The missing mass — what is causing a geoid low in the Indian Ocean?

The missing mass — what is causing a geoid low in the Indian Ocean?

The Earth’s interior is still a mystery to us. While we have sent missions to probe the outer reaches of our solar system, the deepest boreholes on Earth go down to only a few kilometers. The only way to learn what’s going on deep inside our planet, in…

ESA's GOCE satellite about to fall to the Earth

ESA's GOCE satellite about to fall to the Earth

After nearly tripling its planned lifetime, the ESA's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer – GOCE – has completed its mission. The satellite will re-enter our atmosphere this weekend and break-up into pieces. It is

GOCE now known as world’s first “seismometer in space”

GOCE now known as world’s first “seismometer in space”

New studies have shown that Japan’s “Tohoku earthquake” (March 11, 2011) was also felt and measured high above the Earth’s surface by ESA’s GOCE gravity satellite. This hyper-sensitive instrument is now known as the world’s first “seismometer in space” but it is more

GOCE revealed the height of sea is not the same everywhere on Earth

GOCE revealed the height of sea is not the same everywhere on Earth

New precision gravity data from ESA’s GOCE satellite revealed that the sea is lower heading north along the east coast of North America. Winds, currents, tides and different temperatures cause seawater to pile up in some regions and dip in others, so in fact, the

NASA to launch weather-climate satellite Oct 27

NASA to launch weather-climate satellite Oct 27

A satellite that aims to help weather forecasters predict extreme storms and offer scientists a better view of climate change is being readied for launch this month.  The 1.5 billion dollar National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory

Earth’s gravity revealed in unprecedented detail

Earth’s gravity revealed in unprecedented detail

After just two years in orbit, ESA's GOCE satellite has gathered enough data to map Earth's gravity with unrivaled precision. Scientists now have access to the most accurate model of the 'geoid' ever produced to further our understanding of how Earth…

GOCE delivers on its promise

GOCE delivers on its promise

ESA’s GOCE satellite has reached its ambitious goal of mapping Earth’s gravity with unprecedented precision. In two short years, the sophisticated satellite has collected the measurements needed to record the ‘geoid’ reference shape of our planet. “GOCE is one