The world's oceans play a crucial role in life on Earth,
especially in relation to its influence on weather.
The seas heat and cool, they humidify and dry the air,
and they can control wind speed and direction.
To help scientists continue ocean studies
from the vantage point of 830 miles above the Earth,
NASA launched the Jason-3 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Jan. 17, 2016.
Since 1992, this is the fourth in a series of spacecraft providing scientists
with essential information about global and regional changes in the seas.
Since reaching orbit, the Jason-3 satellite
has produced its first map of sea surface height,
which corresponds well to data from its predecessor, Jason-2.
The map was generated from the first 10 days of data collected once Jason-3 reached its
operational orbit. It shows the state of the ongoing El Niño
event that began in early 2015.
Data from Jason-3 will continue to be used
to monitor and track climate phenomena such as
ElNiño. This will enable more precise weather, ocean and climate forecasts, helping global
weather and environmental agencies accurately
predict the strength of hurricanes and typhoons.
Jason-3 data also will be used for other scientific,
commercial and operational applications worldwide.