Global climate change is greatly affected by variations in ocean currents and temperature. Precise measurement of the shape of sea surface from space (the flat ocean surface really isn't so flat after all!) helps researchers learn about how the ocean circulates and how sea level changes over space and time.  | | Dr. Lee-Lueng Fu - Project Scientist for TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason, and OSTM | |  | | Over a 10-day period, the NASA/CNES TOPEX/Poseidon satellite made more observations of the ocean than those made by ships over the preceding 100 years. For the first time in history, information about the global ocean has been continuously available for over 13 years and the data record is growing with the Jason mission at present and the Ocean Surface Topography Mission in the future. In this slide presentation, Dr. Lee-Lueng Fu highlights the progress in our understanding of global ocean circulation and its role in climate, with topics ranging from sea level rise to the mixing in the deep ocean. For additional information on the science and applications of ocean surface topography see the Science section. |
