Copernicus EU

Copernicus EU The Earth Observation component of the EU Space Programme Posts here do not always reflect the most current information.
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The Copernicus team of the European Commission will be using Facebook as a supplemental channel to disseminate information about Copernicus – The European Earth Observation Programme and its partners and projects. For current official information, visit: http://www.copernicus.eu

🌡 Another August, another record surface air temperature anomaly.📉 Our Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has recen...
06/09/2024

🌡 Another August, another record surface air temperature anomaly.

📉 Our Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has recently released its latest monthly Climate Bulletin, which highlights that August 2024 was the joint-warmest August globally (together with August 2023), with an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 16.82°C.

That makes it 0.71°C above the 1991-2020 average for August.

This data visualisation, based on C3S data, shows the surface air temperature anomaly for August 2024 across the European Continent.

In this area, August 2024 was the second warmest August on record, 1.73°C higher than the 1991-2020 average.


Kourou, we have a signal! 📶🛰️What a night! Our newest addition to the   family, the 2C unit, is now in orbit and will sp...
05/09/2024

Kourou, we have a signal! 📶🛰️

What a night! Our newest addition to the family, the 2C unit, is now in orbit and will spend the coming months calibrating before we get to see the first 🖼️ of our planet.

How excited you are to see what it has in store? 📉

In August 2024, Hungary was affected by a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures in some regions of the country reaching ...
04/09/2024

In August 2024, Hungary was affected by a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures in some regions of the country reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. High temperatures and a lack of rainfall have led to a severe drought, which has heavily impacted the country’s agriculture.

The consequences of the drought on the soils in the south of the country are visible from space. In this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 31 August 2024, fields appear brownish and dry because of the lack of vegetation.

Open data acquired by our Sentinel satellites supports the accurate monitoring of agricultural fields around the world, even in remote regions. This information provides important insights during periods of drought.



In late August 2024, heavy rains hit eleven districts in eastern Bangladesh, causing severe flooding.The floods, which a...
03/09/2024

In late August 2024, heavy rains hit eleven districts in eastern Bangladesh, causing severe flooding.

The floods, which affected around 5 million people, led to widespread electricity outages and the partial or total submersion of homes and infrastructure, as well as rural roads and agricultural fields.

Flooded areas along the Meghna River, one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, are shown in this image acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 2 September 2024. The areas around Astagram, Humayunpur and Parkachua, visible in the image, are heavily affected by the flooding.

Our Sentinel satellites deliver open data, which is used to identify the extent of flooded areas and to monitor the consequences of these disastrous events. This information helps authorities allocate resources and conduct recovery operations more efficiently.



Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, has been severely affected by a prolonged heat wave during the su...
02/09/2024

Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, has been severely affected by a prolonged heat wave during the summer of 2024.

Data from the Norwegian Centre for Data Service show that four observation stations in Svalbard recorded record-high average summer temperatures, with anomalies up to 3.0°C above normal. 

Svalbard Airport, located at 78.14°N, recorded an average summer temperature of 8.5°C, setting a new record for the third year in a row. August 2024 was particularly extreme, with an unprecedented average temperature of 11.0°C, illustrating the severity of the heatwave.

This image, acquired on 28 August 2024, documents the effects of the heatwave, revealing large areas of glaciers around Longyearbyen without snow cover. The absence of snow accelerates the rapid melting of the ice, resulting in the massive sediment discharge seen in the island's coastal areas.

Our satellites play a crucial role in monitoring glaciers around the world, providing key information to help researchers evaluate the impact of climate change on the cryosphere.



The Thousand Islands, or Kepulauan Seribu, visible in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites...
01/09/2024

The Thousand Islands, or Kepulauan Seribu, visible in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 6 August 2024, is an archipelago off the coast of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Renowned for their rich biodiversity, the coral reefs adorning their waters are home to many marine species. The islands also support unique flora and fauna, some of which are endemic to the area. However, this biodiversity is increasingly threatened by climate change. Rising sea temperatures have led to several episodes of coral bleaching, weakening the reefs which are critical to the marine ecosystem. In addition, rising sea levels are gradually eroding the islands, threatening both terrestrial and marine habitats.

Data from the Copernicus Marine Service allows comprehensive monitoring and forecasting of sea surface temperatures and other physical and chemical indicators, providing valuable insights into the changing conditions of the world's oceans.



