A SpaceX rocket was launched from California carrying a US-French satellite designed to conduct the first global survey of the Earth's surface waters, shedding new light on the mechanics and consequences of climate change. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite, or SWOT, uses advanced microwave radar technology to collect high definition measurements of oceans, lakes, reservoirs and rivers over 90 percent of the globe.

Data compiled from radar sweeps at least twice every 21 days will be used to enhance ocean-circulation models, improve weather and climate forecasts, and aid in managing scarce freshwater supplies in drought-stricken regions. Components of the SUV-sized satellite were built primarily by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles and the French space agency CNES, with contributions from Canada and Britain.

Nearly 20 years in development by the US space agency, SWOT was one of 15 missions the National Research Council listed for NASA in the coming decade. A major thrust of the mission is to explore how oceans absorb atmospheric heat and carbon dioxide in a process that naturally regulates global temperatures and has helped to minimize climate change.