Thermokarst lakes, northern Siberia

To mark the first anniversary of the European Space Agency’s Biomass satellite, we present a selection of striking images captured over the past 12 months, revealing Earth’s forests, and much more, in new detail. In just one year, this pioneering mission has begun transforming our understanding of forest dynamics and advancing how scientists monitor the critical role forests play in regulating the global carbon cycle.

This image, captured over the Siberian Arctic on 21 June 2025, shows parts of the Yamal Peninsula. This northern landscape consists of a vast, mossy tundra vegetation pockmarked by thousands of circular thermokarst lakes.