Perpetual Ocean: An Animated Scientific Visualization

August 9, 2012

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., has garnered lots of media attention for the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars earlier this week. However, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is involved in many other projects in addition to the Curiosity mission to Mars, including many that deal with space and that directly impact the world’s ocean. One such undertaking is an ambitious project jointly overseen by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The joint project is called Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO). Using advanced mathematical tools and satellite images, the ground-breaking research initiative seeks to figure out how ocean currents evolve over time.

The scientific applications of the model systems being used in the ECCO project are numerous. Among other things the model-data syntheses can be used for creating visualizations of ocean currents both large and small.

Earlier this year, NASA released a visualization produced by the project dubbed “Perpetual Ocean.” Just over 3 minutes long, the scientific animation depicts ocean currents over the span of a year and a half (from June 2005 to December 2007).  The final visual looks like an animated Van Gogh painting; with swirling ocean currents resembling sweeping, expressive brush strokes that conjure the image of such paintings as Starry Night. However, researchers working on the ECCO project see more than just Van Gogh’s most famous painting when viewing the animation — researchers are using it to gain insight into the ocean’s evolving role in the global climate.

If you have not already seen the 3-minute NASA animation, watch below:

Top photo: NASA