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Nasa satellite is to provide a global picture of the situation on the water

The world's oceans are the largest reservoirs on our planet for heat and carbon dioxide.

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Nasa satellite is to provide a global picture of the situation on the water

The world's oceans are the largest reservoirs on our planet for heat and carbon dioxide. They therefore play a central role in the further development of the global climate. They can counteract the greenhouse effect by absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Rising global temperatures in the atmosphere also lead to more degrees Celsius in the world's oceans. This alone causes sea levels to rise, as warmer water has a larger volume. The water coming from melted glaciers is added to this. In the 20th century, sea levels rose by a total of around 17 centimetres.

Measurements from environmental satellites show that the annual rise in sea level is accelerating and is currently almost four millimeters per year. Although this average shows the overall drama, it says little about the specific development on specific coasts.

The surface of the sea is by no means flat, even if you disregard the waves. Viewed globally, there are mountains and valleys in the oceans that are caused by the inhomogeneous gravitational field of the earth. For example, there is a 110 meter deep valley south of India and an 85 meter high mountain of water north of Australia.

Statements about the regional development of the sea level, the currents and the turbulence in the water, especially near the coast, which is of particular interest, were only roughly possible up to now. A new NASA Earth observation satellite called “Swot” (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) is intended to close this knowledge gap.

The radar interferometer from "Swot" is to measure the surface of the oceans with an unprecedented resolution of 20 kilometers and, in particular, be able to detect changes in sea level off specific sections of coast. This is particularly important so that people in regions particularly affected by rising sea levels can prepare in good time.

"Swot" is not only intended to measure the oceans with record accuracy, but also the freshwater resources on land. The researchers speak of a "worldwide inventory". "Swot" will collect data from hundreds of thousands of lakes, rivers and wetlands in order to obtain the most complete picture of the situation possible.

It is already clear today that climate change is changing the hydrological conditions on earth and that there are shifts in water resources. This change can be quantified in detail with “Swot”. This data is an important basis for regional decisions on how to prepare for and react to expected changes in the water system.

Overall, it is about a better understanding of the water cycles on land, the dynamics of floodplains and wetlands, the volume of water transported by rivers and the interplay of rivers and lakes. With its precision measurements, "Swot" will provide information about regional changes in freshwater availability worldwide with a level of accuracy not previously achieved.

Unfavorable changes in the regional availability of drinking water obviously have a high potential for conflict - within a society but also between neighboring countries. Problems are to be expected in particular when rivers used for water supply flow through several countries.

The earlier and more precisely changes and trends in the water system are identified, the more time there is to think about suitable adaptation measures.

It's not just about securing the water supply for people and agriculture. The researchers hope that the measurement data from "Swot" will also help to identify regions that may be more likely to be hit by severe flooding in the future. It is also important to take appropriate precautions.

The launch of "Swot" is scheduled for December 5, 2022. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch the Earth observation satellite from the Vandenberg Cosmodrome in California.

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