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Observing the Earth Archive

Observing the Earth

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Radio eye on forest mission Biomass

A new eruption started at the Anak Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia on 3 February 2022, as seen in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

An unusual snowstorm has blanketed parts of Turkey and Greece, causing power cuts and chaos on the roads and flight cancellations. Two images from Copernicus Sentinel-2 show Athens before and after the snowstorm.

The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano near Tonga in the South Pacific erupted with such force on 15 January that it is thought to be the biggest eruption recorded anywhere on the planet in 30 years.

The US State of Washington is under a state of emergency following days of severe wind and rain leading to extensive flooding in parts of the state. Different satellites in orbit carry different instruments that can provide us with a wealth of complementary information to understand and to respond to flooding disasters.

This image, captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2 on 30 September 2021, shows the flow of lava from the volcano erupting on the Spanish island of La Palma.

New radar images show the A-74 iceberg spinning around the western tip of the Brunt Ice Shelf, brushing slightly against it before continuing southwards.

Parts of the Mediterranean and central Europe have experienced extreme temperatures this summer, with wildfires causing devastation on the Greek island of Evia. This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image shows the extent of the burned area in the northern part of the island.

This map generated using data from Copernicus Sentinel-3 shows the temperature of the land surface on 2 August 2021.

Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission on 30 July 2021, this image shows smoke billowing from several fires along the southern coast of Turkey.

Record rainfall has caused swollen rivers to burst their banks and wash away homes and other buildings in western Europe. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission are being used to map flooded areas to help relief efforts.

A touch of sun

The heatwave now hitting parts of western Canada and the US has been particularly devastating. This Copernicus Sentinel-3 image shows land surface temperature.

For Asteroid Day, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Shoemaker Impact Structure (formerly known as Teague Ring) in Western Australia.

Stark reality of Californian drought from space

An enormous iceberg has calved from the western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf, in the Weddell Sea, in Antarctica. The iceberg, dubbed A-76, measures around 4320 sq km in size and is currently the largest berg in the world.

False-colour images captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2 show the aftermath of the explosive volcanic eruption that took place on 9 April 2021 on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent.

The enormous Ever Given container ship, wedged in Egypt’s Suez Canal, is visible in new images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.

Stretches of land across New South Wales, Australia, have been hit with torrential rain leading to record-breaking floods. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission are being used to map flooded areas to help relief efforts.

New Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar images show a giant iceberg breaking off from the northern section of Antarctica’s Brunt Ice Shelf

Italy’s Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has erupted twice in less than 48 hours, spewing a fountain of lava and ash into the sky. This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image has been processed to show the lava flow in bright red.

A contract signed today secures ESA InCubed co-funding towards the development of Aerospacelab’s Multispectral Companion Mission

As this Copernicus Sentinel-3 image captured today shows, the Netherlands remains pretty much snow-covered thanks to days of sub-zero temperatures following the country’s first major snowstorm in a decade.

Competitors of the Vendée Globe sailing race are now nearing the finishing point, but while they were near the treacherous iceberg-infested waters of the Southern Ocean they remained relatively safe thanks to satellite observations.

Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is featured in this false-colour image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Tanezrouft Basin – one of the most desolate parts of the Sahara Desert.

The heavy snowfall that hit Spain a few days ago still lies heavy across much of the country as this Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image shows.

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image of Madrid in Spain appears to have been taken in black and white. In fact, it is a true-colour image – but the heaviest snowfall in 50 years has blanketed the region, turning the landscape white.

The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission takes us over Lapland, the largest and northernmost region of Finland, just in time for Christmas.

Heavy snowfall in the Alps has been recorded over the past weeks. The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission captured this image of the snow-covered Alps on 14 December.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Kyiv – the capital and most populous city of Ukraine.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Banks Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand.

All eyes remain on the giant A-68A iceberg on its journey across the Southern Ocean. This image shows A-68A’s movements over the past 15 days using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-3 missions.

Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden, is featured in this snowy image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.

An enormous iceberg, called A-68A, has made headlines over the past weeks as it drifts towards South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. New images show the berg is rotating and potentially drifting westwards.

The Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite lifts off on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Space Launch Complex at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, US.

After countless simulations and a dress rehearsal, ESA's flight control team are ready for liftoff

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features the Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, where the Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will soon launch from.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Darmstadt – home to ESA’s European Space Operations Centre.

Giant berg on collision course with South Georgia

Greece’s largest and most populous island, Crete, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission.

For this year’s Halloween, we bring you an image from space of Siberia’s Batagaika Crater – dubbed the Gateway to Hell.

All 1200 islands that make up the Republic of Maldives are featured in this spectacular image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-3.

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission takes us over the Ganges Delta – the world’s largest river delta.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Zeeland – the westernmost province in the Netherlands.

Part of the Laguna San Rafael National Park, located on the Pacific coast of southern Chile, is pictured in this image captured by Copernicus Sentinel-2.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over New York City – the most populous city in the United States.

Copernicus Sentinel-2 takes us over the Tarawa Atoll in the Republic of Kiribati – a remote Pacific nation threatened by rising seas.

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Vatnajökull ice cap, in southeast Iceland.

Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured this image of the Mediterranean hurricane, or ‘Medicane,’ crossing the Ionian Sea and approaching Greece yesterday 17 September.

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