NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
Skip Navigation
Ocean Surface Topography from Space
Stay Connected
menu
close modal
Resources
Watching Our Oceans
Published:
May 20, 2008
Watching Our Oceans
ENLARGE
Related
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.
2015-2016 El Niño-Southern Oscillation Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies
Decades of Discovery - How altimeters help us every day.
Decades of Discovery
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...
NASA's Earth Minute: Sea Level Rise
Changing conditions in the Pacific have stirred up Earth’s largest ocean and redistributed its heat, piling up warm waters along U.S. Western shores and raising sea level in the process.
Rising Waters on the West Coast
Launching aboard the joint U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is NASA’s next instrument that will help improve weather forecasting.
Using GPS to Improve Weather Forecasts
TOPEX/Poseidon Ground Tracks
TOPEX/Poseidon Ground Tracks
SSH and SST - Indian Ocean
SSH and SST - Indian Ocean
For NASA scientist Severine Fournier, studying our planet knows no borders.
"Science is International" Says French Sea Level Rise NASA Scientist
TOPEX/Poseidon Instruments
TOPEX/Poseidon Instruments
The Jason-2 satellite sees something brewing in the Pacific. Researchers say it could be a significant El Niño with implications for global weather and climate.
El Niño - Is 2014 the New 1997?
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.
Jason-3: Studying the Earth's Oceans from Space
On the left is Sea Surface Height Anomalies (SSHA) relative to the sea level mean (1993-2018). On the right is Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) with the sea level trend as the straight line. The data a...
Sea Surface Height Anomalies and Global Mean Sea Level
B-roll for media. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is an Earth-observing satellite that will collect data on sea level and how it changes over time. By measuring sea surface height, scientists world...
Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Media Reel
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
NASA and SpaceX Launch U.S.-European Mission to Monitor World's Ocean (Recap)
Our World: How High is the Ocean?
Our World: How High is the Ocean?
Watch the Jason-3 Mission Briefing from Friday, Jan 15, 2016 - panelists gave an overview of the Jason-3 mission.
Getting To Know Jason-3
El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The warmer water associated with El Niño displaces colder water in the upper layer of the ocean caus...
Sea Surface Height Anomaly, 2014-2016
A look at how NASA is dealing with the threat of sea level rise to its coastal infrastructure.
Rising Waters: Sea Level & NASA Infrastructure
It's hard to "see" sea level rise by just looking at the ocean, but its effects are very real.
Earth Science Basics: Sea Level Rise
Global sea level rise is accelerating incrementally over time rather than increasing at a steady rate, as previously thought, according to a new study based on 25 years of NASA and European satelli...
Sea Level Rise Accelerates Over Time
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying the Jason-3 spacecraft. Liftoff was at 10:42 a.m. PST (1:42 p.m. EST).
Liftoff of Jason-3
Watch the Jason-3 Science Briefing from Friday, Jan 15, 2016 - panelists discussed the science and research of the Jason-3 mission.
The Science of Jason-3
Sea Surface Height 01/2006-04/2010
Sea Surface Height 01/2006-04/2010
This video discusses the water cycle, which is the movement of water around the Earth, and its importance to life. Changes to the water cycle affect climate and vice versa.
Water, Water Everywhere!
Greenland and Antarctica are home to most of the world's glacial ice – including its only two ice sheets – making them areas of particular interest to scientists.
Rising Waters: Out-of-Balance Ice Sheets