Scientists use mathematical models and computers to predict weather patterns on the earth. Despite decades of concentrated effort, they have not been particularly successful at predicting weather very far into the future. The difficulty with their models is not necessarily with the math, but with a lack of consistent, global, and timely information about ocean conditions.
Researchers needed more than ships, buoys, and weather stations could provide; they needed a broader view, from space. TOPEX/Poseidon is a satellite that allows continual observations of ocean currents. These observations will be used to improve our understanding of changing weather patterns.
Sometimes a change over the oceans can affect global climate, so TOPEX/Poseidon researchers pay special attention to El Nino events and to global ocean circulation, which transports heat toward the North and South Poles.
Researchers also study ocean eddies and tides, providing valuable information about other ocean processes that will lead to a better understanding of the ocean's circulation.
