Watching Our Oceans

For over 20 years NASA has been tracking the global surface topography of the ocean in order to understand the important role it plays in our daily lives. Climate change is causing our Ocean to war...

This animation illustrates the evolution of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (relative to the respective normal state) in the Pacific Ocean associated with the 2015-2016 El Niño.

Recorded live broadcast of Sentinel-6B, launched at 9:21 p.m. PST, Sunday, Nov. 16 (12:21 a.m. EST, Monday, Nov. 17) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Here we provide side by side comparisons of Pacific Ocean sea surface height (SSH) anomalies of what is presently happening in 2015 with the Pacific Ocean signal during the famous 1997 El Niño.

The ocean-observing Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Nov. 21, 2020 at 12:17 p.m. EST

The Jason-3 satellite, launched on January 17, 2016, is allowing scientists to continue a 23-year record of crucial ocean monitoring.

Jason-3 Animation

Karl and Seymour learn how carbon dioxide is formed in this sketch from The Lollygaggers, a global warming sketch comedy.

The ocean is responsible for Earth's mild climate and makes life on Earth possible for all creatures.

TOPEX/Poseidon Instruments

SSH and SST - Global

For NASA JPL engineer Parag Vaze, studying Earth’s rising ocean has been a career three decades in the making.

For NASA scientist Severine Fournier, studying our planet knows no borders.

Earth’s rising seas are some of the most visible signs of our warming planet. Over the last 23 years, NASA satellite missions have observed a steady rise in global sea levels as polar ice sheets me...

A look at how NASA is dealing with the threat of sea level rise to its coastal infrastructure.

Sea Surface Height - Global Average from 1993 - 2011.

Growing up in landlocked Zimbabwe, NASA JPL engineer Shailen Desai was far from the ocean but still experienced its effects on the climate. Now, he is contributing to an international effort to tra...

To provide scientists with essential information about global and regional changes in the seas, NASA will launch the Jason-3 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

After living in coastal Virginia and seeing the effects of climate change firsthand, Ben Hamlington is now researching sea level rise at NASA JPL.

In many communities in the U.S., sea level rise is already a factor in people’s lives in the form of high-tide flooding.

Fathoming the forces that determine global sea levels can be daunting. We present a guide to the basics of ocean surface topography.

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Launch footage

It's hard to "see" sea level rise by just looking at the ocean, but its effects are very real.

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will join a long-standing family of Earth observing satellites from NASA and European partners.

Ice covers 10 percent of Earth's surface and helps moderate the planet's temperature.