Gallery: Sea Surface Density
Monthly sea surface density map images, derived from Aquarius science products (V5)
and generated by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Aquarius Data Processing System, are available here. These are produced
from Aquarius sea surface salinity and ancillary sea surface temperature using TEOS-10 equation of state (McDougall and Barker,
2011). Click on the images (below) for a closer view. Original images are available
here.
In these maps, yellow regions have higher density and pink regions have lower density. Seawater density is determined by its temperature and salinity. Surface seawater temperature varies widely over the globe (-1°C to 30°C), while seawater's overall salinity range is relatively small (see monthly salinity maps).
The information on these maps is important because the density characteristics of a parcel of seawater are determined while it is at the sea surface. As water parcels sink and move through the ocean, their densities will be modified by mixing with other parcels of seawater. However, if the density signatures of all the end member water masses are known, this mixing can be "unraveled" to determine the proportions of their various source waters.
In these maps, yellow regions have higher density and pink regions have lower density. Seawater density is determined by its temperature and salinity. Surface seawater temperature varies widely over the globe (-1°C to 30°C), while seawater's overall salinity range is relatively small (see monthly salinity maps).
The information on these maps is important because the density characteristics of a parcel of seawater are determined while it is at the sea surface. As water parcels sink and move through the ocean, their densities will be modified by mixing with other parcels of seawater. However, if the density signatures of all the end member water masses are known, this mixing can be "unraveled" to determine the proportions of their various source waters.
 April 2015 |  March 2015 |  February 2015 |  January 2015 | |||
 December 2014 |  November 2014 |  October 2014 |  September 2014 | |||
 August 2014 |  July 2014 |  June 2014 |  May 2014 | |||
 April 2014 |  March 2014 |  February 2014 |  January 2014 | |||
 December 2013 |  November 2013 |  October 2013 |  September 2013 | |||
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 April 2013 |  March 2013 |  February 2013 |  January 2013 | |||
 December 2012 |  November 2012 |  October 2012 |  September 2012 | |||
 August 2012 |  July 2012 |  June 2012 |  May 2012 | |||
 April 2012 |  March 2012 |  February 2012 |  January 2012 | |||
 December 2011 |  November 2011 |  October 2011 |  September 2011 | |||
 August 2011 | ||||||
Publications
McDougall, T.J. and P.M. Barker. 2011. Getting Started With TEOS-10 and the Gibbs Seawater (GSW) Oceanographic Toolbox, SCOR/IAPSO WG127, 28 pp., ISBN 978-0-646-55621-5. 