Seasonal Phase Relationships between Sea Surface Salinity, Surface Freshwater Forcing, and Ocean Surface Processes
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsPlease see the attached file
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
See attached file
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors1-In this study, a climatology mixed layer depth were used in salinity budget analysis. My question is why not calculate the MLD using the RG data for better consistency.
2-The horizontal advection were calculated by using the surface velocity from OSCAR. However, there are large differences between surface velocities and the mean velocities averaged within the MLD, especially in high latitudes where the MLD are deep. Thus the method used in this study may induce large discrepancy between the salinity tendency on the left hand side of equation (1) and the sum of terms on the right side. I suggest the authors to use the geostrophic velocity plus Ekman velocity instead.
3-In calculation of the entrainment term, only the vertical transport were considered. However, the horizontal advection through the sloping bottom of the mixed layer also play an important role in regulating the mixed layer salinity, especially in the subtropics and high latitudes where the zonal gradient of the MLD are large. Please refer to the follow reference for the detail: Gao, S., Qu, T., Nie, X., 2014. Mixed layer salinity budget in the tropical Pacific Ocean estimated by a global GCM. J. Geophys. Res. Oceans 119, 8255–8270. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010336
4-In calculation of the vertical salinity gradient, this study took the mean of the salinity at the surface minus the mean below the mixed layer depth, divided by the distance of 30m below the mixed layer depth. My question is why use the average gradient, instead of the real gradient near the mixed layer bottom? And why choose 30m, will there be large difference when use 10m or 20m?
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe quality of English is high.
Author Response
See attached file
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsNo more comments for authors.
Author Response
There are no comments from reviewer 2.
