Sea surface temperature and salinity from French research vessels, 2001-2013.
French Research vessels have been collecting thermo-salinometer (TSG) data since 1999 to contribute to the Global Ocean Surface Underway Data (GOSUD) programme. The instruments are regularly calibrated and continuously monitored. Water samples are taken on a daily basis by the crew and later analysed in the laboratory. We present here the delayed mode processing of the 2001-2013 dataset and an overview of the resulting quality. Salinity measurement error was a few hundredths of a unit or less on the practical salinity scale (PSS), due to careful calibration and instrument maintenance, complemented with a rigorous adjustment on water samples. In a global comparison, these data show excellent agreement with an ARGO-based salinity gridded product. The Sea Surface Salinity and Temperature from French REsearch SHips (SSST-FRESH) dataset is very valuable for the 'calibration and validation' of the new satellite observations delivered by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Aquarius missions.
Ifremer, UMR 6523, LPO, CNRS/Ifremer/IRD/UBO , CS 10070, Plouzane F-29280, France.
Fabienne
F
Gaillard
US-Imago, Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD) , BP 70, Plouzane 29280, France.
Denis
D
Diverres
US-Imago, Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD) , BP 70, Plouzane 29280, France.
Stéphane
S
Jacquin
US-Imago, Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD) , BP 70, Plouzane 29280, France.
Yves
Y
Gouriou
US-Imago, Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD) , BP 70, Plouzane 29280, France.
Jacques
J
Grelet
Service Hydrographique et Oceanographique de la Marine (SHOM) , CS 92803, Brest Cedex 2 29228, France.
Marc
M
Le Menn
Service Hydrographique et Oceanographique de la Marine (SHOM) , CS 92803, Brest Cedex 2 29228, France.
Joelle
J
Tassel
LOCEAN, Sorbone Universites, UPMC/CNRS/IRD/MNHN , 75005 Paris, France.
Gilles
G
Reverdin