This satelite was first developed to help predict floods. The probe, which also monitors photosynthesis and plant growth, can measure moisture to a depth of up to 7ft.

It is also critical for calculating Earth's carbon cycle, the process by which heat-trapping carbon dioxide is released and absorbed, especially by plants and the oceans.

Climate change, scientists agree, is largely caused by CO2 pollution that has upset that natural balance.

Its second job is to measure changes in the salt content of sea surface waters, data that will enhance our understanding of what drives global ocean circulation patterns.

Ocean circulation helps moderates climate, notably by transporting heat from the equator to the poles.

'Climate change is a fact, but its impact on precipitation, evaporation, surface runoff and flood risks is still uncertain,' said Yann Kerr, a researcher at the Centre for the Study of the Biosphere from Space and scientific director for the Smos mission.

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