerloef, G. (18-Nov-15). With the recent advent of remotely sensed sea-surface salinity (SSS) data, it has become possible to compute sea surface density by combining SSS with remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) data. The International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-2010) is used with Aquarius SSS and the Aquarius ancillary SST product to compute sea surface density (SSD). deCharon, A. and Rabolli, M. (17-Nov-15). Throughout the life of Aquarius/SAC-D, NASA and CONAE have worked closely together to share the excitement, findings, and societal importance of the mission. Their individual and collective efforts have reached thousands of people, including teachers who have been trained to include topics related to the mission's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their classrooms. Tauro, C.B., Hejazin, Y., Jacob, M.M., and Jones, L. (17-Nov-15). The CONAE MWR team in collaboration with CFRSL has developed an improved algorithm for retrieving ocean wind speeds using the newest MWR V7.0 brightness temperature data. Lagerloef, G. and Kao, H. (18-Nov-15). This study is a preliminary examination of multi-year sea surface salinity (SSS) trends from analyses of SMOS and Aquarius data, years 2010-2015 to assess the feasibility of monitoring such trends from satellite. Misra, S. and Brown, S. (18-Nov-15). The Aquarius instrument experience several different issues which can affect calibration, including drift, “wiggles” (i.e, pseudo-periodic oscillations in the data)and systematic psudo-random bias. The correction and status of all three issues are discussed within this presentation. Lagerloef, G. (18-Nov-15). Soon after the SAC-D/Aquarius mission end in early June 2015, NASA directed the Aquarius project team to prepare a proposal for the Phase-F Mission Closeout plan. The plan calls for the decommissioning of the Aquarius Ground System, documentation, and final data archive. The science activity primarily involves a complete data reprocessing with numerous calibration and algorithm updates that had been planned for this year, in order to improve the accuracy and quality as far as we are able with our present knowledge and experience. This Aquarius Data Version 5.0 is scheduled to be released in early to mid 2017 and Phase-F activities will end 30 June 2017. This presentation will summarize the algorithm improvements and the schedule. Yueh, S., Fore, A., Tang, W., and Hayashi, A. (18-Nov-15). Mounting evidence has suggested that ocean salinity may not be sufficient for being a surrogate rain gauge for monitoring the change of the ocean water cycle. The observed salinity signals are often formed as a result of oceanic processes instead of as a direct consequence of the freshwater flux changes at the ocean surface. One issue that needs to be considered is how we can minimize the influence of ocean dynamic processes and the other is what aspects of the ocean water cycle can be constrained or checked by ocean salinity. Fore, A., Neumann, G., Freedman, A., Chaubell, M., Tang, W., Hayashi, A., and Yueh, S. (18-Nov-15). In this talk we discuss the Aquarius scatterometer calibration, starting with the instrument calibration, by assessing the scatterometer stability. Jones, W.L., Hejazin, Y., Jacob, M., and Rabolli, M. (17-Nov-15). Salinity microwave remote sensing is challenging due to the corrections required to obtain the smooth ocean surface brightness temperature from which SSS is derived. The largest error source is the surface warming due to oceanic winds, and the AQ/SAC-D baseline approach uses the AQ-scatterometer (Scat) measurement of ocean radar backscatter to infer L-band excess ocean emissivity associated with wind roughness. Uriburu Quirno, M. and Goniadzki, D. (17-Nov-15). The National Water Institute carried out a project called "Assimilation of Soil Moisture Estimates into Flow-Forecasting Hydrologic Models" with the purpose of implementing a hydrologic model that included mission soil moisture retrievals, to be used in basin-outlet flow simulation and forecast at two lowland catchments in Argentina (Gualeguay River and Pergamino Brook). The main quantitative project outcomes are summarized, including human resources training, publications, procurement of instruments and equipment, and field campaigns. Dogliotti, A.I., Williams, G., Simionato, C., Lutz, V., Gossn, J.I., and Tropper, I. (19-Nov-15). The Argentine shelf and its shelf-break comprise a large and rich biological area of the ocean. Remote sensing of ocean color has demonstrated to be a very useful tool for monitoring the active and dynamic marine ecosystem providing near real-time, long-term, synoptic, global estimates of key parameters, such as surface chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration. Colazo, M.E. (17-Nov-15). CARMEN-1 is a package of instruments aboard SAC-D that