NASA presents mesmerizing visualization of Earth's ocean currents

MNN ^ | 4/1/12 | Bryan Nelson

[LibWhacker]

Watch in awe as the world's eddying ocean currents swirl in a Van Gogh-esque grandeur.

Click here to watch the three minute "Perpetual Ocean" video on YouTube

A stunning new animated video produced by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Earth showcases the flow of the world's ocean currents swirling in a captivating splendor. The video, titled "Perpetual Ocean," takes an astronaut's view, as if the viewer is in a waltz-like dance orbiting around the Earth.

The flow of the ocean currents in the presentation are derived from real data collected over two years spanning from 2005 to 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations, but is accompanied by a hypnotic soundtrack. The music, together with the Van Gogh-esque swirls in the oceans, generates a mesmerizing, visceral experience for the viewer. Be prepared for the intense desire to press play again.

Data for the video is based on the MIT general circulation model, which synthesizes satellite and in-situ data of the global ocean and sea-ice flow, according to NASA's Science Visualization Studio. Only the surface flows are used in this visualization, but the dark patterns under the ocean represent the undersea bathymetry. Topographic land exaggeration is 20x and bathymetric exaggeration is 40x.

More video options are also available for download at the Studio's website, including a 20 minute version of ocean flows at 30 frames per second without the soundtrack, in case you're looking to completely lose yourself (and your day!) in the presentation.

Overall the video shows just how complex and vital the oceans are, and the intricacy by which heat and carbon is transferred and transported. It's also fascinating to follow the tiny details of the currents regionally. Try imagining yourself as a tiny paper boat and see where they might take you. The exercise may reveal an amazing amount about how connected faraway places really are via the world's ocean currents. It's a global world indeed.

[LibWhacker]

I don't know anything about "MNN" or whether it's a leftist rag (it probably is). It's just a cool video that shows the world's ocean currents, which I've never seen before.

[mylife]

Very cool!

[ArmyTeach]

First time I’ve seen it, too, and it’s a keeper

[mylife]

Better than a lava lamp ☺

[Graewoulf]

Thanks for the links!

[Windflier]

Here's another interesting one. It's US wind currents:

Wind Map

[mylife]

Apparently Denver sucks LOL

[StevieB]

Why does the article say JPL but the end of the video says Goddard? “Enquiring minds want to know!”

[LibWhacker]

Very nice! Thanks. Bookmarked.

[StevieB]

Why does the article say JPL but the end of the video says Goddard? “Enquiring minds want to know!”

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for posting this.

[Tramonto]

Makes me think of this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiiQcyoKWjQ

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[kingu]

Why does the article say JPL but the end of the video says Goddard?

Sloppy writing.. JPL was probably mentioned in the root article, but in association with the root software that was developed to try to explain the observations of Jupiter. JPL is unmanned interplanetary missions, Goddard is unmanned orbital missions.

[Windflier]

Apparently Denver sucks LOL

And Houston blows .. LOL

[skinkinthegrass]

Bm

[mylife]

Apparently.

[Marine_Uncle]

Whole lot of swirling going on. Transferring any significant amounts of atmospheric heat back into the cooling oceans to keep the 33 degree C figure just about on beam for thousands and thousands of years on end.

[ConjunctionJunction]

Pfl.

[PubliusMM]

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