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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2007

Salinity Remote Sensing and the Study of the Global Water Cycle

The SMOS and AquariusISAC-D satellite missions will begin a new era to map the global sea surface salinity (SSS) field and its variability from space within the next twothree years. They will provide critical data needed to study the interactions between the ocean circulation, global water cycle and climate. Key scientific issues to address are (1) mapping large expanses of the ocean where conventional SSS data do not yet exist, (2) understanding the seasonal and interannual SSS variations and the link to precipitation, evaporation and sea-ice patterns, (3) links between SSS and variations in the oceanic overturning circulation, (4) air-sea coupling processes in the tropics that influence El Nino, and (4) closing the marine freshwater budget. There is a growing body of oceanographic evidence in the form of salinity trends that portend significant changes in the hydrologic cycle. Over the past several decades, highlatitude oceans have become fresher while the subtropical oceans have become saltier. This change is slowly spreading into the subsurface ocean layers and may be affecting the strength of the ocean's therrnohaline overturning circulation. Salinity is directly linked to the ocean dynamics through the density distribution, and provides an important signature of the global water cycle. The distribution and variation of oceanic salinity is therefore attracting increasing scientific attention due to the relationship to the global water cycle and its influence on circulation, mixing, and climate processes. The oceans dominate the water cycle by providing 86% of global surface evaporation (E) and receiving 78% of global precipitation (P). Regional differences in E-P, land runoff, and the melting or freezing of ice affect the salinity of surface water. Direct observations of E-P over the ocean have large uncertainty, with discrepancies between the various state-of-the-art precipitation analyses of a factor of two or more in many regions. Quantifying the climatic influence of the oceanic water cycle requires more accurately resolving the net air-sea water flux. Measuring global SSS trends on seasonal to interannual timescales by satellite is fundamental to this problem because the SSS trends represent detectable time-integrated signals of the variable marine hydrological cycle. Satellite measurements, coupled with an array of in situ observations, will provide global synoptic SSS fields for the first time history. These data will provide a strong constraint on climate models and data assimilation efforts, which must properly represent the freshwater budget in terms of E-P, ocean advection and surface layer mixing in order to accurately simulate the true ocean state. The SSS fields will allow us to quantify the covariability between the SSS and the strong seasonal E-P cycle in the tropics and high latitudes. Field measurement campaigns to exploit satellite and in situ measurements to close the seasonal E-P cycle over an ocean region are being considered. Lastly the satellite systems will monitor and trace the large long-lived SSS anomalies from year to year that have the potential to influence El Nino and the large scale ocean circulation.

Lagerloef, G. S. E.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Assessing the Potential to Derive Air-Sea Freshwater Fluxes from Aquarius-Like Observations of Surface Salinity

A state-of-the-art numerical model is used to investigate the possibility of determining freshwater flux fields from temporal changes io sea-surface salinity (SSS), a goal of the satellite salinity-measuring mission, Aquarius/SAC-D. Because the estimated advective temporal scale is usually longer than the Aquarius/SAC-D revisit time, the possibility of producing freshwater flux estimates from temporal salinity changes is first examined by using a correlation analysis. For the mean seasonal cycle, the patterns of the correlations between the freshwater fluxes and surface salinity temporal tendencies are mainly zonally oriented, and are highest where the local precipitation is also relatively high. Nonseasonal (deviations from the monthly mean) correlations are highest along mid-latitude moon tracks and are relatively small in the tropics. The complex correlation patterns presented here suggest that a global retrieval of the difference between evaporation and precipitation (E-P) from salinity changes requires more complex techniques than a simple consideration of local balance with surface forcing.

Zhen, Li↗

NASA NTRS2013

Bulk Moisture and Salinity Sensor

Measurement and feedback control of nutrient solutions in plant root zones is critical to the development of healthy plants in both terrestrial and reduced-gravity environments. In addition to the water content, the amount of fertilizer in the nutrient solution is important to plant health. This typically requires a separate set of sensors to accomplish. A combination bulk moisture and salinity sensor has been designed, built, and tested with different nutrient solutions in several substrates. The substrates include glass beads, a clay-like substrate, and a nutrient-enriched substrate with the presence of plant roots. By measuring two key parameters, the sensor is able to monitor both the volumetric water content and salinity of the nutrient solution in bulk media. Many commercially available moisture sensors are point sensors, making localized measurements over a small volume at the point of insertion. Consequently, they are more prone to suffer from interferences with air bubbles, contact area of media, and root growth. This makes it difficult to get an accurate representation of true moisture content and distribution in the bulk media. Additionally, a network of point sensors is required, increasing the cabling, data acquisition, and calibration requirements. measure the dielectric properties of a material in the annular space of the vessel. Because the pore water in the media often has high salinity, a method to measure the media moisture content and salinity simultaneously was devised. Characterization of the frequency response for capacitance and conductance across the electrodes was completed for 2-mm glass bead media, 1- to 2-mm Turface (a clay like media), and 1- to 2-mm fertilized Turface with the presence of root mass. These measurements were then used to find empirical relationships among capacitance (C), the dissipation factor (D), the volumetric water content, and the pore water salinity.