includes components dedicated to the study of space radiation on advanced components, as well as the impact of micrometeoroids and micro orbital debris in the space environment. An overview of the availability data products and summary of CARMEN-1 measurements is provided. Epeloa, J.E. and Meza, M.A. (17-Nov-15). The aim of this work is the retrieving atmospheric integrated columnar water vapor (CWV) over land surface by using the microwave radiometer (MWR) on board of the Scientific Argentine Satellite (SAC-D). Song, T.Y., Lee, T., Yue, S., and Qu, T. (18-Nov-15). Using a recently developed ESSL (extended surface-salinity layer) model [Song et al., JGR, 2013], we have examined the near-surface salinity stratifications with emphasis on understanding of the dynamical processes that differ from one region to another. Jones, L., Ghazi, Z., Jacob, M.M., Santos-Garcia, A., and Bruscantini, C. (30-Nov-17). The Central Florida Remote Sensing Lab (CFRSL), in collaboration with CONAE, have developed two improved algorithms to convert the radiometric counts to brightness temperature (Tb) for production of MWR level-1 science data. This poster presents a description of these algorithms and shows results for MWR Cal/Val activities during the past 15 months. Serafini, M.C. (17-Nov-15). Contribution from the SAC-D/Aquarius Observatory for a Better Understanding of Environmental Variables Mercado, G. and Marinsek, S. (17-Nov-15). This two-part presentation focuses on the Data Collection Platform (DCS), which contains instruments for the on board observatory. The second portion of the talk focuses on the use of the DCS to monitor Antarctic glaciers in conjunction with ground-based data loggers. Cassini, M.H. and Gomez, J.J. (17-Nov-15). Satellite information on climatic variables is very important in biodiversity conservation research because wildlife population density and distribution critically depends on the environmental and climatic conditions. The rapid and large-scale recording of climate factors provided by satellite platforms, allows for efficient monitoring of the impact of climate global change on biodiversity. Meissner, T., Wentz, F., and Lagerloef, G. (18-Nov-15). We present a method that allows for a realistic uncertainty assessment of the Aquarius salinity retrievals. This method involves modeling the errors of all input parameters that are ingested by the salinity retrieval algorithm. It also includes estimates for uncertainties due to contamination from land, sea ice and undetected RFI. Heredia, S.D., Masuelli, S., and Madero, F. (17-Nov-15). The SAC-D/Aquarius mission was designed to provide weekly global map of sea surface salinity. In this way the MWR has the capability to produce these weekly information for its retrieved geophysical variables. Brown, S. (18-Nov-15). This study assesses the dependence of atmospheric boundary layer stability on the excess emission generated by the rough ocean surface. The correction for this excess emission is one of the largest corrections required in the retrieval algorithm for sea surface salinity. Liu, W.T. and Xie, X. (18-Nov-15). Soil moisture and surface salinity from Aquarius are used to characterize the vagary of monsoon, from the pre-monsoon drought to the oceanic causes of monsoon onset. The river discharges, derived from altimeter and land surface models are compared and their effects on salinity distribution and on continental mass balance are examined. Campos, E.J.D., Chidichimo, M.P., Garzoli, S., and Matano, R. (19-Nov-15). Results of numerical experiments with a 1/12-Degree, 32-layers ocean general circulation model are used to investigate impacts of interannual to interdecadal changes in the wind forcing on the circulation and meridional transports in the South Atlantic. Lee, T., Hasson, A., Bingham, F., Farrar, T., and Boutin, J. (18-Nov-15). NASA field campaign SPURS-2, slated to take place in the Northeastern Tropical Pacific Fresh Pool, aims to improve the understanding of salinity processes in that region associated with high precipitation and active ocean dynamics. Satellite SSS from Aquarius and SMOS provide large-scale context to understand salinity processes in the region, which will complement the in-situ observations to be collected during SPURS-2. As part of the effort in preparation for SPURS-2, we examine the dominant temporal and spatial scales of SSS, using Aquarius and SMOS SSS measurements together with the output from a 18-km resolution ocean circulation model. Perez, R.C., Matano, R.P., Msadek, R., Garzoli, S.L., Meinen, C.S., Chidichimo, M.P., and Palma, E. (19-Nov-15). There are comparatively few studies of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) characterizing the water mass and circulation variability in the South Atlantic subtropical gyre, or how that variability impacts the AMOC in the South Atlantic. Here we