Pi-MEP Logo

Salinity Pilot-Mission Exploitation Platform

SSS and Ocean Color in the Amazon/Orinoco river plumes

Amazon river discharge cycles measured, at Obidos gauge, during the period 2010–2019. The black curve is showing the Amazon River discharge "climatology" from 2010 to 2019
Orinoco river discharge cycles measured at Bolivar gauge during the period 2010-2019. The black curve is showing the Orinoco River discharge “climatology” from 2010 to 2019

The amplitude of the annual cycle of the Amazon River discharge peaks in June–July. In comparison, the discharge from Orinoco is much lower and peaks in September. Based upon the Amazon River discharge cycle, four main periods can be distinguished as shown in the above figure. From November to January: the low flow ; from February to April: the ascending flow, the high flow from May to July and the descending flow period from August to October.

Here Below we show the spatial patterns of satellite SSS and the absorption coefficient of CDOM at 443 nm derived from monthly Globcolour product. For this example, we only show the results for the SMOS_CATDS_IFR_CEC_L4 satellite SSS product. The results are first provided averaged over all years and then year per year. The user will get access to all pairs of satellite SSS and CDOM maps available in the platform in the operational version

Left: Satellite SSS averaged over the different periods of the discharge cycle. From top to bottom: low flow (November–January); ascending flow (February–April); high flow (May–July); descending flow (August–October). Right: corresponding CDOM absorption coefficient averaged from the merged MERIS/MODIS products. The color bar is logarithmic in unit of 1/m. In each plot the black thick contour curve represents the SSS at 35. The seasonal cycle for each year and each satellite SSS product will be provided in the operational platform.