Ocean observation and international cooperation

This article reports on the types of effects changes in the oceans can have on the Earth's atmosphere and climate and on progress in monitoring and un derstanding these effects with particular reference to the French-US Topex- Poseidon satellite. It discusses the types of results that are now becoming available and describes some of the future satellites that are set to cont inue Topex-Poseidon's work. This article was first published in Elsevier's Nouvelle Revue d'Aeronautique ct d'Astronautique: No. 3, May-June 1998. (C) 1998 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier, Paris.