use observations and high-resolution models to examine the interannual to decadal variability of sea level anomalies, water mass properties, and wind stress across the South Atlantic subtropical gyre. Grings, F. (17-Nov-15). The project summary for Project 12 - La Plata Basin Floods and Droughts: Contribution of Microwave Remote Sensing in Monitoring and Prediction. The main achievements of the project focus on soil moisture retrieval using AQ radiometer/scatterometer, monitoring soil moisture conditions in the Pampas Plains, monitoring floods in the Paraná floodplain, multitemporal analysis of forest environments, and MWR radiometer calibration. Kolodziejczyk, N., Reverdin, G., Gaillard, F., and Lazar, A. (19-Nov-15). Low-frequency variability of salinity is observed in the Subtropical South Atlantic over the period 2002-2013 with the Argo gridded product ISAS. Torrusio, S. (17-Nov-15). An overview of the SAC-D Mission, including an overview of the instruments, applications, data, products, projects and the mission's legacy. Fournier, S., Tong, L., and Gierach, M. (18-Nov-15). The Mississippi River, the largest river in North America, provides a major contribution of freshwater into the Gulf of Mexico and has implications to ocean circulation in the subtropical North Atlantic. In this study, we use data from the NASA Aquarius/SAC-D and ESA SMOS satellites to study the seasonal and interannual variations of sea surface salinity (SSS) in the Gulf of Mexico near the outflow of the Mississippi River. Masuelli, S. and Salgado, H. (17-Nov-15). The prototype L2 algorithm for MWR Sea Ice Concentration was first developed in 2010, with the first version being released in 2012 and a second version released in 2014. The first version experienced artifacts due to the Smear Effect, and resulted in the overestimate over the open sea. The second version included a correction for the Smear Effect, better land mask, an atmospheric filter, and was calibrated using six months of data. Cotlier, C., Vicioso, B., Pacino, C., Balparda, L., Lãpez, D., and Cotlier, G. (17-Nov-15). This presentation outlines the use of the DMSP-OLS sensor to examine urban activity and marine light pollution by measuring night-time light. Marraco, H. and Colazo, M. (17-Nov-15). The process and results of the calibration of NIRST (New Infrared Sensor Technology) and algorithms for sea surface temperature. Meissner, T., Wentz, F., Lagerloef, G., and Le Vine, D. (18-Nov-15). With the demise of Aquarius the ability of SMAP to measure ocean salinity has gained importance. We discuss the adaption of the Aquarius salinity retrieval algorithm to SMAP and address important differences between the Aquarius and SMAP. Matano, R.P., Combes, V., and Palma, E.D. (19-Nov-15). We investigate the pathways of the meridional overturning circulation in the South Atlantic Ocean using the results of an eddy-resolving, nested model. Camara, I., Kolodziejczyk, N., Mignot, J., Lazar, A., and Gaye, T.A. (19-Nov-15). The physical processes controlling the mixed layer salinity (MLS) seasonal budget in the tropical Atlantic ocean are investigated using a regional configuration of a ocean general circulation model. Dasso, S. and Lanabere, V. (17-Nov-15). The van Allen radiation belts contain energetic particles, trapped by the geomagnetic field. Short term variability of these particles are determined by the geomagnetic activity, which is mainly determined by the conditions of the solar wind near Earth and are strongly affected by geomagnetic storms. These storms are associated with changes in both the composition and energy of the population of particles in the van Allen radiation belts. The main aim of the present work is to characterize several aspects of the proton populations using observations from the detector ICARE-NG/CARMEN-1, aboard SAC-D. Kao, H. and Lagerloef, G. (18-Nov-15). Due to the increased availability of data from Aquarius, SMOS satellites and Argo observations, sea surface salinity variations in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) have been able to be studied. Carballo, F., Masuelli, S., Salgado, H., Labanda, M., and Barreira, S. (17-Nov-15). Sea ice cover is the most important feature of the polar ocean environment and plays a key role in the balance of energy exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere, significantly involved in global climate change. Satellite microwave sensors (such as the SAC-D Microwave Radiometer) provide information about floating ice coverage, regardless of cloud and light conditions using brightness temperature. Donohue, K.A., Watts, D.R., and Kennelly, M. (19-Nov-15). Results of the cDrake experiment (2007-2011), which studied the Antarctic Circumpolar Current using an array of current and pressure recording inverted echo sounders (CPIES) are