Matthew Bonnema (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, United States)

Novel Ka-band radar interferometer observations from the SWOT satellite bring a unique and unprecedented data source to the fields of hydrology, oceanography, cryospheric sciences, and coastal research, providing an entirely new way to understand surface water heights around the world. Moreover, they have the potential to enable new frameworks for incorporating space-based observations into actionable information. The goal of the SWOT Applications Program has historically been to maximize user readiness for SWOT data, and continues striving to ease access to, and use of, new SWOT data products in order to accelerate the uptake of SWOT data for societal benefits. To date, the NASA and CNES SWOT Applications teams have been providing continued support to applied users who are now incorporating SWOT data into their operational or decision-support workflows. Here, we will share examples of applications facilitated by the SWOT Early Adopters (EA) Community, ranging broadly from reservoir monitoring to global ocean modeling. SWOT EAs are users from government agencies, academia, private sectors, and nonprofits organizations around the world who are demonstrating the high potential for satellite remote sensing to benefit a variety of applications where water elevation is a tangible variable from which derived products and decisions can be formed. In this presentation, we will also share information about community resources and additional SWOT Applications Program activities.