Gravity's Rainbow Captured in HD

A mesmerizingly multi-hued map of the Earth's gravity has been created with the help of detailed measurements taken by Europe's Goce satellite. The data has been transformed into a "geoid," or map, highlighting the differences in the planet's pull, from its mountain ranges to ocean trenches, to create a "geoid." The map was recently presented in Norway at a special Earth observation symposium.

The map has several applications, but will be particularly valuable in climate studies because it will help oceanographers understand how the seas move heat around the world by presenting a view of the ocean without the effects of tides, winds and currents.The Goce data is also revealing new information in hard-to-explore areas like the Himalayas, Andes and Antarctica, reports the BBC.
(More Goce stories.)