Jason-1 Spacecraft Animation

Sea Level Isn't Level - Why it matters

Watch the Jason-3 Mission Briefing from Friday, Jan 15, 2016 - panelists gave an overview of the Jason-3 mission.

Jason-1 readies for launch in its bay at Vandenberg, AFB (10/31/01)

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

SSH and SST - Pacific Ocean

These photos were taken during the Dual Payload Attach Fitting (DPAF) mating operation with Jason-1. (11/13/01) Photos: Scott Michel

TOPEX/Poseidon launch

Jason-1: JMR instrument

High Resolution Jason-1 launch images

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...

Sea level rise is an indicator that our planet is warming. When ice on land, such as mountain glaciers or the ice sheets of Greenland or Antarctica, melts, that water contributes to sea level rise.

These photos were taken during the Payload Attach Fitting (PAF) mating operation with Jason-1. (11/14/01) Photos: Scott Michel

Jason-1 readies for launch in its bay at Vandenberg, AFB (10/31/01)

t - 7 minutes - Photo: Tom Shain

Jason-3

Oceans of Climate Change

It’s not only water processes that play a role in global sea level rise – ground movements can play a significant role as well.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 with the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is lifted to vertical at Space Launch Complex 4

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

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

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is lifted to vertical at Space Launch Complex 4

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

OSTM/Jason-2 Line Drawing

Oceans' Role in Climate - Jason-1

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.