Nurge, Mark↗

DOE OSTI2022

Data-driven offshore CO 2 saline storage assessment methodology

The world produces approximately 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually. This is measured in CO 2 -equivalents, and geologic CO 2 storage has the potential to advance decarbonization and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. New technologies to assess offshore carbon storage are needed to address resource, regulatory, and commercial needs. Although most efforts to assess storage resources focus on onshore criteria, offshore reservoirs offer significant storage potential and distinct development challenges. Potential advantages of offshore carbon storage include being further from human population centers and less potential to interact with groundwater. The U.S. Department of Energy's method for evaluating storage capacity in non-oil-bearing saline reservoirs has been enhanced to support assessments for offshore environments in the Offshore CO 2 Saline Storage methodology (OCSS). This methodology applies data-driven capabilities to estimate saline storage capacity while accounting for features specific to offshore reservoirs. Features include changes in CO 2 density and sedimentary differences that impact estimates of permanence and capacity. The Offshore CO 2 Saline Storage Calculator mechanizes OCSS to estimate storage capacity. This paper presents the methodology and estimates for 18 geologic domains in the Gulf of Mexico. Potential storage distributions, sensitivity analyses, and the incorporation of spatial data and tools to support safe site selection are also discussed.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

AquaMEND: Reconciling multiple impacts of salinization on soil carbon biogeochemistry

Soil salinization, exacerbated by climate change, poses a global threat to coastal ecosystem function and soil quality. Salinity influences carbon cycling through direct effects on microbial activity and indirect alterations to soil physicochemical properties including cation exchange, pH, and soil organic carbon availability. Current models inadequately represent these complexities, relying on linear reduction functions that overlook specific physicochemical changes induced by salinity. To address this gap, we propose an integrated model framework, AquaMEND, that combines microbial-explicit carbon decomposition and geochemical models. This model allows cation exchange and surface complexation processes to capture solute chemistry and nutrient availability in soils upon saltwater intrusion. Using response functions that capture salinity impacts on both salt-sensitive and salt-resistant microbial processes, AquaMEND simulates how the abiotic and biotic mechanisms work individually and collectively to regulate organic and inorganic pools and fluxes. Here, the parallel structure of aqueous and non-aqueous phases, together with microbial functions, result in a versatile model for solving dynamic coupling of organics, minerals and microbes under various environmental settings.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Data and scripts associated with the manuscript "Estimating soil moisture and salinity response to simulated coastal flooding using time-lapse electrical resistivity and induced polarization monitoring”

This package contains geophysics datasets generated during the simulated ecosystem-flooding experiment – TEMPEST (Terrestrial Ecosystem Manipulation to Probe the Effects of Storm Treatment). These geophysics data consist of Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and Induced Polarization (IP) datasets collected to estimate the soil moisture and salinity response to the simulated coastal flooding experiment. In addition to using geophysics datasets to estimate soil moisture and salinity response, petrophysical relationship between the measured resistivity and moisture content and salinity using the multisalinity. This package consists of two folders: “MultiSalinity Experiment” folder and “TEMPEST Experiment and petrophysical conversion” folders. The “MultiSalinity Experiment” folder contains the datasets generated from the multisalinity experiment used to develop the petrophysical reslationship. The “TEMPEST Experiment and petrophysical conversion” folder contains ERI, IP, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) datasets collected during the TEMPEST experiment. This study shows the ability to used geophysical datasets in estimating moisture content and salinity at scale will be useful in calibrating Earth System Models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Specific conductivity and salinity of the Parker River, PIE LTER, Plum Island Sound MA, August-November 2022

