The total relief of ocean topography is about 2 meters. The mission of this project is to better understand global ocean circulation and its tie to Earth's climate. Using instruments that are more sensitive than the human eye, satellites measure the fantastic array of colors in the ocean. Different colors may reveal the presence and concentration of phytoplankton, sediments and dissolved organic chemicals which in turn tells us about the health and chemistry of the ocean. Mapping ocean color reveals productive areas, areas where phytoplankton and marine animals are found.
Satellites can measure ocean surface temperatures shown in computer-generated colors.
Blue and green represent colder water while red and yellow represent warm water. This image shows the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current that moves north along the coast of Florida, turning eastward off North Carolina and flowing to the northeast across the Atlantic. It is one of the strongest currents in the ocean. Because the great area of the world's oceans makes it impossible to equip enough research vessels to study more than a small area of one ocean at one time, and because what happens in any one area of an ocean is dependent on processes at at work in other parts of the world's oceans, oceanographers need the ability to study the oceans as a total system. Oceanographers are using remote sensing via satellites with specialized sensors and measuring devices to provide total ocean surveillance and data on a global scale.