SPURS-1 PICO Moorings: Salinity and Temperature Profiles from the North Atlantic

SPURS-1 deployed two PICO moorings in the subtropical North Atlantic to collect high-resolution time-series profiles of salinity and temperature down to 500 meters. The 2012-2013 campaign targeted a 900 x 800-mile high-salinity region centered at 25N, 38W to study surface salinity maxima. Data from the 'prawler' CTD instruments combine with satellite observations to characterize salinity structure across spatio-temporal scales.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical salinity and temperature structure time series from fixed mooring locations.
• Validating remotely sensed salinity fields from Aquarius/SAC-D and SMOS satellites using in-situ profile data.
• Investigating processes maintaining the subtropical surface salinity maximum in a high-evaporation region.
• Studying near-surface oceanographic variations correlated with concurrent meteorological measurements.

Strengths

• Data originates from a focused, multi-cruise NASA field campaign (SPURS-1) with a defined study area.
• Profiles combine CTD data (salinity, temperature, pressure, depth) with surface meteorological variables and GPS coordinates.
• Employed state-of-the-art 'prawler' technology for repeated profiling from near-surface to ~500m at fixed locations.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: no row counts, file sizes, or explicit column lists are provided in the inputs.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2013-09-30 vs. 2026-04-09) create uncertainty about data currency.
• Spatial coverage is limited to two mooring sites within the SPURS-1 domain.

Provenance

Source

SPURS (Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study) project, likely associated with NASA/POCLOUD.

Collection Method

Data collected via PICO moorings equipped with a profiling CTD ('prawler') and surface meteorological packages deployed from research vessels.

Time Range

2012-2013 (field campaign period for SPURS-1).

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:11:40.140867 (most recent date cited, though conflicting with an earlier date)

Geography

Subtropical North Atlantic, within a 900 x 800-mile area centered at 25N, 38W. Specific moorings at N24.74, W37.95 and N24.51, W37.81.