Theory 100/New facility/Ocean salinity
Fine-Scale Salinity Needs a Mission
The claim
The effect of small-scale salinity fronts on ocean circulation cannot be resolved from existing satellites, because their footprint exceeds the front width.
01Mechanism
Averaging over the footprint erases the gradients that drive density flows.
02Prediction
Models should be sensitive to fronts that data cannot see.
03Refutation
Existing resolution sufficient would remove the need.