Scientists have long struggled to accurately model ocean currents and predict fluctuations in temperature, salinity, and other properties. However, a project called Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) has revolutionized our understanding of the ocean’s dynamics.
In 1999, NASA scientists and their collaborators developed ECCO, a powerful ocean model that integrates decades of data from multiple satellites and thousands of floating sensors. This continuous ocean model spans decades and provides realistic, detailed information about ocean currents.
One key feature of ECCO is its ability to simulate western boundary currents, which include the Gulf Stream, Agulhas Current, and Kuroshio Current. These currents play a crucial role in shaping our climate, weather patterns, and marine ecosystems.
Researchers can study these currents using ECCO’s temperature and salinity data, revealing how they transport heat, minerals, nutrients, and organisms around the planet. The model also enables virtual experiments that would be impractical or too costly to perform in real oceans.
For example, scientists have used ECCO to track the flow of water through the Gulf Stream, demonstrating its primary function is based on surface water flowing past the Gulf rather than through it. Similarly, researchers can study how environmental contaminants like oil spills spread using particle-tracking experiments within the ocean circulation models.
Today, more than a hundred scientific papers include data and analyses from ECCO each year, providing valuable insights into our oceans’ properties and dynamics. As researchers continue to turn to ECCO for studies, we gain a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between ocean currents, climate, and marine ecosystems.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-03-visualizing-ocean-currents-ecco.html