Jason-3 Animation

Sea Level Isn't Level - Why it matters

Launching aboard the joint U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is NASA’s next instrument that will help improve weather forecasting.

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

This artist's concept shows Jason-3 over the California coast.

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

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

TOPEX/Poseidon Launch

TOPEX/Poseidon over Earth

TOPEX/Poseidon Ground Tracks

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.

Altimeter Mission Series

The Argo stop-motion animation aims to inspire children (and adults) to engage with marine science. It is quirky, fun and informative at the same time. The animation explains what an Argo float is,...

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

Decades of Discovery - How altimeters help us every day.

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

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

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

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

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

Watching Our Oceans

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

Spacecraft processing

SSH and SST - Pacific Ocean

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.

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.