Investigating Space: Understanding our Oceans

Discover more about Earth science, oceanography, and NASA’s investigative oceanic programs spanning the globe. We’ll hear from NASA scientists working on two ocean research programs and see a full-length documentary about the lake hidden under Antarctica.

SWOT brings together two communities focused on a better understanding of the world’s oceans and its terrestrial surface waters. U.S. and French oceanographers and hydrologists and international partners have joined forces to develop this satellite mission to make the first global survey of Earth’s surface water, observe the fine details of the ocean’s surface topography, and measure how water bodies change over time. The SWOT satellite is targeted for launch in November 2022.

NASA’s Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics and Vertical Transport Experiment (S-MODE) will measure ocean dynamics and is currently working off the coast of Northern California, near San Francisco.

After the presentations, engage in a hands-on activity demonstrating ways to mapping techniques to track sea level changes and explore the chemical reaction between frozen carbon dioxide and water - naturally occurring in our ocean’s ecosystems.

The Lake at the Bottom of the World:

The feature-length science documentary, The Lake at the Bottom of the World, follows a team of researchers as they explore the uncharted surface of the Antarctic continent 3,600 feet beneath the ice to reveal buried truths about our planet’s dynamic past.