Northern Greece is facing a severe water crisis caused by a prolonged drought. The area has been affected by below-avera...
31/08/2024

Northern Greece is facing a severe water crisis caused by a prolonged drought. The area has been affected by below-average rainfall for nearly three years, leading to widespread water shortages and significant impacts on local biodiversity.

These images, acquired by our Sentinel-2 satellites between August 2021 and August 2024, vividly illustrate the progressive drying of Lake Pikrolimni. Once known as a popular destination for therapeutic mud baths, the lake has now been transformed into cracked, dry land.

The prolonged drought has also hit local agriculture hard. Olive growers in the region have been forced to rely on water delivered by tanker trucks to sustain their crops.  



Wildfires in Bolivia escalated to critical levels in August, marking one of the country's worst fire season since 2003, ...
30/08/2024

Wildfires in Bolivia escalated to critical levels in August, marking one of the country's worst fire season since 2003, according to data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

On 28 August, local authorities reported 35,536 hotspots across the country, with more than 30,000 fires concentrated in the Santa Cruz region. The fires have produced a massive plume of smoke, leading to an orange alert for poor air quality. This extensive plume, captured in this image acquired by one of our Sentinel-3 satellites on 28 August 2024, has also severely disrupted air traffic.

CAMS provides forecasts of a range of key air quality indicators, such as aerosols and carbon monoxide, which enable air quality monitoring around the world.



Just a few days after Typhoon Ampil, Japan is now grappling with the aftermath of another powerful storm - Typhoon Shans...
29/08/2024

Just a few days after Typhoon Ampil, Japan is now grappling with the aftermath of another powerful storm - Typhoon Shanshan.

Shanshan brought torrential rains and strong winds to the southern regions of the country, causing severe flooding and landslides. 

Authorities issued the highest level of alert, prompting the evacuation of at least 800,000 people. Transport was severely disrupted, with flights canceled and train services suspended, while businesses in the affected areas were forced to close.

Shanshan is visible in this image acquired by one our Sentinel-3 satellites on 28 August 2024 at 01:02 UTC, when it was 150 km south of Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. 

Our Sentinel satellites provide free and open data essential for monitoring the aftermath and impact of typhoons in affected areas.



This image, acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 13 August 2024, shows the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reser...
28/08/2024

This image, acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 13 August 2024, shows the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve northeast of Berlin. 🇩🇪

Shaped by the last Ice Age 15,000 years ago, the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve boasts a uniquely diverse landscape. It is one of the largest protected areas in Germany, encompassing extensive forests, lakes, and moors, and is home to a wide variety of biotopes and habitats.

Recognised by UNESCO, the Reserve is of outstanding ecological and cultural importance and hosts  rare species such as the white-tailed eagle and the osprey.

Recently, several initiatives have been launched to restore natural habitats and protect endangered species within the reserve. One such project is the EU Life Project ZENAPA, which aims to create synergies between nature conservation and climate action in large protected areas.



Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is facing a severe El Niño-induced drought. The drought has severely affected subsistence agriculture, which...
27/08/2024

Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 is facing a severe El Niño-induced drought.

The drought has severely affected subsistence agriculture, which supports 70% of the population. Crop yields have plummeted, and water reserves are at historic lows, creating a humanitarian crisis in rural communities. With maize production down 72% last year, the situation is particularly dire.

The UN has identified Zimbabwe as one of the hunger hotspots where acute food insecurity is expected to worsen.

The severity of the drought is illustrated by two images from our Sentinel-2 satellite.

The first image, acquired on 19 August 2022, shows the area around the capital, Harare, which is still largely green. In contrast, the second image, acquired on 23 August 2024, shows vast brownish areas, indicating the widespread loss of vegetation caused by the prolonged drought.



🔎 Look at the fire danger forecast for the 26th August in the EU, as captured by our European Forest Fire Information Sy...
26/08/2024

🔎 Look at the fire danger forecast for the 26th August in the EU, as captured by our European Forest Fire Information System.
 
Prolonged high temperatures and wind, next to more frequent droughts, can increase the probability of vegetation fuel ignition and propagation.
 
In 2023, wildfires resulted in severe damage to the environment, producing some 20 megatonnes of CO2 emissions.
 
We can prevent this if we work with nature. 🌱
 
Restoring nature and implementing proper forest management are crucial steps in preventing wildfires.

