NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
Skip Navigation
Follow JPL
menu
close modal
Resources
Arctic
Source:
Laurence C. Smith
Published:
May 7, 2014
Arctic
ENLARGE
Related
A view of SWOT from inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft, as it was being loaded en route to Thales Alenia Space near Cannes, France.
A view of SWOT as it was being loaded into a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft en route to Thales Alenia Space near Cannes, France.
Crowds flock to the Earth Sciences exhibits during the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) "Open House" event, giving volunteers (red shirts) a chance to share information about their various miss...
JPL Open House Earth Sciences Exhibits
Siberian Lakes
Siberian Lakes
NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for SWOT.
SpaceX Launch Vehicle
SWOT will collect data across a 75-mile (120-kilometer) wide swath, with a gap in the center for an altimetry track. This animation shows the collection of data over the state of Florida, which is ...
This animation shows a simulation of SWOT collecting data over the state of Florida.
An artist’s concept of the SWOT spacecraft (March 2012).
SWOT Spacecraft (Artist Concept)
Artist's impression of the future SWOT satellite making sea surface height observations, even through clouds.
Artist's Impression of the SWOT Satellite
The Canadian Space Agency will contribute to the SWOT Mission by providing a high-power assembly component for SWOT’s Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn).
Canadian Space Agency
A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (4 of 4).
Varzea Forest, Brazil
Floodplain Channel in the Amazon
Floodplain Channel in the Amazon
A photograph of the Amazon River Delta, captured by Landsat in 2006.
Landsat view of Amazon Delta
AirSWOT is using parts of Saskatchewan as a testing ground for mapping water levels.
The Saskatchewan River and Prairie Potholes
An artist’s concept of the SWOT spacecraft (January 2012).
SWOT Spacecraft (Artist Concept)
The SWOT Payload module consists of two primary components: the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) and the Nadir module.
SWOT Payload
Part of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite's science instrument payload sits in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory during assembly.
Part of the SWOT satellite's science instrument payload in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
A Flooded Forest in the Amazon
A Flooded Forest in the Amazon
NASA’s Blue Marble
NASA's Blue Marble
A photograph of the Varzea Forest area of Brazil (2 of 4).
Varzea Forest, Brazil
SWOT will provide NASA’s first global survey of Earth’s surface water.
SWOT (Animated Gif)
The SWOT satellite observatory is being jointly built by NASA and Centre National D’Études Spatiales (CNES).
NASA
Canada is home to more than 30,000 lakes including these water bodies in Northern Alberta. The abundance of surface freshwater in Canada makes it a prime target for AirSWOT investigations.
Northern Alberta Lakes, Canada
An image of the original concept for the Water and Terrestrial Elevation Recovery (WATER) Mission, which later became SWOT.
WATER Mission Concept Illustration
SWOT technologies - advanced wide-swath technology, ocean and surface water topography measurements, and high-resolution products - will support such societal needs as dams, shipping, and surface w...
SWOT Technologies and Societal Needs
A banner explaining the purpose of the SWOT mission, created and displayed during testing.
Understanding Surface Water Characteristics and Ocean Dynamics
Soccer Nets on a levee in the Amazon
Soccer Nets on a Levee in the Amazon