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Sciences and Exploration Directorate
Operational

Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT)

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is NASA's first global survey of Earth's surface water. Using state-of-the-art "radar interferometry" technology to measure the elevation of water, SWOT will observe major lakes, rivers and wetlands while detecting ocean features with unprecedented resolution. SWOT data will provide critical information that is needed to assess water resources on land, track regional sea level changes, monitor coastal processes, and observe small-scale ocean currents and eddies.

Launch Date

December 2022

Class

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Website

Key Staffs

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is NASA's first global survey of Earth's surface water. Using state-of-the-art "radar interferometry" technology to measure the elevation of water, SWOT will observe major lakes, rivers and wetlands while detecting ocean features with unprecedented resolution. SWOT data will provide critical information that is needed to assess water resources on land, track regional sea level changes, monitor coastal processes, and observe small-scale ocean currents and eddies.

Related Publications

2025. "The HyMAP-3 Hydrodynamic Model.", NASA Technical Memorandum, NASA/TM-20250009546 [Report]

2025. "River Network Routing and Discharge Partitioning on a Multichannel River Network.", Water Resources Research, 61 (11): e2025WR041417 [10.1029/2025wr041417] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone.", NOAA , [Full Text] [Report]

2025. "A First Look at River Discharge Estimation From SWOT Satellite Observations.", Geophysical Research Letters, 52 (9): [10.1029/2024gl114185] [Journal Article/Letter]

2025. "The River Experiment Initiative: Advancing Global Surface Water Science for Local Societal Benefits.", GEWEX News, 35 (1): 5-8 [Newsletter]