Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) for a better future

By examining the world's salt and freshwater bodies, a new Earth science mission led by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) will assist communities in making better future plans. Lake, river, reservoir, and ocean water levels will all be measured as part of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) effort.

As the water cycle quickens due to climate change, many towns may experience water shortages while others will experience water inundation. The U.S. Department of Defense, disaster preparedness organizations, colleges, water management organizations, civil engineers, and others who need to track water in their local locations will all benefit from the information that SWOT data will provide to improve flood forecasts and monitor drought conditions. In this video, experts from the Oregon National Weather Service, the Alaska Department of Transportation, the Universities of Oregon and North Carolina, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Department of Defense, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality share examples of how SWOT data will be used in these communities.