Artist's rendering of the SWOT spacecraft. © NASA/JPL-Caltech
Launch of the powerful SWOT satellite for an unprecedented and global observation of water resources
Share the post "Launch of the powerful SWOT satellite for an unprecedented and global observation of water resources"
Immediate take off! This Thursday, December 15, 2022, the launch of the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite jointly designed by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA) and CNES (Centre Nationale d’Etudes Spatiale, France) marks the first global mission dedicated to the Earth’s surface waters. The international scientific team tackles pressing issues such as the availability of freshwater resources, the evolution of our oceans and coasts, in the context of extreme events and adaptation to climate change.
For the first time, the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) mission will bring together two scientific communities: oceanographers and hydrologists.
Using state-of-the-art “radar interferometry” technology (comparing multiple images of the same area, taken from different positions) to measure water elevation, the SWOT satellite will observe major lakes, rivers and wetlands while detecting ocean features with unprecedented resolution.
SWOT data should provide critical information needed to assess water resources on land, track regional sea level changes, monitor coastal processes, and observe small-scale ocean currents and eddies. It will allow you to confirm the recent update of the water cycle.
Progress of the mission
The first six months of the mission include a satellite calibration and validation phase, during which the satellite will fly in a repetitive day-long orbit with reduced spatial coverage but improved temporal resolution.
The first months of the SWOT mission represent a unique opportunity to follow the rapid evolution of ocean dynamics at fine scales (10-100 km), and the rapid variations of lakes and rivers.
Ocean and climate
It is now established that the ocean is the largest reservoir of heat and carbon dioxide on the planet. Global ocean circulation balances Earth’s climate and makes our planet habitable. So far, Earth observation satellites have revealed a lot about the links between the climate and the ocean, including global warming and sea level rise.
However, much of the ocean movement occurs at scales too small to be detected on a global scale with current satellite technology. Yet these small-scale ocean currents contain most of the energy that powers the mixing and transport of water. They therefore represent essential factors in the assessment of climate change. Thanks to SWOT, some gaps in our knowledge of small-scale ocean circulation should be filled.
Freshwater resources
The warming of the Earth’s climate is also greatly altering the freshwater resources available in lakes, rivers and other reservoirs, resulting in a significant societal impact. Without an adequate inventory of terrestrial lakes and other freshwater storage reservoirs, it is impossible to assess the effects of environmental changes on sectors of activity such as agriculture or industry.
Follow or relive the live launch of SWOT:
- on the NASA YouTube channel
- on the SpaceX website
Launch of the powerful SWOT satellite for an unprecedented and global observation of water resources
Immediate take off! This Thursday, December 15, 2022, the launch of the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite jointly designed by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA) and CNES (Centre Nationale d'Etudes Spatiale, France) marks the first global mission dedicated to the Earth's surface waters. The international scientific team tackles pressing issues such as the availability of freshwater resources, the evolution of our oceans and coasts, in the context of extreme events and adaptation to climate change.
Underwater acoustics, an essential tool for monitoring ocean health
About 3.5 billion years ago, in an ocean devoid of oxygen, plankton appeared. We then readily recognize that it is at the origin of all life on Earth and an important driver of the carbon pump. These organisms use local currents to perform their daily migration from the surface to the depths, and vice versa. Understanding the movement of water in this vertical column provides crucial information about underwater life and the state of this fragile ecosystem.
Observe the ocean through the eyes of marine animals
The Animal Borne Ocean Sensors (AniBOS) network, launched in 2020, represents an innovative technique for observing the oceans and is already recognized as an essential component of the global ocean monitoring and data collection network.
Numerical modeling for the oceans and their preservation
Today, weather forecasts are part of our daily lives. They come from numerical simulations carried out with atmospheric models. What about the ocean, an essential component of the climate system: are there ocean models, ocean forecasts, and if so for what use?
Maritime operations in the Arctic: the role of European space technology
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is highlighting the new challenges facing the polar regions - and the Arctic Circle in particular - and the space-based solutions to them.
The Bathysonde, a historical tool for oceanographic measurements
During oceanographic campaigns, vertical profiles are measured at regular intervals with this tool historically used in oceanography: the bathysonde!
PIRATA Observation Network: A range of Instruments for a Wide Variety of Measurements
The PIRATA sea campaigns take place every year to ensure the long-term maintenance of a wide range of oceanographic instruments deployed in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Moorings: fixed-point instruments
Moorings are deployed during oceanographic campaigns. They allow for the continuous measurement of weather and sea conditions at a specific location.
Share the article on the networks