| Domain | Oceanic | Description | Oceanic observations of sub-surface salinity are required for estimating ocean transports of freshwater and other properties on basin to global scales. Along with coincident sub-surface temperature observations, they are required to calculate in situ density and near-surface observations provide an important in situ validation for satellite observations of sea surface salinity (SSS). Ongoing sub-surface salinity observations, along with temperature are required to further develop understanding of ocean variability and monitor ongoing ocean property changes in response to climate change. Long-term, high-quality observations are essential to detect and attribute changes in weather patterns, climate modes, planetary heat balance and sea level, as well as to place more rigorous constraints on the likelihood of future warming and sea-level rise projections at global and regional scales. Salinity and temperature observations also provide constraints on air-sea exchanges of fresh water and energy. Coupled systems are being developed for short-term weather forecasting, especially those targeting tropical storms. These, along with ocean reanalysis and forecasting services are dependent on global and near-real-time ocean salinity (and temperature) data streams. Salinity observations have proved to be an important input for ocean data assimilation systems that are being used to provide gridded global estimates of ocean circulation at varying spatial and temporal scales. [GCOS-195 5.4.2] |