QuickTime VR of TOPEX/Poseidon

One of the best ways to understand Earth's ocean is from the perspective of space.

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.

NASA and its U.S. and international partners have teamed up to launch a new Earth-observing satellite called Sentinel-6B that will measure sea surface height of most of the planet’s ocean. These ob...

Early morning at the launch pad

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...

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.

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...

Ariane 42P launch vehicle

Launch preparations are progressing! (11/21/01) Photos: Stacy Mitchell of John Hopkins APL/TIMED project

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

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

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...

Decades of Discovery - How altimeters help us every day.

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

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

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

Oceans' Role in Climate - Jason-1

SSH and SST - Pacific Ocean

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.

TOPEX/Poseidon Line Drawing

Earth’s global sea levels are rising – and are doing so at an accelerating rate.

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

TOPEX/Poseidon Ground Tracks

For NASA engineer Shannon Statham, building spacecraft is all about being creative.

OSTM/Jason-2 - All instruments plus data animation