ESA Observing the Earth

Fellowship Call

Fellowship Call

To support postdocs initiate a scientific career in Earth observation and Earth system science, ESA’s Living Planet Fellowship Call is open. Apply before 1 November 2019

Lake Natron

Earth from Space

Lake Natron, Tanzania

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over two saline lakes in East Africa: the larger Lake Natron in northern Tanzania and the smaller Lake Magadi, just over the border in Kenya.

Lake Natron is around 60 km long and is fed mainly by the Ewaso Ng'iro River. Despite its dark colour in this image, Lake Natron is often bright red owing to the presence of microorganisms that feed on the salts of the water.

The saline waters make the lake inhospitable for many plants and animals, yet the surrounding salt water marshes are a surprising habitat for flamingos. In fact, the lake is home to the highest concentrations of lesser and greater flamingos in East Africa, where they feed on spirulina – a green algae with red pigments.

The extinct Gelai Volcano, standing at 2942 m tall, is visible southeast of the lake.

The pink-coloured waters of Lake Magadi can also be seen at the top of the image. The lake is over 30 km long and has a notably high salt content, and in some places the salt is up to 40 metres thick. The mineral trona can also be found in the lake’s waters. This mineral is collected and used for glass manufacturing, fabric dyeing and paper production.

Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission to supply the coverage and data delivery needed for Europe’s Copernicus programme. The mission’s frequent revisits over the same area and high spatial resolution allow changes in inland water bodies to be closely monitored.

This image, which was captured on 3 February 2019, is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme.

Earth from Space: Lake Natron

In this week's edition of the Earth from Space programme, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over two saline lakes in East Africa.

See also Lake Natron, Tanzania to download the image.

Earth from Space: Lake Natron

In this week's edition of the Earth from Space programme, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over two saline lakes in East Africa.

See also Lake Natron, Tanzania to download the image.

Typhoon Hagibis

Typhoon Hagibis

Typhoon Hagibis

Can oceans turn the tide on the climate crisis?

As we pump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the world is warming at an alarming rate, with devastating consequences. While our vast oceans are helping to take the heat out of climate change, new research shows that they are absorbing a lot more atmospheric carbon dioxide than previously thought – but these positives may be outweighed by the downsides.

Can oceans turn the tide on the climate crisis?

As we pump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the world is warming at an alarming rate, with devastating consequences. While our vast oceans are helping to take the heat out of climate change, new research shows that they are absorbing a lot more atmospheric carbon dioxide than previously thought – but these positives may be outweighed by the downsides.

Earth from Space

The Netherlands

Earth from Space

Earth from Space: The Netherlands

In this week's edition of the Earth from Space programme, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over part of the Netherlands for an ESA open day.

See also The Netherlands to download the image.

Amery berg

World Space Alliance continues to strengthen

The ESA–SAP World Space Alliance continues to grow as Airbus Defence and Space, the Environmental Systems Research Institute and GeoVille join the partnership.

World Space Alliance continues to strengthen

The ESA–SAP World Space Alliance continues to grow as Airbus Defence and Space, the Environmental Systems Research Institute and GeoVille join the partnership.

Meeting of waters

Earth from Space

Beijing's starfish airport

Beijing's starfish airport

A year trapped in Arctic ice for climate science

As millions of people around the world marched for urgent action on climate change ahead of this week’s UN Climate Action Summit, an icebreaker set sail from Norway to spend a year drifting in the Arctic sea ice. This extraordinary expedition is set to make a step change in climate science – and ESA is contributing with a range of experiments.

Vake | Catch wins 2019 Space App Camp

An app that will help wild fisheries achieve sustainable operations using Copernicus Sentinel-3 data took home the top prize at this year’s Space App Camp at ESA’s Earth observation centre in Frascati, Italy.

A new satellite to understand how Earth is losing its cool

Following a rigorous selection process, ESA has selected a new satellite mission to fill in a critical missing piece of the climate jigsaw. By measuring radiation emitted by Earth into space, FORUM will provide new insight into the planet’s radiation budget and how it is controlled.

Clarence Strait

Earth from Space

Harnessing artificial intelligence for climate science

Over 700 Earth observation satellites are orbiting our planet, transmitting hundreds of terabytes of data to downlink stations every day. Processing and extracting useful information is a huge data challenge, with volumes rising quasi-exponentially.

Using a data cube to assess changes in the Earth system

Researchers all over the world have a wealth of satellite data at their fingertips to understand global change, but turning a multitude of different data into actual information can pose a challenge. Using examples of Arctic greening and drought, scientists at ESA’s ɸ-week showed how the Earth System Data Lab is making this task much easier.

