New LiDAR Technology Revolutionizes Ocean Observation

Researchers have used a new LiDAR technology to revolutionize ocean observation.

The latest development comes from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, a collaborative international effort designed to transform our understanding of Earth’s water bodies. The program uses a dynamic mapping system to provide views of both the ocean’s surface and terrestrial freshwater, such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

The new ability allows SWOT to measure the height of water surfaces with extreme precision. This allows scientists to map variations in water height across global oceans and inland water bodies at a resolution previously unattainable. This information is instrumental in tracking ocean currents, eddies and even smaller-scale features that play a pivotal role in the global climate system.

The new technology enables SWOT to take a wide-swath approach, capturing broad, detailed images of water movement. This capability makes it a critical component of modern Earth observation. Operating alongside other missions like ICESat-2, PACE and EarthCARE, SWOT helps researchers better understand the ocean’s structure, biology, and environmental dynamics.

SWOT’s data is critical for water management, flood prediction, and climate monitoring. Because it can estimate river and lake heights, it provides data essential for tracking freshwater availability and fluctuations in surface water storage across the planet.

You can find the original research in the Journal of Remote Sensing.

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