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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

4 clusters · 44 sources · 5 days · First seen 6 days ago · Last updated about 15 hours ago

Categories: TECHNOLOGY

NASA 3D geoid model release and clarifications

Entities: NASA · GOCE mission · European Space Agency · Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission · GOCE

Overview

On 15 July 2026 NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio released the three‑dimensional GOCO06s geoid model, built from more than one billion gravity observations gathered over fifteen years by 19 satellites, including the GRACE, GRACE‑FO and ESA’s GOCE missions. The visual amplifies vertical differences by roughly 10 000 times, giving a “potato‑like” appearance that quickly went viral.

The geoid represents the theoretical shape a global ocean would assume if it were at rest under gravity and Earth’s rotation, ignoring tides, winds and currents. Mass distribution in the mantle, crust and oceans creates deviations of about +85 m near Iceland and –106 m near southern India. Scientists stress that the illustration is not a photograph of the planet’s surface; Earth remains an oblate spheroid.

NASA issued clarifications on 25 July, again on 27 July, and a further statement on 29 July with ESA, reiterating that the image visualises the geoid—a reference surface of equal gravitational potential—not the actual topography. The model is valuable for sea‑level research, ocean‑current monitoring, glacier‑melt tracking, groundwater storage studies, and improving satellite navigation and geodesy.

The viral image should not be taken as evidence of a new physical shape of the Earth.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] NASA released a three‑dimensional visualization of the Earth's geoid. (NASA)
[● 3 SOURCES] The geoid model was built from satellite observations collected over 15 years, including data from the GRACE and GOCE missions. (NASA)
[● 3 SOURCES] The geoid represents a hypothetical sea‑level surface shaped only by gravity and Earth's rotation, not the actual terrain.
[● 3 SOURCES] The geoid model aids fields such as geodesy, oceanography, cartography and satellite navigation.
[● 3 SOURCES] The viral image of Earth with bumps does not represent the planet's true shape. (NASA)
[● 3 SOURCES] The geoid model was created using over one billion measurements collected over 15 years by 19 satellites. (NASA and ESA scientists)
[● 3 SOURCES] The visual variations in the image are exaggerated by a factor of 10,000 for visibility. (NASA)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The satellites include the GRACE and GOCE missions. (NASA and ESA)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The resulting model is called GOCO06s and is the most precise gravitational model to date. (NASA and ESA)

Timeline

about 15 hours ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
NASA explains viral 'bumpy' Earth image depicts geoidea, not planet’s actual shape
NASA and ESA say the viral 'bumpy' Earth image shows the geoid – a gravity model exaggerated 10,000× – not the planet’s true shape; it’s based on over a billion satellite measurements.
3 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 23 sources
NASA releases 3D geoide model of Earth's irregular shape
NASA released a 3‑D geoide model based on 15 years of satellite data, showing gravity‑driven variations up to ±106 m that are visualised 10 000 times larger, sparking viral debate but confirming Earth’s overall
5 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
NASA clarifies Earth's true shape as a geoid, not a perfect sphere
NASA used GRACE and GOCE data to show Earth’s geoid—a slightly flattened, uneven gravity surface—debunking viral “potato‑shaped” images and confirming the planet is essentially spherical.
6 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 10 sources
NASA releases 3D map showing Earth's irregular geoide shape
NASA issued a 3D visualisation of Earth's geoide, showing gravity‑driven height variations amplified thousands‑fold; the model uses 15 years of data from 19 satellites.

Sources

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This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history