Watch this ultra-detailed animation of the seafloor
1 min read
Summary
Using gravitational data, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite has produced an extremely detailed map of the ocean floor, showing features as small as abyssal hills - which are too small to be seen via radar.
The satellite was launched in 2022 by the NASA and French space agency CNES, and has filled in many gaps in data collected by ships, creating a more detailed picture than was previously possible.
The map can help with the laying of underwater cables and the navigation of submarines, and is also useful to researchers aiming to learn more about underwater topography.
It is the most common landform on Earth, covering around 70% of the planet’s surface.
So far, only a quarter of the ocean floor has been mapped by ships utilising sonar.