Simulation Framework and Case Studies for the Design of Sea Surface Salinity Remote Sensing Missions

L-band microwave radiometers have now been used to measure sea surface salinity (SSS) from space for over a decade with the SMOS, Aquarius, and SMAP missions, and it is expected that the launch of the CIMR mission in the later half of this decade will ensure measurement continuity in the near future. Beyond these missions, it is useful to consider how future missions can be designed to meet different scientific objectives and performance requirements as well as to fit within different cost spaces. In this article, we present a software simulator for remote sensing measurements of ocean state capable of generating L1- and L2- equivalent data products for an arbitrary spacecraft mission including multifrequency fixed-pointing or scanning microwave radiometers.This simulator is then applied to case studies of SSS measurement over selected areas of interest, including the Gulf Stream, Southern Ocean, and Pacific tropical instability wave regions. These simulations illustrate how different design choices concerning receiver bandwidth and revisit time can improve the detection of SSS features in these regions from the mesoscale to the seasonal scale.

Automated summary

L-band microwave radiometers have been used to measure sea surface salinity from space for over a decade, with the expectation of continued measurement with the CIMR mission. This article presents a software simulator for remote sensing measurements of ocean state and applies it to case studies of SSS measurement in various regions, showcasing the impact of design choices on detecting SSS features.