SPURS-2

The field program Salinity Processes in the Upper-ocean Regional Study (SPURS) was specifically designed to examine processes affecting near-surface salinity. SPURS was envisioned as a two-phase effort, with the first phase focusing on the salinity maximum of the North Atlantic during 2012–2013 (SPURS-1). SPURS-2 focuses on the Pacific region and examined the downstream fate of the freshwater carried out of the SPURS-1 North Atlantic region. The overall goal of SPURS-2 is to improve understanding of the physical processes that influence upper-ocean salinity and sea surface salinity in a precipitation-dominated regime with net freshwater and buoyancy fluxes into the ocean.