Sea surface height anomaly, one year
Deep Water · 00:30 · 2026
Deep Water · 00:48 · 2026
The geoid: the shape of sea level
If the ocean were still and unbroken by land, its surface would follow the geoid, an equipotential surface shaped by the uneven pull of Earth's mass. Shown here to true scale, then exaggerated.
What to look for
Watch for the moment the exaggeration begins. At true scale the shape cannot be seen at all; the highs and lows appear only once the relief is multiplied.
Part of
- The sea has a shape, film 1 of 4. Next: Sea surface height anomaly, one year
More from Deep Water
Whole collection
A three-dimensional look at the 2015 El Niño
Deep Water · 01:20 · 2017
Sea level through a porthole
Deep Water · 00:50 · 2026