This dataset contains specific conductivity and calculated salinity data of Parker River water at a tidal brackish wetland dominated by Typha angustifolia at the upper estuary of the Plum Island Sound in Newbury, Massachusetts (MA) within the Plum Island Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research site (PIE LTER). Measurements were taken to evaluate temporal changes in surface water salinity in high frequency to characterize boundary conditions of soil and plant responses to changes in salinity. A PVC pipe was installed in a low elevation spot in the creek bank so that the bottom of the pipe sat on the sediment surface allowing flushing with water during flooding. Raw measurements were collected using an Onset HOBO U24-002 Saltwater Conductivity/Salinity data logger. The specific conductance and salinity measurements were corrected and calculated respectively using Onset’s HOBOware software and reference specific conductivity measurements taken in tandem with the first and last points recorded by the HOBO sensor. These reference measurements were taken using a HACH HQ14D Portable Conductivity Meter. Because of the installation design, only data one hour before and after high tide are used. Metadata files Typha_ctd_salinity_dd.csv and Typha_ctd_salinity_flmd.csv contain detailed information on data variables, sampling and QA/QC methods, and site location.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Specific conductivity and salinity of the Parker River, PIE LTER, Plum Island Sound MA, March-November 2023

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2022

Salinity and hydraulic retention time induce membrane phospholipid acyl chain remodeling in Halanaerobium congolense WG10 and mixed cultures from hydraulically fractured shale wells

Bacteria remodel their plasma membrane lipidome to maintain key biophysical attributes in response to ecological disturbances. For Halanaerobium and other anaerobic halotolerant taxa that persist in hydraulically fractured deep subsurface shale reservoirs, salinity, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) are important perturbants of cell membrane structure, yet their effects remain poorly understood. Membrane-linked activities underlie in situ microbial growth kinetics and physiologies which drive biogeochemical reactions in engineered subsurface systems. Hence, we used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to investigate the effects of salinity and HRT on the phospholipid fatty acid composition of H. congolense WG10 and mixed enrichment cultures from hydraulically fractured shale wells. We also coupled acyl chain remodeling to membrane mechanics by measuring bilayer elasticity using atomic force microscopy (AFM). For these experiments, cultures were grown in a chemostat vessel operated in continuous flow mode under strict anoxia and constant stirring. Our findings show that salinity and HRT induce significant changes in membrane fatty acid chemistry of H. congolense WG10 in distinct and complementary ways. Notably, under nonoptimal salt concentrations (7% and 20% NaCl), H. congolense WG10 elevates the portion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in its membrane, and this results in an apparent increase in fluidity (homeoviscous adaptation principle) and thickness. Double bond index (DBI) and mean chain length (MCL) were used as proxies for membrane fluidity and thickness, respectively. These results provide new insight into our understanding of how environmental and engineered factors might disrupt the physical and biogeochemical equilibria of fractured shale by inducing physiologically relevant changes in the membrane fatty acid chemistry of persistent microbial taxa. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT Salinity significantly alters membrane bilayer fluidity and thickness in Halanaerobium congolense WG10.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

NASA NTRS2014

Inter-Comparison of SMOS and Aquarius Sea Surface Salinity: Effects of the Dielectric Constant and Vicarious Calibration

Two spaceborne instruments share the scientific objective of mapping the global Sea Surface Salinity (SSS). ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASA's Aquarius use L-band (1.4 GHz) radiometry to retrieve SSS. We find that SSS retrieved by SMOS is generally lower than SSS retrieved by Aquarius, except for very cold waters where SMOS SSS is higher overall. The spatial distribution of the differences in SSS is similar to the distribution of sea surface temperature. There are several differences in the retrieval algorithm that could explain the observed SSS differences. We assess the impact of the dielectric constant model and the ancillary sea surface salinity used by both missions for calibrating the radiometers and retrieving SSS. The differences in dielectric constant model produce differences in SSS of the order of 0.3 psu and exhibit a dependence on latitude and temperature. We use comparisons with the Argo in situ data to assess the performances of the model in various regions of the globe. Finally, the differences in the ancillary sea surface salinity products used to perform the vicarious calibration of both instruments are relatively small (0.1 psu), but not negligible considering the requirements for spaceborne remote sensing of SSS.

