SWOT: Earth Science Satellite Will Help Communities Plan for a Better Future

A new Earth science mission, led by NASA and the French
space agency Centre National d'Ếtudes Spatiales (CNES),
will help communities plan for a better future by surveying
the planet's salt and freshwater bodies. The Surface Water
and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will measure the
height of water in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the oceans.
As climate change accelerates the water cycle, more
communities around the world will be inundated with
water while others won't have enough. SWOT data will be
used to improve flood forecasts and monitor drought
conditions, providing essential information to water
management agencies, civil engineers, universities, the
U.S. Department of Defense, disaster preparedness
agencies, and others who need to track water in their local
areas. In this video, examples of how SWOT data will be
used in these communities are shared by a National
Weather Service representative in Oregon, an Alaska
Department of Transportation engineer, researchers from
the University of Oregon and University of North Carolina, a
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist working with the
Department of Defense, anda JPL scientist working with
the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Agency.