Global sea surface height by the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission – the first 21-day cycle

  • Released Friday, November 24, 2023
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Rotating globe showing sea surface height anomaly

The SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) mission employs a Ka-band radar interferometer to precisely map the elevation of global water bodies, encompassing rivers, lakes, and the ocean's surface. This animation illustrates the variation in sea surface height anomalies detailed on a fine 2 km resolution grid. Notice the striking isolated peaks (in red) and troughs (in blue), which signal the presence of ocean eddies, while the varying gradients mark the intensity of ocean currents. For the first time, we can observe sea surface heights with complete global coverage (78S-78N) and exceptionally high resolution, extending all the way to coastal regions.

For More Information

See https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/

Credits

Sponsored by NASA EIS, Physical Oceanography program and the SWOT mission
Thanks to NASA SVS, Ben Hamlington, JPL media group

This page was originally published on Friday, November 24, 2023.
This page was last updated on Monday, January 15, 2024 at 12:45 AM EST.