radiometry↗

NASA NTRS2018

Status of Aquarius and Salinity Continuity

Aquarius is an L-band radar/radiometer instrument combination that has been designed to measure ocean salinity. It was launched on 10 June 2011 as part of the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory. The observatory is a partnership between the United States National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), which provided Aquarius, and the Argentinian space agency, Comisin Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE), which provided the spacecraft bus, Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D). The observatory was lost four years later on 7 June 2015 when a failure in the power distribution network resulted in the loss of control of the spacecraft. The Aquarius Mission formally ended on 31 December 2017. The last major milestone was the release of the final version of the salinity retrieval (Version 5). Version 5 meets the mission requirements for accuracy, and reflects the continuing progress and understanding developed by the science team over the lifetime of the mission. Further progress is possible, and several issues remained unresolved at the end of the mission that are relevant to future salinity retrievals. The understanding developed with Aquarius is being transferred to radiometer observations over the ocean from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite, and salinity from SMAP with accuracy approaching that of Aquarius are already being produced.

microwave remote sensing↗

NASA NTRS2021

Wide Bandwidth Radiometer Sensitivity for Remote Sensing of Ocean Salinity

Modern microwave radiometers have demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring surface salinity from space and also the need for better accuracy in cold water. Accuracy could be improved by adding measurements at lower frequencies (lower than the measurement at 1.4 GHz currently used) and closer to the peak in sensitivity of brightness temperature to changes in salinity. Proposals to accomplish this have focused on wide bandwidth receivers which include at the low end frequencies close to the peak in sensitivity. This strategy involves trade-offs, some obvious such as radio frequency interference (RFI) when operating outside the protected band at 1.4 GHz and the loss of spatial resolution at lower frequencies. Others stemming from the interdependence of the retrieval of salinity on water temperature and surface roughness are more subtle. The objective of this manuscript is to examine this interdependence and its implications to future wide bandwidth instruments for remote sensing of salinity from space.

microwave radiometry↗

NASA NTRS2022

Status of the Dielectric Constant of Sea Water at L-Band for Remote Sensing of Salinity

The model expressing the dielectric constant of sea water at microwave frequencies as a function of salinity and temperature is an important element in remote sensing of sea surface salinity. It is also important independently as a description of the physical properties of salt water. A major milestone was the development in the late 1970s by Klein and Swift of a model based on laboratory measurements at L- and S-band and a functional form supported by theory for polar molecules and previous work on freshwater. Much of the subsequent work has focused on measurements at higher frequency and determining model parameters tuned to apply for applications, such as remote sensing of sea surface temperature (SST). Interest in the dielectric constant at 1.4 GHz (L-band) increased again with the development of soil moisture ocean salinity (SMOS) and Aquarius to measure salinity from space, but there have been few new measurements at L-band and often confusion regarding the applicability of new models at 1.4 GHz. The objective of this article is to compare available models in the context of how well they represent the dielectric constant of sea water at 1.4 GHz. Among the criteria applied will be the recent measurements at the George Washington University of the dielectric constant at 1.4 GHz

Microwave Remote Sensing↗

DOE OSTI2025

Geoanalytical Evaluation of Saline Storage (GEESS) Geodatabase v2.0

The Geoanalytical Economic Evaluation of Saline Storage (GEESS) geodatabase was developed to support the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in their geologic carbon storage efforts by characterizing saline geologic formations present in the FECM/NETL CO2 Saline Storage Cost Model (CO2_S_COM) [1]. Using publicly available literature and data, the GEESS geodatabase characterizes 57 geologic formations across the lower-48 U.S. states in what are called Fully Integrated Geodatabases (FIGs). The FIG is a vector polygon feature containing thousands or tens of thousands of individual polygons, which each contain discrete geologic parameter values. A list of the critical geologic parameters that are characterized in the GEESS geodatabase are described in the “Processing Steps and Workflow” part of the ReadMe file, as well as the Data Catalog accompanying the GEESS geodatabase. The FIG is the basis of the GEESS geodatabase and is the direct representation of the collected geologic data. In addition to the FIG, the GEESS system contains grid files. Due to the complexity of the FIGs, grids are used to sample the geologic data so they can be exercised within CO2_S_COM. The grid files contain the geologic data sampled from the FIG, as well as estimates of “Plume Uncertainty Diameter” and “First-year Break-even Price of CO2” derived from CO2_S_COM based on the GEESS grid data.

carbon↗

DOE OSTI2022

Inadequacy of current approaches for characterizing membrane transport properties at high salinities

