NASA SWOT satellite maps ocean floor with unprecedented detail using gravity data
The NASA-CNES Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite has generated high-resolution global maps of seafloor topography including seamounts, abyssal hills, and ridges by detecting subtle gravitational effects on sea surface height.
TLDR
Satellite-based gravity mapping dramatically outperforms ship-based sonar in coverage and cost, advancing oceanography, tectonics, navigation, ecosystem understanding, and tsunami modeling. The discovery provides unprecedented visibility into Earth's hidden underwater landscape and could significantly expand the catalog of known underwater features, with implications for marine science and geophysics.
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