NASA releases 3D map showing Earth's irregular geoide shape

The U.S. space agency NASA has released a previously unseen three‑dimensional visualisation of the Earth's geoide – the equipotential surface that the global ocean would form under gravity alone. The model depicts subtle variations in the planet's gravitational field caused by uneven mass distribution inside the Earth. To make these minute differences visible, the vertical scale is exaggerated between 7,000 and 10,000 times, producing the striking “potato‑shaped” appearance that went viral on social media.

The geoide heights range from about +85 metres in Iceland to –106 metres in southern India. The animation is based on the GOCO06s global model, compiled from more than one billion satellite observations collected over 15 years by 19 missions, including NASA’s GRACE and the European Space Agency’s GOCE. NASA jet‑propulsion‑laboratory scientist Michael Watkins explained, “Because the distribution of materials in the deep Earth varies, its gravity field has hills and valleys.”

Scientists say the detailed gravity map will aid research on the water cycle, sea‑level change, underground water storage and other climate‑related processes, while clarifying that the image does not represent the planet’s physical surface.