SWOT Satellite Spots Large-Scale River Waves for First Time

SWOT satellite spots large-scale river waves for first time

In a first, researchers from NASA and Virginia Tech have used satellite data to measure the height and speed of potentially hazardous flood waves traveling down U.S. rivers. The three waves they tracked were likely caused by extreme rainfall and by a loosened ice jam.

Giant flood waves across US waterways caught by NASA’s new eye in the sky – DoonWire

For the first time ever, NASA’s cutting-edge Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite has captured dramatic footage of giant flood waves surging down major rivers across the United States. This achievement, revealed in a study published in Geophysical Research Letters on May 14, 2025, marks a significant step forward in hydrological science and promises […]

New map shows the world's rivers and how these networks really 'go with the flow'

Current maps of the world’s rivers are outdated and over-simplified but a new global river network offers fresh insight into how water moves.Remapping the world's rivers could help scientists and goverments better prepare for extreme weather and flooding. Image: Ivars Utinans on Unsplash.The world’s rivers have been remapped to create the most comprehensive source of how rivers really flow, branch, and connect landscapes. The resulting mapping s…

NASA’s New Satellite Just Caught Giant Flood Waves Moving Across U.S. Waterways for the First Time

Researchers have used data from the NASA-French Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite to detect and analyze large-scale river waves traveling down major rivers in the United States, marking a milestone in hydrological science. This study, published May 14, 2025, in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates how space-based radar technology can now measure the height and speed of flood waves with unprecedented detail. These waves, o…

NASA, French Satellite Detects Massive River Waves Initially

In a groundbreaking development, researchers from NASA and Virginia Tech have utilized satellite data to measure the height and speed of potentially hazardous flood waves traveling along U.S. rivers. This pioneering study, which tracked three significant flood waves, underscores the potential of space-based observations to aid hydrologists and engineers, particularly those in communities that lack […]