The first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface has been produced by NASA’s new Aquarius instrument.

The map shows higher salinity in the subtropics; higher average salinity in the Atlantic Ocean compared to the Pacific and Indian oceans and lower salinity in rainy belts near the equator.

“Aquarius has exposed a pattern of ocean surface salinity that is rich in variability across a wide range of scales,” Aquarius science team member Professor of oceanography Arnold Gordon said.

Aquarius will also study these features link to climate and weather variations.