Ocean Science
Ocean Science
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Articles | Volume 22, issue 3
Articles | Volume 22, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1651-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1651-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 22, issue 3
Review article
 | 
28 May 2026
Review article |  | 28 May 2026

Ocean salinity across space-time scales: from water cycle indicator to dynamical driver

Lisan Yu

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Short summary
Ocean salinity has long served as the ocean's rain gauge, faithfully recording rainfall and evaporation. Yet this review reveals a scale-dependent role shaped by the competition between atmospheric forcing, currents, and mixing: salinity acts as a recorder of climate forcing, a tracer of subsurface pathways, or an active driver shaping density and mixing. The smallest, most dynamic scales remain beyond today's satellites, yet this is where Earth System models need observational constraints most.
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Ocean Science Jubilee: reviews and perspectives