Tropical Instability Waves from SMOS

Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) measurements from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission provide an unprecedented opportunity to observe the salinity structure of Tropical Instability Waves (TIWs) from space, especially during the intense 2010 La Niña condition. SMOS+SOS scientists at LOCEAN have shown that the phase speed of the westward propagation 17-day SSS signal at the equator varies from one year to another, being much faster during La Niña conditions.

Reference:

Yin, X., J. Boutin, G. Reverdin, T. Lee, S. Arnault, and N. Martin (2014), SMOS sea surface salinity signals of tropical instability waves, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, in press, doi:10.1002/2014JC009960.