Satellite observations of rainfall effect on sea surface salinity in the waters adjacent to Taiwan

Chung-Ru Ho; Po-Chun Hsu; Chen-Chih Lin; Shih-Jen Huang

doi:10.1117/12.2277693

13 October 2017 Satellite observations of rainfall effect on sea surface salinity in the waters adjacent to Taiwan

Chung-Ru Ho, Po-Chun Hsu, Chen-Chih Lin, Shih-Jen Huang

Proceedings Volume 10422, Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions 2017; 104220Z (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2277693
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2017, Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

Changes of oceanic salinity are highly related to the variations of evaporation and precipitation. To understand the influence of rainfall on the sea surface salinity (SSS) in the waters adjacent to Taiwan, satellite remote sensing data from the year of 2012 to 2014 are employed in this study. The daily rain rate data obtained from Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission’s Microwave Imager (TRMM/TMI), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR), and WindSat Polarimetric Radiometer. The SSS data was derived from the measurements of radiometer instruments onboard the Aquarius satellite. The results show the average values of SSS in east of Taiwan, east of Luzon and South China Sea are 33.83 psu, 34.05 psu, and 32.84 psu, respectively, in the condition of daily rain rate higher than 1 mm/hr. In contrast to the rainfall condition, the average values of SSS are 34.07 psu, 34.26 psu, and 33.09 psu in the three areas, respectively at no rain condition (rain rate less than 1 mm/hr). During the cases of heavy rainfall caused by spiral rain bands of typhoon, the SSS is diluted with an average value of -0.78 psu when the average rain rate is higher than 4 mm/hr. However, the SSS was increased after temporarily decreased during the typhoon cases. A possible reason to explain this phenomenon is that the heavy rainfall caused by the spiral rain bands of typhoon may dilute the sea surface water, but the strong winds can uplift the higher salinity of subsurface water to the sea surface.

Citation Download Citation

Chung-Ru Ho, Po-Chun Hsu, Chen-Chih Lin, and Shih-Jen Huang "Satellite observations of rainfall effect on sea surface salinity in the waters adjacent to Taiwan", Proc. SPIE 10422, Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions 2017, 104220Z (13 October 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2277693

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KEYWORDS

Meteorology

Satellites

Microwave radiation

Radiometry

Sensors

Climatology

Imaging systems

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