First day of camp

ɸ-week highlights

ɸ-week highlights

Relive ɸ-week

Winning bootcamp ideas at Φ-week

On the sidelines of ESA’s Φ-week, a five-day app-development bootcamp took place where young developers came together to solve big industry challenges using Earth observation data. The teams developed app prototypes, which were tested by a set of users. Those with the best commercial potential were awarded with prizes.

Baja California

Earth from Space

First Earth observation satellite with AI ready for launch

A few months from now will see the launch of the first European satellite to demonstrate how onboard artificial intelligence can improve the efficiency of sending Earth observation data back to Earth. Dubbed ɸ-Sat, or PhiSat, this revolutionary artificial intelligence technology will fly on one of the two CubeSats that make up the FSSCat mission – a Copernicus Masters winning idea.

Tracing the environmental impacts of supply chains

Globalisation and international trade allow us to consume produce from all over the world. But this comes at a cost to the environment – but, for the first time, satellite data combined with artificial intelligence is being usedtoprovide information to assess the impact of global supply chains.

Using machine learning for rewilding

There may not be an obvious connection between rewilding and machine learning, but as highlighted today at ESA’s ɸ-week, a project in the Netherlands uses satellite data and new digital technology to understand how a nature reserve responds to the pressure of being grazed by herbivores.

Using artificial intelligence to automate sea-ice charting

Reliable maps of sea-ice conditions and forecasts are of vital importance for maritime safety, safe navigation and planning. The continued retreating and thinning of Arctic sea ice calls for a more effective way of producing detailed and timely ice information – which is where artificial intelligence  comes in.

Using artificial intelligence to automate sea-ice charting

Reliable maps of sea-ice conditions and forecasts are of vital importance for maritime safety, safe navigation and planning. The continued retreating and thinning of Arctic sea ice calls for a more effective way of producing detailed and timely ice information – which is where artificial intelligence comes in.

Australian bushfires

ESA’s ɸ-week 2019 opens with a flourish

Following the success of last year’s ɸ-week, this year’s event promises to be even more exciting. With the conference room packed to the gunwales, ɸ-week 2019 kicked off this afternoon at ESA’s centre of Earth observation in Italy with a series of stimulating talks, lively debate and an announcement of a new initiative.

ESA and ɸ

AI for space

Monitoring air pollution from fires

The wildfires that have been devastating the Amazon rainforest have been international headline news over the last weeks. These fires are not only an environmental tragedy in terms of lost forest and biodiversity, but they are also leaving their mark on the atmosphere, affecting air quality and, potentially, the global climate.

Earth from Space

Castelli Romani

Fellowship Call

Fellowship Call

ɸ-week live

Copernicus Sentinel-6A ready for testing

Dedicated to measuring changes in global sea level, the Copernicus Sentinel-6A satellite is now equipped with some of its measuring instruments and ready to be tested in preparation for liftoff at the end of next year.

Call for media

Dorian destruction

Greta Thunberg arrives in New York for UN Climate Talks

Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has arrived in New York after a two-week sail across the Atlantic, ready to attend the United Nations Climate Action Summit at the end of September.

Raft of rubble

Fires ravage the Amazon

Thousands of fires have broken out in the Amazon rainforest. Satellite data show that there are almost four times as many fires this year compared to the same period last year. Apart from Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina have also been affected.

Gran Canaria wildfire

CryoSat conquers ice on Arctic lakes

The rapidly changing climate in the Arctic is not only linked to melting glaciers and declining sea ice, but also to thinning ice on lakes. The presence of lake ice can be easily monitored by imaging sensors and standard satellite observations, but now adding to its list of achievements, CryoSat can be used to measure the thickness of lake ice – another indicator of climate change.

Washed up: Sargassum blankets beaches

Over the last month, massive quantities of the Sargassum seaweed have been washing up on the shores of Mexico, Florida in the US and some Caribbean islands, creating a serious environmental problem and causing havoc for the tourist industry. ESA has been tracking this slimy infestation from space.

Washed up: Sargassum blankets beaches

Over the last month, massive quantities of the Sargassum seaweed have been washing up on the shores of Mexico, Florida in the US and some Caribbean islands, creating a serious environmental problem and causing havoc for the tourist industry. ESA has been tracking this slimy infestation.

Siberian wildfires

Lake Balaton

Earth from Space

Too hot to handle

Expanding our knowledge of Arctic Ocean bathymetry

Our knowledge of the depth and shape of the Arctic Ocean floor – its bathymetry – is insufficient. Owing to year-round sea-ice coverage and the cost of research in this remote region, much of the Arctic Ocean’s bathymetry has remained a mystery, until now.

