OBSERVER: Telling meaningful stories with EO data evan Thu, 02/05/2024 - 14:11

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but in the world of Earth Observation (EO), it can be worth so much more. With the boom in EO satellite missions over the past few decades, and the open data deluge resulting from the full-scale deployment of the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and thematic services; the truth is that we now have far more data to study our planet than ever before. But how do we make sense of it all and tell meaningful stories that engage audiences? In today's Observer, we'll look at a new EO Data Visualisation Good Practice guide, a new tool assembled by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), meant to help users craft and tell impactful stories.

Origins of the guide

While satellite imagery has been available since the 1980s, there have been significant recent additions to the list of available sources of Earth Observation data. Copernicus has ushered in a new era of freely available EO imagery and data. In addition to the Copernicus Sentinel and EUMETSAT satellites (Meteosat and Metop), which provide a bird's-eye view of our planet, there are dedicated Copernicus services that combine remote sensing with in situ data. These services meet users' needs for marine, atmospheric, climate, emergency-related and land data. 

Thus, now that we have new and comprehensive data on our planet, we can tell better stories about it. This why EUMETSAT brought together Copernicus data visualisers and communication professionals last year in a series of workshops which then resulted in the creation of a good practice guide.  

The series covered the effective strategies for visualising Copernicus data and storytelling tips. It brought together the perspectives of journalists, scientists, data visualisation experts, and remote sensing practitioners from operational agencies and industry. The series introduced attendees to the world of Earth Observation data visualisation and featured testimonials from world-class journalists who use EO imagery to tell powerful stories in their publications.

“For me as a journalist and for a very quick turnaround, satellite imagery provides a really valuable opportunity to show the public something they can remember because it’s so visual,” said Kasha Patel, who covers weather, climate change and the environment for the Washington Post, during the workshops.

The workshops also showed participants how to use EO data to communicate to the public about air quality, with a particular focus on using data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring (CAMS), Marine (CMEMS), Climate (C3S) and Emergency Management (CEMS) Services. Participants also gained a deeper understanding of how to use Copernicus data to tell stories about the oceans, sea ice and climate extremes.

More than 1,500 people attended the sessions and users from all over the world have since viewed the recordings. Representatives from news outlets such as the BBC, The New York Times, Le Monde, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Financial Times talked about their use of Copernicus imagery and data, while actors from various institutions such as the European Commission’s Directorate-general Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shared their insights during the workshops.

A living resource for EO storytellers

The ideas, tips and tricks gathered in the workshops have been summarised in a EO Data Visualisation Good Practice guide. The document summarises the key points made in this series of webinars and provides examples of an effective use of storytelling with satellite data in a variety of contexts.

The guide starts with an overview of what makes a good environmental story for modern news media, with insights from those who work in traditional newspapers as well as those who tell stories through social media, and plenty of examples to inspire users who wish to tell more stories online.

The guide then explores what data users can look at to build good visualisations - how should users balance robust information with aesthetics? How do users choose the right colours? And how can they make it so engaging that someone will stop scrolling to check the visualisation out? The guide covers all these questions and even includes a 10-point checklist users can check when creating a visualisation.

A handful of examples

To help users understand what a good EO story looks like, the guide collects a wealth of examples of visualisations that users have used to tell stories on a range of environmental topics, from air quality to wildfires to sea ice visualisations.

By scrolling through the "Climate extremes: heatwaves, changes in ice and drought visualisations" collection of examples, users can see how scientists and EO enthusiasts have used different satellite products to raise awareness of climate change issues among online audiences. Examples include data visualisation strategies to tell stories about temperature anomalies, ocean heatwaves, sediment discharge from heavy flooding and more.

More inspiring examples can be found on the “Air quality and wildfires visualisations” page. One that particularly gained traction in recent years was the satellite visualisation of the lava flow and ash plume from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, back in 2021. Images from space not only amplified the spread of news on the event by providing powerful imagery to accompany the story, but equally helped local authorities manage the consequences of the eruption. In this way, EO-based stories can not only inform and inspire audiences, but also help us take better care of our communities.

At the end of the guide, users are invited to re-watch the webinars, which are published on EUMETSAT's YouTube channel and review the slides of the presentations made during the workshops, which are all organised by topic and easily accessible. And while the guide is already quite detailed, users should feel free to contribute if they have opinions to share, examples to add, or constructive criticism to offer. 

Telling powerful environmental and climate-related stories is critical in an era of misinformation and disinformation on subjects such as climate change, pollution and environmental health. The new EO Data Visualisation Good Practice guide serves not only as a practical resource for users, but also a concreate example of the importance of accurate and engaging communication in addressing global environmental challenges.

OBSERVER: Six editions of CASSINI Hackathons, dozens of winning ideas evan Thu, 25/04/2024 - 11:54

With the objective of supporting space entrepreneurship for a digitally sustainable Europe, the European Commission launched the Competitive Space Start-ups for Innovation Initiative (CASSINI) Hackathons in 2021.

These are competitions for students, graduates, researchers and early-stage teams/start-ups across Europe. Participants can unleash their creativity and build digital applications using EU space technology - including satellite imagery and positioning services - to respond to specific challenges. Taking place across ten European cities simultaneously, these hackathons provide the perfect environment to form dynamic teams, learn about space data access, understand customer needs and kick-start the development of innovative digital solutions.