discussed. Strub, P.T., Matano, R.P., James, C., Combes, V., Piola, A., Palma, E., Saraceno, M., Guerrero, R., Fenco, H., and Ruiz Etcheverry, L. (19-Nov-15). The seasonal circulation is described over the wide continental shelf in the SW Atlantic Ocean (27°-43°S) during 2001-2012. Matano, R.P., Combes, V., Piola, A.R., Guerrero, R., Palma, E.D., Strub, P.T., James, C., Fenco, H., Chao, Y., and Saraceno, M. (19-Nov-15). A high-resolution model is used to characterize the dominant patterns of sea surface salinity (SSS) variability in the southwestern Atlantic region. Guerrero, R.A., Piola, A.R., Fenco, H., Matano, R.P., Combes, V., Chao, Y., James, C., Palma, E.D., Saraceno, M., and Strub, P.T. (19-Nov-15). Satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) data from Aquarius and SMOS reveal intense shelf-open ocean exchanges in the western South Atlantic. A strong seasonal SSS pattern is modulated by the seasonality of the along-shelf component of the wind stress over the shelf. However, the precise location of the export of shelf waters depends on offshore circulation patterns. Bruscantini, C.A., Grings, F.M., and Karszenbaum, H. (18-Nov-15). Throughout the operational life of the Aquarius instrument, an alternative soil moisture product has been developed. An Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) for Aquarius was developed to assess the impact of sources of errors in the soil moisture retrieval. Piola, A.R., Palma, E.D., and Saraceno, M. (17-Nov-15). A project summary for project 1 - South Atlantic Circulation and Salinity: An Integrated Observational and Modeling Investigation. The above project led to 11 peer-reviewed publications, 3 congress article and 28 congress and workshop presentations. Palma, E.D. and Matano, R.P. (19-Nov-15). We characterize the low frequency variability of the South Atlantic circulation using 50 years of data from the SODA model. Garzoli, S.L. (19-Nov-15). Until recently, most Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) observing programs have focused on the North Atlantic. However, recent model analyses have suggested that critical water mass changes to the upper and lower limbs of the MOC occur in the South Atlantic. Lorenzo, B., Cuello, A., Raed, M., Sedeño, A., Sánchez, Y., Antes, M., Gari, J., and Miño, R (17-Nov-15). Palabras Clave: Concentración, Hielo marino, Radiómetro de Microonda Antarctica is one of the most inhospitable and inaccessible places on Earth, located to the South of 60° S. There, it is 90% of the ice of the planet and almost three quarters of the reserves of fresh water of the world. Lindstrom, E., Lagerloef, G., and Le Vine, D. (17-Nov-15). Aquarius was NASA's first mission dedicated to measuring ocean surface salinity, and demonstrated both technical feasibility and scientific merit. The overarching science goal was to understand the links between ocean circulation, the water cycle and climate. Giulivi, C.F. and Gordon, A.L. (19-Nov-15). Using a diverse set of observational and model data we examine the seasonal to decadal variability of the South Atlantic subtropical gyre in the context of changes in the gyre's relationship to the larger scale ocean and climate system and the response of the gyre interior to its boundary. Vazquez, J. and Tsontos, V. (18-Nov-15). A view of the current state of the availability of Aquarius mission data, including the currently publicly-available dataset Version 4.0., datasets utilized for calibration and validation efforts, and additional datasets from other campaigns (e.g., SPURS field campaign data) available on PO.DAAC. Narvarte, M.A., González, R.A., and Williams, G. (17-Nov-15). Field measurements of sea surface temperature were attempted to be used to evaluate the performance of the standard sea surface temperature algorithm of the New IR Sensor Technology (NIRST). Rivas, N. (17-Nov-15). A project summary for "Validation of data from the SAC-D / AQUARIUS mission: Application to the knowledge of vegetation water stress". Heredia, S.D. and Rabolli, M. (17-Nov-15). The Aquarius MWR microwave radiometer can indirectly measure several geophysical parameters: water vapor column, rain rate, wind speed and ice concentration. Because MWR measures brightness temperatures but not geophysical parameters, it is necessary to establish a relationship that links them to obtain geophysical variables from brightness temperatures and auxiliary data. Yu, L., Jin, X., Josey, S., and Lee, T. (18-Nov-15). Mounting evidence has suggested that ocean salinity may not be sufficient for being a surrogate rain gauge for monitoring the change of the ocean water cycle. The observed salinity signals are often formed as a result of oceanic processes (e.g. advection, mixing, and entrainment) instead of being a direct consequence of the freshwater flux changes at the ocean surface. Therefore, the use of ocean salinity for the water cycle study needs to consider two issues.