Salinity, the amount of salt dissolved in seawater, drives ocean currents that transport heat around the globe. Variations in salinity are negligible when considering global mean sea level (GMSL); however, salinity can be an important factor at the ocean-basin level, contributing to deep-ocean currents.

The function of salt water in dispersing heat and carbon around the world makes studying salinity crucial for understanding climate change, the global water cycle, and how the ocean interacts with the atmosphere. Salinity also impacts ecosystems, with saltwater distribution affecting the movements of phytoplankton and other ocean animals. Ecological forecasts in the ocean require salinity data for accurate results.

NASA’s data products useful to the study of salinity include global satellite observations of sea surface salinity, as well as salinity data collected from various regions in the ocean itself. These resources help researchers study the effects of salinity on the environment, water cycle, and climate, both in specific locations and around the world