A new satellite launched by a trans-Atlantic coalition of space agencies will help scientists interpret sea-level changes and ocean currents in relation to climate change. Equipped to measure sea surface height to within three centimeters and monitor 95 percent of the world’s ice-free ocean, the Jason-2 will join a sibling satellite, which has been in orbit since 2001, to bring detailed coverage of ocean topography, allowing scientists to infer how much solar energy is in the ocean and how climate change affects ocean dynamics. A joint venture of NASA, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the French Space Agency, and the European Meteorology Satellite Service, the Jason-2’s three-year mission is part of the first multi-decade observation of sea level from space, which began with the Poseidon satellite in 1992.
Measuring Sea Level from Space Gets a Boost with New Satellite
More From E360
-
Oceans
Dire Straits: Can a Fishing Ban Save the Elusive European Eel?
-
Climate
Scientists Are Trying to Coax the Ocean to Absorb More CO2
-
INTERVIEW
Marina Silva on Brazil’s Fight to Turn the Tide on Deforestation
-
Solutions
Solomon Islands Tribes Sell Carbon Credits, Not Their Trees
-
INTERVIEW
With Sea Turtles in Peril, a Call for New Strategies to Save Them
-
RIVERS
Jared Kushner Has Big Plans for Delta of Europe’s Last Wild River
-
Energy
A Nuclear Power Revival Is Sparking a Surge in Uranium Mining
-
OPINION
Despite Official Vote, the Evidence of the Anthropocene Is Clear
-
INTERVIEW
At 11,500 Feet, a ‘Climate Fast’ to Save the Melting Himalaya
-
Oceans
Octopuses Are Highly Intelligent. Should They Be Farmed for Food?
-
Climate
Nations Are Undercounting Emissions, Putting UN Goals at Risk
-
Solutions
As Carbon Air Capture Ramps Up, Major Hurdles Remain