NASA Analysis Sees Spike in 2023 Global Sea Level Due to El Niño

A long-term sea level dataset shows ocean surface heights continuing to rise at faster and faster rates over decades of observations. Read More ›

International Ocean Satellite Monitors How El Niño Is Shaping Up

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is the latest satellite contributing to a 30-year sea level record that researchers are using to compare this year’s El Niño with those of the past. Read More ›

International Sea Level Satellite Spots Early Signs of El Niño

Kelvin waves, a potential precursor of El Niño conditions in the ocean, are rolling across the equatorial Pacific toward the coast of South America. Read More ›

On the Edge: NASA's Last S-MODE Mission Studies the Ocean's Surface

The mission is gathering observations with airborne sensors, a research ship, and autonomous instruments like gliders that skim the upper layers of the Pacific Ocean. Read More ›

NASA Uses 30-Year Satellite Record to Track and Project Rising Seas

Observations from space show that the rate of sea level rise is increasing. Knowing where and how much rise is happening can help coastal planners prepare for future hazards. Read More ›

Latest El Niño/La Niña Watch Data

Stereographic image depicting el nino data

The latest image from NASA's Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is updated approximately every two weeks.

Explore the El Niño 2023 Animation (updated January 23, 2024)

More to Explore

Global Mean Sea Level Time Series

Data collected from a series of satellite altimeters have measured a rise in global mean sea level (GMSL) of ∼3 ± 0.4 mm/year, resulting in more than 7 cm of total sea-level rise over the last 25 years.
Along-Track Near Real-Time Data

Sea Surface Height Anomaly: Sentinel-6MF and SWOT Measurements from 10-Feb-2025 to 20-Feb-2025
OST Science Team

Updates on the latest research being completed by the team of international and interdisciplinary scientists.

Applications: Bringing Satellite Data Down to Earth

Since 1993 ocean altimetry data has provided researchers and operational users like NOAA’s extreme weather units with valuable data

Climate

Operational

Coastal

Climate

Operational

Coastal

News & Features

Launched on a Falcon 9 rocket Nov. 21, the U.S.-European satellite will measure the world's ocean with unprecedented accuracy.

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Returns First Sea Level Measurements

With NASA's Eyes on the Earth web-based app, you can tag along with the U.S.-European satellite as it orbits the globe, gathering critical measurements of our changing planet.

Follow Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich in Real Time As It Orbits Earth

To get the best measurements of Earth's atmosphere, you sometimes have to leave it. This November, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft will do just that.

Sea Level Mission Will Also Act as a Precision Thermometer in Space

Scientists have gained new insights into the processes that have driven ocean level variations for over a century, helping us prepare for the rising seas of the future.

NASA-led Study Reveals the Causes of Sea Level Rise Since 1900

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite mission will add to a long-term sea level dataset that's become the gold standard for climate studies from orbit.

Keeping a Steady Eye on Sea Level Change from Space

Observations from 11 satellite missions monitoring the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have revealed that the regions are losing ice six times faster than they were in the 1990s.

Greenland, Antarctica melting six times faster than in the 1990s

Why Study the Ocean

Only from space can we observe the height of our vast ocean on a global scale and monitor critical changes in ocean currents and heat storage. Continuous data from satellites like TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, OSTM/Jason-2, and Jason-3 help us understand and foresee the effects of the changing oceans on our climate and on catastrophic climate events such as El Niño and La Niña.

Partners

In an environment of constrained resources, U.S. and international partnerships are necessary to gain as much understanding of our planet as possible. Not only do they do they reduce costs for NASA, they also engage a larger group of scientists with a wider variety of specialties and interests.