How a single satellite tracks the rising pulse of our oceans
In short: Orbiting 1,336km above Earth, Jason-3 acts as a precision scale for the sea. By measuring the distance to the ocean surface, this vital instrument helps scientists monitor global sea level rise and the intensifying strength of tropical cyclones.
Launched in January 2016 from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, Jason-3 is the fourth mission in a sophisticated U.S.-European series of ocean altimetry satellites. It follows in the footsteps of TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and Jason-2, contributing to a continuous scientific record of global mean sea level that has been meticulously documented since 1992.
The satellite's primary tool is the Poseidon-3B radar altimeter. This instrument calculates the distance between the spacecraft and the ocean surface, while also capturing data on wind speeds and significant wave heights. To ensure accuracy, the mission employs the Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR) to measure atmospheric water vapour, which allows scientists to correct for signal interference caused by moisture in the air.
Beyond simple measurements, Jason-3 serves a broader purpose in climate science. The mission delivers vital information for coastal and seasonal predictions by tracking the ocean's redistribution and storage of carbon, water, and heat. Precise knowledge of the ocean's state is critical for predicting climate patterns up to six months in advance.
Maintaining such precision requires complex orbital tracking. The mission utilizes the DORIS instrument, the Global Positioning System Payload (GPSP), and a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA)—an array of mirrors that reflects laser measurements from the ground—to establish the satellite's exact position in its low Earth orbit. This international effort involves NASA, NOAA, CNES, EUMETSAT, and the European Union.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Getting To Know Jason-3
- Also: Jason-3
- Also: NASA Science — Jason-3 - NASA Science
- Also: sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov — Getting To Know Jason-3 | Ocean Surface Topography from Space
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