Tracking Ocean Plastic From Space | NASA Earthdata
Oct 20, 2024 · Tracking Ocean Plastic From Space. Researchers are using satellite data and machine learning to map microplastic concentrations across the ocean. About 8 million tons of plastic flow from rivers and beaches into the ocean every year. These plastics are carried by ocean currents and broken down by waves and the Sun into small microplastics.
Probing the Black Current | NASA Earthdata
Dec 28, 2020 · The Japanese named it Kuroshio, or black current, for its dark, cobalt blue waters. Physical oceanographer Steven Jayne said, “The Kuroshio is the strongest current in the Pacific Ocean, and is also one of the most intense air-sea heat exchange regions on the globe. It influences climate as far as North America.”.
Salinity | NASA Earthdata
Salinity. NASA's salinity data help researchers understand deep ocean currents, the global water cycle, and climate change. Salinity, the amount of salt dissolved in seawater, drives ocean currents that transport heat around the globe. Variations in salinity are negligible when considering global mean sea level (GMSL); however, salinity can be ...
Tracking Ocean Currents from Space: A New Application of
Nov 4, 2020. A team of NASA and university scientists has developed a new way to use measurements from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission to track changes in Atlantic Ocean currents, which are a driving force in global climate. The finding opens a path to better monitoring and understanding of how ocean circulation ...
The Gulf Stream | NASA Earthdata
Oct 22, 2024 · The Gulf Stream off the East Coast of the U.S. is a vital ocean component. This map view shows the Gulf Stream on May 29, 2024, as a ribbon of dark red hugging the coast. This warm, swift current starts in the Gulf of Mexico, flows through the straits of Florida and toward North Carolina, then turns eastward as it moves toward northwestern ...
Sea Surface Height | NASA Earthdata
Sea surface height (SSH) data provide critical information to scientists and researchers about processes such as sea level rise, storm predictions, ocean currents. This helps deepen understanding of important topics like climate change and ocean habitats. Tide gauges have measured sea level over the last 200 years, with some records extending ...
Where Oceans Meet Atmosphere | NASA Earthdata
Dec 28, 2020 · Where Oceans Meet Atmosphere. Satellite data help sea-going oceanographers pursue an elusive ocean layer. On February 24, 2007, a storm hit the Research Vessel Knorr 1,200 kilometers (650 nautical miles) off the coast of Bermuda. Below decks, the crew listened as the fifty-foot waves and hurricane-force winds slammed into the ship.
The Precision Behind Sea Level Rise | NASA Earthdata
Apr 19, 2021 · Red lines on this world map show the orbital tracks of the TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, OSTM/Jason-2, Jason-3, and Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean altimetry missions. These satellites are used as orbiting tide gauges that provide a snapshot of ocean surface height and pass over the same point every 9.9156 days.
Estuaries | NASA Earthdata
Estuaries are partially enclosed, coastal water bodies where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. The United State’s largest estuary is the Chesapeake Bay along the mid-Atlantic coast. These transitional zones are among the most nutrient-rich and productive natural habitats in the world. Estuaries are ...
NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission
Apr 25, 2024 · Globally, SWOT will measure the height of water in the ocean and in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs on land. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. On December 16, 2022, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite flew into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. Jointly developed by NASA and CNES (Centre ...