The Aquarius salinity retrieval algorithm recent progress and remaining challenges

This paper summarizes the major steps of the updates in the Aquarius Level 2 ocean surface salinity (SSS) retrieval from Version 2.0 to Version 3.0, which is scheduled to be released in May 2014. We first discuss the algorithm improvements in the surface roughness correction, which also includes a retrieval of wind speeds from combined Aquarius radiometer - scatterometer measurements, improvements in the correction for the reflected galactic radiation, and masking of undetected RFI. We then present a validation study for the new salinity product, which consists in an intercomparison between Aquarius, in-situ buoy salinity measurements from the ARGO network, moored PMEL buoys and the HYCOM model salinity field.