Lake Constance, visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 29 July 2024, lies on the border between Germany...
26/08/2024

Lake Constance, visible in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 29 July 2024, lies on the border between Germany, Austria and Switzerland and is one of the most important natural treasures in Central Europe.

Covering an area of almost 540 square kilometres, the lake is not only an important source of fresh water, but also a hotspot of biodiversity. 

Several areas of Lake Constance have been designated as Natura 2000 sites, underlining its importance for nature conservation at European level. These protected areas include vital reed beds, wetlands and riparian forests, which support a rich diversity of species



The Alpine Arc is among the regions most threatened by climate change. Over the past two decades, the glaciers of this i...
24/08/2024

The Alpine Arc is among the regions most threatened by climate change. Over the past two decades, the glaciers of this iconic mountain range in the heart of Europe have lost about a third of their ice volume, receding by an average of 30 metres per year and thinning by 1 to 1.5 metres annually across their entire surface.

🧊 One of the most dramatic examples of this decline is the Mer de Glace, visible in this image acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 18 August 2024.

The Mer de Glace, one of the largest and most famous glaciers in the Alps, is located on the French 🇫🇷 side of Mont Blanc. A long-standing symbol of the region's natural beauty, it has changed significantly in recent decades, receding by around a kilometre and losing 160 metres of thickness in the last 35 years.



This Sentinel-2 image acquired on 17 August 2024 shows Costa Blanca, an area severely affected by the drought n Spain. T...
23/08/2024

This Sentinel-2 image acquired on 17 August 2024 shows Costa Blanca, an area severely affected by the drought n Spain.

The prolonged lack of rainfall has led to significant water shortages, resulting in the salinisation of aquifers in coastal towns such as Teulada-Moraira and Benitatxell. As a result, tap water has been declared unsafe for consumption since early August. 

Local authorities have implemented emergency measures to deal with the crisis. In Teulada-Moraira, residents can collect drinking water from designated distribution points, with each person allowed up to 20 liters per week. These measures will remain in place until at least 30 September to ensure that all residents have access to safe drinking water during the drought.

This local crisis is part of a broader pattern of severe drought affecting various parts of Europe. According to the latest Global Drought Observatory (GDO) report from the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, drought conditions have returned across large areas of Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and Eastern Europe.



This image, acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 20 August 2024, shows severe flooding caused by the overflow...
22/08/2024

This image, acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 20 August 2024, shows severe flooding caused by the overflowing of the Indus River south of Kandhkot, a small town in Pakistan's Sindh province.

Heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding across the country, leading to significant devastation. Local authorities have reported more than 200 casualties, including 98 children, and more than 350 injured.

The floods have also damaged infrastructure, destroying more than 2,200 homes and severely affecting bridges and roads, cutting off transport and isolating communities.

The National Disaster Management Authority is closely monitoring the situation, coordinating relief efforts, and advising tourists to avoid the affected areas.  
 


📣Join the   in   🇵🇹From 5-6 November, various stakeholders will explore the latest advances of  🛰️  🌊 and its current ma...
21/08/2024

📣Join the in 🇵🇹

From 5-6 November, various stakeholders will explore the latest advances of 🛰️ 🌊 and its current marine applications

The event will provide an opportunity to network with experts from the marine community and participate in dedicated discussions, workshops, and networking sessions

Register now at👇

https://www.eumetsat.int/marine-user-days

Stung Treng is a province in northeastern Cambodia, renowned for its rich biodiversity and extensive forests.The area is...
21/08/2024

Stung Treng is a province in northeastern Cambodia, renowned for its rich biodiversity and extensive forests.

The area is home to a variety of ecosystems, including dense rainforests, rivers, and wetlands, which support a wide range of plant and animal species. The area is particularly important for its role in preserving endangered species and maintaining ecological balance.

However, Stung Treng has also become a hotspot for deforestation in recent years. These two images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites show the extent of the problem. The image on the left, acquired on 22 December 2018, shows a region that is still largely under forest cover. In contrast, the image on the right, acquired on 10 January 2024, shows significant areas where forests have been cleared, an indication of the rapid rate of deforestation.

