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Small-scale ocean characteristics that were previously disregarded are now recognized as important influences influencing Earth's climate and marine life. The SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite, developed in collaboration with the French space agency CNES, captured two-dimensional pictures of submesoscale waves and eddies up to a mile across in a recent NASA-led research. These currents, which are now visible in previously unseen detail, are critical in transporting carbon, nutrients, and heat throughout the ocean. The satellite's high-resolution data give the most comprehensive picture yet of how small-scale vertical currents impact global ecosystems and climate systems.
NASA SWOT satellite discovers vertical ocean currents that drive climate and ecosystem change
According to a recent research from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, SWOT has shown how vertical ocean circulation, previously too fine for satellite observation yet too wide for ship-based techniques, promotes exchanges between ocean depths and the atmosphere. "Vertical currents can bring heat from deep layers to the surface, warming the atmosphere," oceanographer Matthew Archer said. SWOT studied a submesoscale eddy in the Pacific's Kuroshio Current and observed vertical circulation rates of high to 14 meters per day, demonstrating how such features assist to support surface organisms.
The satellite also detected an internal single wave in the Andaman Sea with double the energy of an average internal tide, demonstrating its capacity to assess energy mobility in global oceans. Scientists employ SWOT sea surface height data to deduce wave slope and fluid pressure, which show current speed and the volume of energy or material transferred. "Force is the fundamental quantity driving fluid motion," said coauthor Jinbo Wang of Texas A&M University on the blog.
Researchers emphasize SWOT's importance in changing ocean models. "Now models must adapt to these small-scale features," says JPL's Lee Fu on the official NASA blog, adding that SWOT data is already being included into NASA's ECCO ocean model. SWOT analysis is meant to assist elucidate the relationship between environmental changes, ocean-atmosphere interaction, and climate behavior via continuous monitoring.
The SWOT mission, a cooperative initiative between NASA and CNES with support from CSA and the UK Space Agency, ushers in a new age of Earth observation. Every 21 days, it takes photos of the planet, providing a unique view of how tiny, dynamic ocean systems impact life and climate.
