SWOT Satellite: Revolutionizing Seafloor Mapping
2025-03-25
The ocean floor, despite covering 71% of Earth, remains largely unexplored. Now, the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite mission is providing unprecedented detail. By measuring minuscule changes in ocean surface height (down to centimeters) caused by the gravitational pull of underwater mountains, SWOT creates detailed maps of the seafloor. This technology reveals previously unknown seamounts and significantly improves our understanding of ocean currents, marine life, and undersea resources. It complements existing ship-based sonar efforts, bringing us closer to a complete global seafloor map by 2030, with implications for undersea construction, navigation, and scientific research.