Maps of ocean wave height
| The image above shows the significant height of the waves on the Earth's oceans. It was produced from data obtained using a satellite called TOPEX/Poseidon. This satellite measures the roughness of the sea surface and determines the wave heights from it. The height of ocean waves is directly related to the speed of the wind just above the ocean surface. It takes TOPEX/Poseidon ten days to cover the entire surface of the Earth. The satellite's orbit is such that it does not pass over areas near the north and south poles. |
Credit: TOPEX/Poseidon, courtesy NASA/JPL PODAAC. Image copyright Rice University.
For more info: http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/