Deforestation is a problem that affects several areas around the world. The European Union has recently launched the EU Observatory on Deforestation and Forest Degradation. This initiative aims to monitor and analyse deforestation trends worldwide, providing valuable data and insights for policy makers and conservation efforts. The Observatory uses a variety of data, including high-resolution imagery from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, to track changes in forest cover and assess the impact of deforestation and forest degradation.



For weeks, wildfires in northern Canada have been spewing vast amounts of smoke, which has traveled thousands of kilomet...
20/08/2024

For weeks, wildfires in northern Canada have been spewing vast amounts of smoke, which has traveled thousands of kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean, darkening the skies of Western Europe. The plume first reached the British Isles and then continued south-eastwards.

This true-colour image, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-3B satellite at 10:07 UTC on 19 August 2024, vividly captures the smoke over the western coast of France and the Balearic Islands as it continues its journey across the Mediterranean Sea. 

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service has been closely following this long-range smoke transport, providing crucial data on the movement and concentration of the smoke. Its prediction is that it will reach southern Italy before dissipating in the eastern Mediterranean.



This image, acquired on 18 August 2024 by one of our Sentinel-3 satellites, shows a plume of smoke 130 km long rising fr...
19/08/2024

This image, acquired on 18 August 2024 by one of our Sentinel-3 satellites, shows a plume of smoke 130 km long rising from the Portuguese island of Madeira as a result of a large forest fire which started on 15 August.

The fire began in the Serra de Água area of Ribeira Brava and quickly spread to Câmara de Lobos, where it continues to pose a significant threat despite containment efforts. The flames have come close to population centres, forcing the evacuation of at least 100 residents.

More than 120 firefighters are battling the blaze, supported by 43 vehicles and several aircraft. The Regional Civil Protection Emergency Plan has been activated to help manage the situation.



This image, acquired on 26 July 2024 by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the island of El Hierro. El Hierro is th...
18/08/2024

This image, acquired on 26 July 2024 by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the island of El Hierro.

El Hierro is the smallest of the Canary Islands.🇪🇸 It is known for its rich biodiversity and unique marine ecosystems.

Recently, local authorities approved the first proposal to designate Mar de las Calmas, an area south of El Hierro, as Spain's first marine national park. Covering over 24,000 hectares, Mar de las Calmas is renowned for its exceptional natural value, including deep-sea species and tropical and subtropical species not commonly found elsewhere in the Canary Islands archipelago.



This image, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 16 August 2024, shows the eye of Ampil, a typhoon that fo...
17/08/2024

This image, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on 16 August 2024, shows the eye of Ampil, a typhoon that formed in the Pacific Ocean earlier that month.

The storm rapidly intensified, bringing heavy rain and winds to Japan's Izu Islands and to coastal areas of the Kanto and Tohoku regions between 10 and 12 August. With an intensity comparable to a Category 2 hurricane, Ampil unleashed fierce winds, rough seas, and up to 200 millimeters of rain within 24 hours in some areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings for strong winds, high waves, landslides, and flooding. These warnings were widely heeded by residents in the affected areas. The storm caused significant transport disruption across eastern Japan, including major reductions in train services and the cancellation of more than 600 flights.



Ahead of the upcoming launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-2C, we take a closer look at Kourou, the headquarters of the Gui...
16/08/2024

Ahead of the upcoming launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-2C, we take a closer look at Kourou, the headquarters of the Guiana Space Centre. 🛰

Kourou is a coastal town in north-central French Guiana, an overseas department of France. It lies at the mouth of the Kourou River, where its waters flow into the Atlantic Ocean after a journey of 144 km through dense tropical rainforest. The city is surrounded by a landscape rich in biodiversity, with mangroves lining the riverbanks and extensive white sandy beaches stretching along the coast. The region's economy is deeply rooted in agriculture, with crops such as coffee, cocoa, and tropical fruits the main products.

To the northwest of Kourou is the Guiana Space Centre, known as Europe's Spaceport. Established in 1964, the spaceport's proximity to the equator provides an ideal location for launching satellites into orbit. The spaceport has been the starting point for many important satellite missions and plays a key role in Europe's independent access to space endeavors.




🏞 The Danube River has been affected by significantly reduced water levels, coinciding with the prolonged heat wave impa...
14/08/2024

🏞 The Danube River has been affected by significantly reduced water levels, coinciding with the prolonged heat wave impacting Eastern Europe.

