In a world where climate change and population growth are putting immense pressure on our most vital resource—water—a new hero has emerged from the heavens. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is a cutting-edge satellite that provides an unprecedented view of our planet’s water, from the vast oceans to the smallest rivers and lakes. This international collaboration, led by NASA and France’s Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency, is a game-changer for hydrology and oceanography.
The SWOT mission was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on December 16, 2022 [1, 2]. Its core technology is the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn), an advanced instrument that uses two radar antennas on a 10-meter-long boom to create high-resolution, two-dimensional maps of water surfaces [3, 4]. Unlike previous satellites that only measured water levels directly beneath them, KaRIn can measure a 120-kilometer (75-mile) wide swath of the Earth’s surface, offering a much broader and more detailed view [4].
The data collected by SWOT is invaluable. By measuring the height of water in over 1 million lakes and reservoirs and nearly all rivers wider than 100 meters (330 feet), scientists can better understand the global water cycle, track changes in water storage, and improve models for flood and drought prediction [5, 6]. For oceanographers, SWOT provides a new level of detail, revealing small-scale features like eddies and currents that are crucial for understanding how the ocean transports heat and carbon [7]. This information can lead to more accurate weather and climate forecasts, aid in disaster risk management, and even help optimize shipping routes [6].
SWOT is more than just a satellite; it’s a testament to global cooperation in the face of a shared challenge. The mission’s data is publicly available, enabling scientists and decision-makers worldwide to use this information to address critical issues related to water management, climate change, and environmental protection.
The following video provides an overview of the SWOT mission and its data products.
Citations
- “Surface Water And Ocean Topography Swot – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).” JPL.NASA.gov, https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/surface-water-and-ocean-topography-swot/.
- “Surface Water and Ocean Topography – Wikipedia.” Wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Water_and_Ocean_Topography.
- “SWOT – CNES.” CNES.fr, https://cnes.fr/en/projects/swot.
- “Flight Systems | Mission – NASA SWOT.” SWOT.JPL.NASA.gov, https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/flight-systems/.
- “Surface Water Ocean Topography Satellite (SWOT) Mission – USGS Application Service.” Apps.USGS.gov, https://apps.usgs.gov/wisp/what-is-swot.
- “The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission | Canadian Space Agency.” ASC-CSA.gc.ca, https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/swot/.
- “SWOT Mission: Why This Satellite Is Mapping the World’s Water – Honeywell.” Honeywell.com, https://www.honeywell.com/us/en/news/2023/06/swot-mission-why-this-satellite-is-mapping-the-worlds-water.
