The satellite, known as "Sentinel 6 Michael Freilich", was jointly developed by Europe and the United States, and contains advanced tools capable of capturing sea surface height with unprecedented accuracy; This adds up to a better monitoring of space measurements dating back nearly 30 years.

Some studies confirm that the world's oceans will rise by at least two feet (61 cm) by the end of the century, reaching low-lying areas from Bangladesh to Florida.

Researchers say that measurements in the 1990s showed that average sea levels rose first by about 3 millimeters per year, but in the past two years the annual rate was close to 5 millimeters.

A senior European Space Agency official said that while measurements were also taken at the ground level and in ports and other coastal areas, this does not provide the same precise uniform standard as one satellite that roams the entire world every 10 days.