Revolutionizing Ocean Science with NASA’s SWOT Satellite

NASA’s SWOT Satellite Revolutionizes Ocean Understanding

A recent NASA-led study using the SWOT satellite has revealed the significant impact of small-scale ocean features. These features affect Earth’s climate and marine life. These features, including submesoscale waves and eddies, play a crucial role in moving carbon, nutrients, and heat across the ocean.

Key Discoveries:

• Vertical Ocean Currents: SWOT tracked a submesoscale eddy in the Pacific’s Kuroshio Current. It measured vertical circulation of up to 14 meters per day. This helps sustain surface ecosystems and regulates Earth’s climate.
• Internal Solitary Waves: The satellite observed an internal solitary wave in the Andaman Sea. This wave had twice the energy of a typical internal tide. This highlights SWOT’s ability to estimate energy movement in global waters.
• Ocean Modelling: Researchers emphasize SWOT’s role in reshaping ocean modelling, with data already being integrated into NASA’s ECCO ocean model.

How SWOT Works:

• Measuring Sea Surface Height: SWOT measures the height of water on nearly all of Earth’s surface. This includes oceans, lakes, and rivers. The measurements are taken at least once every 21 days.
• Calculating Current Speed: Researchers can calculate the slope of waves or eddies. This allows them to determine the current speed. It also helps to find out the volume of energy or material being transported.

Implications:

• Climate Regulation: Small-scale ocean features significantly impact the movement of heat, nutrients, and carbon, influencing Earth’s climate.
• Marine Life: These features help sustain surface ecosystems and support marine food webs.
• Improved Understanding: SWOT’s high-resolution data provides the most comprehensive picture yet of how small-scale vertical currents affect ecosystems and climatic systems