Second laser boosts Aeolus power

ESA’s Aeolus satellite, which carries the world’s first space Doppler wind lidar, has been delivering high-quality global measurements of Earth’s wind since it was launched almost a year ago. However, part of the instrument, the laser transmitter, has been slowly losing energy. As a result, ESA decided to switch over to the instrument’s second laser – and the mission is now back on top form.

Monitoring Earth’s skin heat for crops and climate

A bright red twin-engined aircraft, equipped with ultra-high-resolution thermal imaging technology has been scouring the agricultural heartlands of Europe this summer. It was no search and rescue exercise, but an initial step towards building a proposed new satellite system capable of recording the temperature of Earth’s skin in intricate detail.

Palm oil plantations

Earth from Space

Replay: Earth Explorer 9

Apollo 11 launch pad

Earth Explorer 9

Earth Explorer 9

Mount Fuji

Earth from Space

Using satellite information to help rebuild after a disaster

ESA and the Asian Development Bank have joined forces to help the Indonesian government use satellite information to guide the redevelopment following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the provincial capital of Palu and surroundings last year.

Modelling tides in the Arctic Ocean

We are all aware of the ebb and flow of the tide every day, but understanding tidal flow is important for a range of maritime activities and environmental monitoring, such as search and rescue operations, shipping routes and coastal erosion. The Arctic Ocean tides are particularly difficult to understand, but a new tidal model produced using ESA satellite data may shed some light on what is happening in this remote area.

What’s happening to Greenland’s ice?

Heatwave conditions catapulted Greenland into an early Arctic summer in June, prompting widespread melting across its icesheet surface, according to researchers at the Danish Meteorological Institute.

Earth from Space

Irminger Sea ice swirl

Rare lava lake

Join ɸ-week

German wildfire

Surviving the shaker brings better weather forecasting a step closer

With the first in the next generation of Meteosat satellites due to be launched in a couple of years, an important milestone has been passed, further paving the way for better weather forecasts – something on which we all rely.

Gulf of Taranto

Earth from Space

The heat is on

The heat is on

Fire red lines

Brunt on the brink

Raikoke spits ash

Lena River Delta

Earth from Space

Connecting the dots: nitrogen dioxide over Siberian pipelines

New maps that use information from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite reveal emissions of nitrogen dioxide along a Siberian natural gas pipeline that connects the Urengoy gas field – the second-largest gas field in the world – with Europe.

Desert greenery

East Bali

Earth from Space

Mapping our global human footprint

The number of people flocking to cities in search of employment and better prospects is growing at an unprecedented rate. By 2050, the global population is estimated to reach nine billion, 70% of which will be living in urban areas. The World Settlement Footprint 2015 (WSF-2015) is the first map, using mass collections of radar and optical satellite imagery, to provide a global overview of the world’s human settlements.

SMOS joins forces with top weather forecasting system

As of yesterday, 11 June 2019, measurements from ESA’s SMOS mission are being fully integrated into ECMWF’s forecasting system, allowing for a more accurate description of water content in soil.

Antarctic glaciers named after satellites

Dramatic changes in the shape of the Antarctic ice sheet have become emblematic of the climate crisis. And, in deference to the critical role that satellites play in measuring and monitoring Antarctic glaciology, seven areas of fast-flowing ice on the Antarctic Peninsula have been named after Earth observation satellites.

Lake Valencia

Earth from Space

MetOp Second Generation

Snow hits Australia

RACE

RACE

Access latest information on COVID-19 impacts

RACE

RACE

Access latest information on the impacts of COVID-19

RACE

Rapid action on coronavirus and EO

Access latest information on the impacts of COVID-19

Space App Camp

El Salvador

Earth from Space

Snow grain size – it matters

Most of us probably wouldn’t think of describing snow in terms of its grain size. However, grain size is fundamental to the amount of sunlight that snow reflects back into space – its albedo. With both snow and albedo part of the climate system, scientists are applying a novel analytical theory to Copernicus Sentinel-3 data and shedding new light on Greenland’s changing albedo.

TRUTHS: a new potential ESA Earth Watch mission

With ESA’s Space19+ Ministerial Council meeting set for November, a new satellite mission called TRUTHS will be added to the list of missions to be financed in the Earth Observation Earth Watch programme.

Western Pakistan

Earth from Space

Open Days

Vega to take Spain’s SEOSAT–Ingenio into orbit

ESA and Arianespace have signed a contract that secure the SEOSAT–Ingenio Earth observation satellite’s ride into orbit next year on a Vega rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Living Planet highlights

Back to the future

Satellites yield insight into not so permanent permafrost

Ice is without doubt one of the first casualties of climate change, but the effects of our warming world are not only limited to ice melting on Earth’s surface. Ground that has been frozen for thousands of years is also thawing, adding to the climate crisis and causing immediate problems for local communities.