ESA’s GOCE (Gravity and Ocean Circulation Explorer) mission delivered the most accurate model of the ‘geoid’ ever produced, which is used to further our understanding of how Earth works. It is a crucial reference for measuring ocean circulation, sea-level change, and ice dynamics – all affected by climate change.

The geoid is the surface of an ideal global ocean in the absence of tides and currents, shaped only by gravity. The colours in the image represent deviations in height from an ideal geoid.