NASA unveils 3‑D Earth gravity map from 1 billion satellite observations

NASA released a three‑dimensional map of Earth’s gravitational field, known as the geoide, based on more than one billion satellite observations gathered over 15 years by 19 missions. The model, GOCO06, combines data from ESA’s GOCE mission and the U.S.–German GRACE program, and the visualisation exaggerates vertical differences by a factor of 7,000‑10,000 to make subtle variations visible. Peaks of up to 85 m above the reference surface appear over Iceland, while a low of 106 m lies beneath sea level in southern India.

Michael Watkins, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained that the variations reflect differences in subsurface mass such as mountains, magma, and water. The map is intended to improve understanding of the global water cycle, monitor groundwater for agriculture, and track long‑term sea‑level change.