ESA’s Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer mission was launched in 2009 to map variations in Earth’s gravity with extreme detail and accuracy. Two years in orbit have resulted in a unique model of the ‘geoid’ – the surface of an ideal global ocean in the absence of tides and currents, defined only by gravity. The geoid is crucial for deriving accurate measurements of ocean circulation, sea-level change and also to gain a deeper understanding of the processes occurring inside Earth. Read More
