Mascon (mass concentration)

A “mass concentration” block — the unit GRACE-FO uses to report where Earth’s mass is gaining or losing, in centimetres of liquid-water-equivalent.

Why it matters

Mascons turn tiny satellite-orbit wobbles into a map of moving water: groundwater depletion, ice-sheet loss, drought storage change.

In plain terms

Weighing patches of the planet from orbit — each mascon is one square on a scale, telling you if water (or ice) was added or removed.