How a new satellite mission tracks the movement of Earth's water and energy
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission provides a comprehensive view of our planet's water. This public talk explores how tracking global water supply, demand, and land-to-ocean movement helps humanity adapt to shifting environmental systems.
The SWOT mission, discussed in a January 20, 2022, public talk by Dr. Cedric David of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, aims to deepen our understanding of Earth's oceans and terrestrial surface waters. By observing these resources, the mission highlights their critical importance to our home planet.
Beyond simple monitoring, SWOT functions as an integrated satellite observatory. It tracks the movement of water from land to ocean and monitors global supply and demand. This data is essential for helping humanity navigate and adapt to Earth's evolving water and energy systems, which are increasingly influenced by changing climatic conditions.