Recent measurements show that the river's level in Romania 🇷🇴 is 6 cm below the normal range, with a flow of only 2,900 cubic metres of water per second, far below the August average of 4,600 cubic metres per second. This drop is disrupting river traffic, with tourist boats unable to leave ports and commercial vessels struggling to navigate.

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 🛰 image from 12 August 2024 shows Corabia, a small town on the Danube, where residents have seen the effects first hand and report difficulties for both tourist and commercial boats.



On 11 August, a large wildfire burned out of control in Attica, Greece. The fire has affected at least 10,000 hectares a...
13/08/2024

On 11 August, a large wildfire burned out of control in Attica, Greece. The fire has affected at least 10,000 hectares and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

This Sentinel-2 image, acquired on 12 August at 09:05 UTC (12:05 Greek local time), shows the ongoing blaze a few kilometers from the centre of Athens.

It combines natural colour with shortwave infrared bands to highlight the fire fronts (in red tones) and the burnt areas (dark browns).

Pushed by strong winds, the fire has produced a smoke cloud extending more than 300 km southwest towards Libya and covering the eastern part of Athens.

In response to the fires, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated, mobilising assistance from several Member States to support Greece in its emergency response. The Rapid Mapping Module of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service has also been activated.

#Φωτιά


During the summer of 2024, the Svalbard Archipelago (in Arctic Norway) is confronted with a new record episode of ice sh...
12/08/2024

During the summer of 2024, the Svalbard Archipelago (in Arctic Norway) is confronted with a new record episode of ice sheet melting. 

According to the Laboratory of Climatology and Topoclimatology at the University of Liège, in early August, snow and ice melting on the surface of the Svalbard ice caps reached the highest levels ever recorded, while temperatures remained up to 5°C above average for this area of the Arctic Circle.

This image, acquired by one of our Sentinel-2 satellites on 9 August, shows a large discharge of water and sediment in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Nordaustlandet (the second largest island in the archipelago), caused by the rapid melting of snow and ice.



Over the past few weeks, a phytoplankton bloom has been observed in the northern Adriatic Sea. High temperatures and fre...
11/08/2024

Over the past few weeks, a phytoplankton bloom has been observed in the northern Adriatic Sea. 

High temperatures and freshwater inputs from recent heavy rainfall have favoured the bloom. The freshwater input has reduced the sea surface salinity, creating an ideal environment for the rapid proliferation of phytoplankton. Rising temperatures have further accelerated the process, making the bloom so large that it is even visible from space.

The bloom has also led to the formation of mucilage, which has accumulated along the coasts of some Italian regions bordering the Adriatic Sea.

This image, acquired by one of the Sentinel-2 satellites on 7 August 2024, shows both the mucilage (in white) and the phytoplankton bloom (in green) off the coast of the city of Rimini.



The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has recently released its latest monthly Climate Bulletin, which highlights ...
10/08/2024

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has recently released its latest monthly Climate Bulletin, which highlights that July 2024 was the second warmest July on record globally.

🌡Air temperatures reached 16.91°C, 0.68°C above the 1991-2020 average for July, and only 0.04°C lower than the previous high set in July 2023.

📈 This data visualisation, based on C3S data, shows the surface air temperature anomaly for July 2024 across the European Continent.

Even in this area, July 2024 was the second warmest July on record, 1.49°C higher than the 1991-2020 average. The warmest regions were Italy and the Balkans.

How can applications of     support actions to make oceans cleaner, healthier, and more resilient?Hear the answers in th...
09/08/2024

How can applications of support actions to make oceans cleaner, healthier, and more resilient?

Hear the answers in the 2⃣nd webinar of the EU 🇪🇺 series!
🗓️10 October
🕑14:30 CEST

We will also discuss 🆕 solutions for addressing Challenges 1, 2, and 5

Register at 👇
https://eudata4oceandecade.eu/

On 7 August 2024, Canada was affected by an intense heatwave and several wildfires.The temperature in Inuvik, an Arctic ...
09/08/2024

On 7 August 2024, Canada was affected by an intense heatwave and several wildfires.

The temperature in Inuvik, an Arctic town located less than 100 km from the Arctic Ocean, reached a record high of 34.8°C.

At the same time, several wildfires were ongoing in the region. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Government of the Northwest Territories, 90 fires are currently burning out of control.

These fires have produced a thick plume of smoke that has engulfed the skies above the Arctic Circle, as visible in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites on the same day.



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