Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) Benefits for the Copernicus Level 4 Sea-Surface Salinity Processing Chain

We present a study on the potential of the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) mission for the global monitoring of Sea-Surface Salinity (SSS) using Level-4 (gap-free) analysis processing. Space-based SSS are currently provided by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellites. However, there are no planned missions to guarantee continuity in the remote SSS measurements for the near future. The CIMR mission is in a preparatory phase with an expected launch in 2026. CIMR is focused on the provision of global coverage, high resolution sea-surface temperature (SST), SSS and sea-ice concentration observations. In this paper, we evaluate the mission impact within the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) SSS processing chain. The CMEMS SSS operational products are based on a combination of in situ and satellite (SMOS) SSS and high-resolution SST information through a multivariate optimal interpolation. We demonstrate the potential of CIMR within the CMEMS SSS operational production after the SMOS era. For this purpose, we implemented an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) based on the CMEMS MERCATOR global operational model. The MERCATOR SSSs were used to generate synthetic in situ and CIMR SSS and, at the same time, they provided a reference gap-free SSS field. Using the optimal interpolation algorithm, we demonstrated that the combined use of in situ and CIMR observations improves the global SSS retrieval compared to a processing where only in situ observations are ingested. The improvements are observed in the 60% and 70% of the global ocean surface for the reconstruction of the SSS and of the SSS spatial gradients, respectively. Moreover, the study highlights the CIMR-based salinity patterns are more accurate both in the open ocean and in coastal areas. We conclude that CIMR can guarantee continuity for accurate monitoring of the ocean surface salinity from space

Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) Benefits for the Copernicus Level 4 Sea-Surface Salinity Processing Chain

International audienceWe present a study on the potential of the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) mission for the global monitoring of Sea-Surface Salinity (SSS) using Level-4 (gap-free) analysis processing. Space-based SSS are currently provided by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellites. However, there are no planned missions to guarantee continuity in the remote SSS measurements for the near future. The CIMR mission is in a preparatory phase with an expected launch in 2026. CIMR is focused on the provision of global coverage, high resolution sea-surface temperature (SST), SSS and sea-ice concentration observations. In this paper, we evaluate the mission impact within the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) SSS processing chain. The CMEMS SSS operational products are based on a combination of in situ and satellite (SMOS) SSS and high-resolution SST information through a multivariate optimal interpolation. We demonstrate the potential of CIMR within the CMEMS SSS operational production after the SMOS era. For this purpose, we implemented an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) based on the CMEMS MERCATOR global operational model. The MERCATOR SSSs were used to generate synthetic in situ and CIMR SSS and, at the same time, they provided a reference gap-free SSS field. Using the optimal interpolation algorithm, we demonstrated that the combined use of in situ and CIMR observations improves the global SSS retrieval compared to a processing where only in situ observations are ingested. The improvements are observed in the 60% and 70% of the global ocean surface for the reconstruction of the SSS and of the SSS spatial gradients, respectively. Moreover, the study highlights the CIMR-based salinity patterns are more accurate both in the open ocean and in coastal areas. We conclude that CIMR can guarantee continuity for accurate monitoring of the ocean surface salinity from space

Ten Years of Remote Sensing at Barcelona Expert Center

Special Issue of Remote Sensing: Ten Years of Remote Sensing at Barcelona Expert CenterThe Barcelona Expert Centre (BEC) (http://bec.icm.csic.es) is a joint initiative between the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). It was created in 2007 to provide support to the Spanish SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission activities. Nowadays, BEC activities cover a wide variety of topics: - Improvements on calibration, image reconstruction and stability of radiometric data. - Synergy of observations from different sensors and data sources. - Retrieval of geophysical variables: forward modeling and non-linear inversion. - Validation and quality control - Assimilation into atmospheric and ocean models. - Generation of added-value products at Levels 3 and 4. This Special Issue is mainly dedicated to publishing papers on new scientific results covering topics, such as: - Microwave radiometry, scatterometry, SAR, GNSS-R. - Sensor calibration. - Image reconstruction. - Ocean Remote Sensing: salinity, winds, sea ice, currents, temperature, etc. - Soil Moisture. - Retrieval algorithms.- SMOS Third Mission Reprocessing after 10 Years in Orbit https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12101645. - Deriving VTEC Maps from SMOS Radiometric Data https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12101604. - Real-time Reconstruction of Surface Velocities from Satellite Observations in the Alboran Sea https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12040724. - Assessment with Controlled In-Situ Data of the Dependence of L-Band Radiometry on Sea-Ice Thickness https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12040650. - Assessment of Multi-Scale SMOS and SMAP Soil Moisture Products across the Iberian Peninsula https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030570. - Assimilation of Satellite Salinity for Modelling the Congo River Plume https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12010011. - Quantifying Tidal Fluctuations in Remote Sensing Infrared SST Observations https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11192313. - Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) Benefits for the Copernicus Level 4 Sea-Surface Salinity Processing Chain https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11151818. - In Situ and Satellite Sea Surface Salinity in the Algerian Basin Observed through ABACUS Glider Measurements and BEC SMOS Regional Products https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11111361. - A Synergetic Approach for the Space-Based Sea Surface Currents Retrieval in the Mediterranean Sea https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11111285. - Wide Field of View Microwave Interferometric Radiometer Imaging https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11060682. - Dominant Features of Global Surface Soil Moisture Variability Observed by the SMOS Satellite https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11010095. - Assessment of Root Zone Soil Moisture Estimations from SMAP, SMOS and MODIS Observations https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10070981. - Surface Temperature and Chlorophyll Concentration Coherence https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12071153Peer reviewe