ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2

So you know how when you take a bath, the water sometimes rises up higher on one end of the tub than the other? That's because of the shape of the tub. Well, the same thing happens in the ocean, except it's not because of the shape of the ocean floor, but because of things like tides, currents, and winds.

Scientists want to measure how high and low the surface of the ocean is in different parts of the world, so they have a satellite called Jason-2 that helps them do that. It uses special equipment to measure the height of the ocean's surface and create a map of what it looks like. This kind of map is called ocean surface topography.

By studying these maps, scientists can learn more about things like ocean currents, which are like rivers in the ocean that move water around, and how they affect things like climate and weather. They can also use the information to help make better predictions about things like hurricanes and tsunamis.

So basically, the ocean surface topography mission with Jason-2 is a way for scientists to learn more about the ocean and how it works, by measuring the height of its surface in different places around the world.