Tracking Ocean Heat With Magnetic Fields

Monitoring the vast amount of heat stored in Earth's warming oceans is challenging. Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are developing a novel satellite-based method using magnetic field observations to measure ocean heat content.

This technique leverages seawater's electrical conductivity, which changes with temperature. As conductive ocean water moves, it creates slight magnetic field fluctuations detectable by satellites. This approach promises the first global, all-depth ocean heat measurements from space.

Learn more: NASA Feature