NASA Missions offer integrated insights into ocean dynamics and ecosystems

NASA Missions offer integrated insights into ocean dynamics and ecosystems
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 13, 2024

The ocean drives Earth's climate and weather systems, supporting diverse ecosystems and a significant portion of planetary life. Data from NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite and the US-European SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite are now offering a combined look into ocean processes through a compelling new animation.

Ocean processes such as swirling water masses (eddies) and vertical water movements shape nutrient distribution, directly influencing phytoplankton-the microscopic organisms that contribute about half of Earth's oxygen, support fisheries, and help sequester atmospheric carbon in the deep ocean.

"We see great opportunity to dramatically accelerate our scientific understanding of our oceans and the significant role they play in our Earth system," said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division. "This visualization illustrates the potential we have when we begin to integrate measurements from our separate SWOT and PACE ocean missions. Each of those missions is significant on its own. But bringing their data together - the physics from SWOT and the biology from PACE - gives us an even better view of what's happening in our oceans, how they are changing, and why."

The SWOT satellite, a joint project between NASA and the French space agency CNES, has been operational since its December 2022 launch. It provides comprehensive data on global water surface heights across oceans, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Complementing this, the PACE satellite, launched in February 2024, focuses on detecting phytoplankton communities, atmospheric aerosols, and cloud properties.

"Integrating information across NASA's Earth System Observatory and its pathfinder missions SWOT and PACE is an exciting new frontier in Earth science," said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, program scientist for the Integrated Earth System Observatory.

Physics Meets Biology: A Visualization

The animation starts by showing the orbital paths of SWOT and PACE satellites before zooming into the North Atlantic Ocean. Data acquired by PACE on Aug. 8 highlights chlorophyll-a concentrations-an indicator of photosynthetic activity. Sea surface height data from SWOT on Aug. 7-8 follows, with variations in height visualized in dark blue (lower than average) and red/orange (higher than average).

The combined data reveal connections between ocean topography and phytoplankton. For instance, eddies that lower water heights often bring nutrient-rich deep waters to the surface, boosting phytoplankton growth. Higher phytoplankton concentrations are visualized alongside lower water heights, with distinct color codes highlighting different phytoplankton groups such as picoeukaryotes and cyanobacteria.

This integrated dataset enhances understanding of ocean dynamics, aiding resource management and carbon exchange calculations. Understanding how ocean regions absorb atmospheric carbon provides crucial insights into climate change.