Jason-3 Animation

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.

Decades of Discovery - How altimeters help us every day.

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

QuickTime VR of TOPEX/Poseidon

OSTM/Jason-2 Spacecraft

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

NASA Climate Watcher Waves Goodbye

In this illustration, the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft - the world's latest sea-level satellite - orbits Earth with its deployable solar panels extended.

Our planet is changing. Our ocean is rising. And it affects us all. That’s why a new international satellite will continue the decades-long watch over our global ocean and help us better understand...

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite sits in front of a testing chamber where mission team members tested whether the spacecraft could endure the loud sounds it will encounter during launch.

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

TOPEX/Poseidon Ground Tracks

El Niño/La Niña - (12/1996 - 01/2000)

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

Jason-1 launch images

Jason-1: LRA instrument

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...

Sea Level Isn't Level - Why it matters

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

Jason-1: JMR instrument

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.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 a.m. PST

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

Early morning at the launch pad