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Measurements

Globe icon representing Glaciers/IceSheets

Glaciers/Ice Sheets

Glaciers are made up of fallen snow that, over many years, compresses into large, thickened ice masses. An ice sheet is a dome-shaped glacier mass exceeding 50,000 square kilometers. The world's ice sheets are confined to Greenland and Antarctica.>>

Globe icon representing Gravity/Gravitational Field: click here to go read more about Gravity

Gravity/Gravitational Field

Gravity is the field around the Earth that can be measured by satellites. Changes in the gravity field are related to change or transportation of mass, which can provide information on ocean circulation, glacial melt, droughts or geodesy.   >>

Globe icon representing Ocean Currents & Circulation

Ocean Circulation

Ocean Circulation is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, the Coriolis force, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun. >>

Globe icon representing Ocean Heat Budget

Ocean Heat Budget

The Ocean Heat Budget consists of ocean heat gains and losses, including shortwave radiation from the sun, longwave radiation from the ocean, latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, and heat transfer by currents. How much heat the ocean absorbs and releases is significant to the global climate. >>

Globe icon representing Ocean Surface Topography

Ocean Surface Topography

Ocean Surface Topography is the height of the ocean surface relative to a level of no motion defined by the geoid, a surface of constant geopotential, and provides information on tides, circulation, and the distribution of heat and mass in the Earth’s global ocean.  >>

Globe icon representing Sea Surface Temperature (SST)

Ocean Temperature

Ocean Temperature is a measure of the energy in the ocean due to the motion of molecules. Depending on the sensor, spaceborne measurements give us an unprecedented global measurement of ocean temperatures from approximately 10 µm below the surface (infrared bands) to 1 mm (microwave bands) depths using radiometers.  >>

Globe icon representing Ocean Waves

Ocean Waves

Ocean Waves are disturbances in the surface of the ocean. They can be created by wind, gravity, or other displacements of water. Satellites typically measure significant wave height, which is the average wave height of the highest third of waves in a given sample period.>>

Globe icon representing Ocean Winds

Ocean Winds

Ocean Winds are defined as the motion of the atmosphere relative to the surface of the ocean. The most common reference height for near-surface ocean wind measurements is 10 meters above sea level. Active and passive satellite remote sensing provide high-resolution, near-surface ocean wind measurements over the ice-free ocean multiple times per day.  >>

Globe icon representing Sea Surface Salinity

Salinity/Density

Salinity is the saltiness, or dissolved salt content, of a body of water. Salinity varies due to evaporation and precipitation over the ocean as well as river runoff and ice melt. Along with temperature, it is a major factor in contributing to changes in density of seawater and therefore ocean circulation.   >>

Globe icon representing Sea Ice

Sea Ice

Sea ice forms within the polar oceans when the seawater temperatures reach the local freezing point. Sea ice moves by winds and currents and is subject to large-scale motion and local-scale deformation. The sea ice cover in the polar oceans play a fundamental role in the global climate and oceanographic system. >>

Globe icon representing Surface Water

Surface Water

Surface Water is any body of water above ground, including streams, rivers, and lakes. It is a key component of the hydrologic cycle and provides various ecosystem services, including drinking water, agricultural irrigation, and habitat for aquatic plants and wildlife. >>

 

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