Cost optimal design of osmotic membrane processes requires an accurate estimate of membrane transport parameters across their full operational range. However, standard approaches for estimating these parameters rely on empirical methods, the accuracy of which remains unquantified as a function of temperature, salinity, and measurement error. Herein, we present a systematic accuracy analysis of previously developed methods for estimation of membrane transport properties in reverse osmosis, high-pressure reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, pressure retarded reverse osmosis, and osmotically assisted reverse osmosis. We use a Monte Carlo approach to sample the full range of feasible membrane water permeabilities, salt permeabilities, structural parameters, and operating conditions for these processes. These material and process parameters are then incorporated into a physical transport model for each process. Our analysis shows that the statistical uncertainty of current empirical methods for estimating membrane parameters increases by 5 times from low-salinity to high-salinity conditions. Here, the result of this work demonstrates that empirical methods are inadequate for precisely estimating membrane transport properties at high salinity and highlight a critical need for the development of statistically validated higher accuracy methods.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2022

Adsorption and Catalytic Activity of Gold Nanoparticles in Mesoporous Silica: Effect of Pore Size and Dispersion Salinity

The assembled state of nanoparticles (NPs) within porous matrices plays a governing role in directing their biological, electronic, and catalytic properties. However, the effects of the spatial confinement and environmental factors, such as salinity, on the NP assemblies within the pores are poorly understood. In this study, we use adsorption isotherms, spectrophotometry, and small-angle neutron scattering to develop a better understanding of the effect of spatial confinement on the assembled state and catalytic performance of gold (Au) NPs in propylamine-functionalized SBA-15 and MCM-41 mesoporous silica materials (mSiO 2 ). We carry out a detailed investigation of the effect of pore diameter and ionic strength on the packing and spatial distribution of AuNPs within mSiO 2 to get a comprehensive insight into the structure, functioning, and activity of these NPs. We demonstrate the ability of the adsorbed AuNPs to withstand aggregation under high salinity conditions. We attribute the observed preservation of the adsorbed state of AuNPs to the strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged pore walls and AuNPs. The preservation of the structure allows the AuNPs to retain their catalytic activity for a model reaction in high salinity aqueous solution, here, the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol, which otherwise is significantly diminished due to bulk aggregation of the AuNPs. This fundamental study demonstrates the critical role of confinement and dispersion salinity on the adsorption and catalytic performance of NPs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Untargeted metabolomics reveals anion and organ‐specific metabolic responses of salinity tolerance in willow

SUMMARY Willows can alleviate soil salinisation while generating sustainable feedstock for biorefinery, yet the metabolomic adaptations underlying their tolerance remain poorly understood.Salix miyabeanawas treated with two environmentally abundant salts, NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 , in a 12‐week pot trial. Willows tolerated salts across all treatments (up to 9.1 dS m −1 soil EC e ), maintaining biomass while selectively partitioning ions, confining Na + to roots and accumulating Cl − and in the canopy and adapting to osmotic stress via reduced stomatal conductance. Untargeted metabolomics captured >5000 putative compounds, including 278 core willow metabolome compounds constitutively produced across organs. Across all treatments, salinity drove widespread metabolic reprogramming, altering 28% of the overall metabolome, with organ‐tailored strategies. Comparing salt forms at equimolar sodium, shared differentially abundant metabolites were limited to 3% of the metabolome, representing the generalised salinity response, predominantly in roots. Anion‐specific metabolomic responses were extensive. NaCl reduced carbohydrates and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, suggesting potential carbon and energy resource pressure, and accumulated root structuring compounds, antioxidant flavonoids, and fatty acids. Na 2 SO 4 salinity triggered accumulation of sulphur‐containing larger peptides, suggesting excess sulphate incorporation leverages ion toxicity to produce specialised salt‐tolerance‐associated metabolites. This high‐depth picture of the willow metabolome underscores the importance of capturing plant adaptations to salt stress at organ scale and considering ion‐specific contributions to soil salinity.

Plant Sciences↗

DOE OSTI2024

CO2 Saline Storage Talk at the University of Wyoming

These are slides presented virtually to a class on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) at the University of Wyoming in Laramie WY. The talk was on the basics of carbon storage in saline formations and reviewed basic geology, important physical properties of CO2 and brine, how fluids flow in the subsurface, environmental risks associated with CO2 storage, the regulations governing CO2 saline storage, and high-level design considerations. The FECM/NETL CO2 Saline Storage Cost Model was used to illustrate how geologic properties vary in different regions of the US (PA, IL and WY) and how the performance of CO2 storage and the cost of CO2 CO2 saline storage depends on geology (October 23, 2024).

Morgan, David↗