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| | | | | | | | | Surface winds around Antarctica | |
Water and ice
The watch kept on the oceans from space since 1991, by ESA’s ERS, will continue with Envisat (2002). The satellite measures sea-level changes and surface temperatures, and observes seasonal growth of plankton, while the role of ERS in gauging ocean winds (by radar scatterometer) will pass to the new weather satellite MetOp (2005). Detection of variations in the thickness of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, pioneered with the ERS radar altimeter, will be improved with twin radars on ESA’s Cryosat (2004). Gravity measurements by the Earth Explorer satellite GOCE (2005) promise better knowledge of ocean currents.
Last update: 20 April 2004 | |
| | Related links Sea-surface temperaturesSea level by radar altimeterPlankton growth by colourMarine hazardsERS instrumentsGOCECryoSat
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