NASA satellite will monitor ocean salinity

Nature : NASA plans to launch Aquarius on 9 June. The satellite observatory’s main instrument will monitor global ocean salinity by measuring the microwave radiation of the oceans, writes Jeff Tollefson for Nature. The microwave emission depends on the electrical conductivity of seawater, which in turn depends on the seawater’s salinity. The new data will allow scientists to test theories about climate change’s influence on the global water cycle. Aquarius will fly as part of a joint mission with Argentina’s National Commission for Space Activities. The instrument, which will be able to measure changes in salinity down to 2 parts per 10 000 in seawater, will cover the whole globe once every week.