Wednesday April 9, 2025
Daily Galaxy —
In a revolutionary advancement in oceanography, scientists have created one of the most detailed maps of the ocean floor to date. The map, compiled using high-resolution data from the SWOT satellite, has revealed the existence of nearly 100,000 submerged mountains, called seamounts, scattered across the ocean floor.
Historically, the task of mapping the ocean floor has lagged behind efforts to chart the surfaces of other celestial bodies, such as the Moon. Much of our understanding of the seabed has been limited, with only about 25% of the ocean floor being mapped through sonar technology aboard ships.
However, the SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellites, a collaboration between NASA and the French space agency CNES, has provided researchers with a powerful tool to explore the oceans in greater detail. The SWOT satellite is equipped with advanced sensors that measure tiny, centimeter-scale differences in sea surface height, revealing features on the ocean floor.
These variations are caused by geological formations like seamounts and abyssal hills, which exert a stronger gravitational pull than their surrounding areas. The satellite’s ability to detect these subtle changes with unprecedented precision has allowed scientists to uncover previously hidden features of the ocean floor.