The Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study-2 (SPURS-2) Mission, Observing the Effects of Precipitation on the Salinity Structure

The first field campaign for the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) mission studied air-sea processes in the subtropical North Atlantic in 2012-2013. Thousands of measurements were collected from in situ and satellite platforms to investigate the processes responsible for the salinity maximum in that region. In August of 2016, the second field campaign begins in the tropical Eastern Pacific to study the effects of precipitation on salinity structure. Instruments deployed on air-sea interaction moorings, on and off the RV Revelle and RV Lady Amber, and several unmanned platforms including gliders, and satellites will be used to observe the freshening events and the other processes during the 6-week mission. This presentation will provide specific mission objectives, details about the instrumentation and platforms and preliminary observations from the mission.