Since the launch of the initiative, six editions of the hackathon have been held, each of them focusing on a different theme. In this week’s Observer, we'll take a trip down memory lane and look at those six editions and some of the ideas they generated.

1st edition: All about green spaces

Back in June 2021, participants were challenged to hack the future of our green spaces using European space technologies. As part of this challenge, teams could address one of three themes: “discover your city”, “stay fit and healthy”, and “protect rural areas”. One of the winning teams, TreeCount&Care, focused on using space data to empower citizens to take care of trees in their communities, tracking individual trees and their water needs to protect them from drought.

The team's model had several layers. First, the model detected trees using the DeepForest algorithm. Second, it assessed the current condition and life cycle of each tree using environmental data such as soil moisture and metrics such as the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which helps to assess vegetation health. Finally, the collected data was integrated into the 'water me' platform, which informs communities about the water status of individual trees.

The team made most of their project available under open-source licences and sought to offer the service to communities on a pay-per-use basis. The project was implemented on the team's platform.

2nd edition: Icy solutions for an icy landscape

In November 2021, during the second edition, participants focused on the challenge of connecting the Arctic with European satellite technologies. The main challenges focused on safe passage at sea, life on land and wildlife management strategies.

The winning team focused on soil erosion in Iceland. The team took up the challenge to help protect the top soil layer in Iceland, which stores up to 80% of carbon. Due to climate change, this top layer is being eroded away and carbon can be released into the atmosphere. There are ways to prevent this erosion, but first we need to know where it is most likely to happen. So, the team developed a tool to map erosion risk remotely using satellite data. They combined satellite imagery with local weather and land data such as vegetation cover and average rainfall to calculate various vegetation and soil indices. By combining these indices with statistical analysis, the team was able to assess the risk of soil erosion in specific areas and help land owners better manage the erosion risk.

3rd edition: Time to hit the road - a focus on tourism

The third CASSINI Hackathon in May 2022 focused on preserving destinations across Europe and how we access them. Participants were challenged to work on ideas that support sustainable travel, improve experiences in local cities and cultures and promote thoughtful exploration of nature in Europe.

The winning project Mind the Path, built an application that would let users find and share unmapped hiking trails in rural areas. The team employed a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and data from Copernicus satellites. The AI's neural network architecture, originally developed for medical applications, played a pivotal role in the mapping process. It could segment individual images in a specific way, identifying structures such as hidden paths and tracks. The algorithm was trained on a small amount of Copernicus data and was then able to find hidden pathways in a much larger dataset. These AI generated maps were then verified by hikers using smartphones. The resulting application identifies uncharted hiking trails, providing key information about climate conditions and the user's location. 

4th edition: Space for the financial world

The fourth CASSINI Hackathon took place in November of 2022 and challenged participants to imagine the future of finance, insurance and investments with the help of European space technologies. They were presented with the challenges of enabling green and sustainable investments, innovating financial tools and technologies or advancing global financial intelligence.

One of the winning teams, Cropernicus (and no, that’s not a typo) presented an innovative solution that uses satellite data to forecast crop production, providing stakeholders independent and real-time predictions of future yields in a user-friendly format. This application aimed at assisting farmers and the broader agricultural industry in making informed decisions related to finance, strategy, risk management, sustainable investments, and social impact.

5th edition: An eye on defence and security 

The fifth edition took place in early 2023, in March, and challenged participants to help secure and strengthen Europe's defence by developing viable solutions which improve the EU's defence and security capabilities.

The teams were presented with three challenges: enabling off-road mobility, making the seas safer and protecting the EU's critical infrastructure.

The first place winner was Hiris Guider, a team which demonstrated how Copernicus data can be used by defence forces, emergency response teams and humanitarian organisations. The team combined Copernicus data on multiple assets like land cover, vegetation, humidity, and forests with data on population density to create a platform for evaluating evacuation plans and scenarios, allowing users to locate high-risk areas and take mitigation measures in advance.

6th edition: International development and humanitarian aid

Last but not least, the 6th edition of the CASSINI Hackathons took place in early November 2023. The theme of this edition was "Space for International Development and Humanitarian Aid". Participants had to develop solutions to three overarching challenges: how space technologies could help support sustainable infrastructure development, improve food security and access to clean water, and understand and predict forced migration.

The winning team, Upstream, focused on improving aquaculture. In a warming world, parasites can thrive in aquaculture farms, threatening production. One way to combat this is through biosecurity planning, which is required by both the EU and local authorities. This is often done through marine spatial planning but can be challenging due to conflicting interests and the dynamic nature of the sea. Upstream used several data sets from Copernicus, such as ocean currents, ocean salinity and temperatures, to develop a tool to help with biosecurity planning for aquaculture sites. The solution can simulate the spread of harmful particles in aquaculture sites and identify parasite hotspots, helping aquaculture farmers to better understand where sites should and shouldn't be placed to avoid contamination.

Looking to the future, the winning team would like to offer this service through the NextOcean Store, an EU-funded project that aims to provide Earth Observation services for fisheries and aquaculture.

Over the last six editions, more than 1200 participants have participated in the CASSINI hackathons. By providing a competitive environment which allows for support from experts and ample opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas, the hackathon series showcases and enables innovative projects and fosters creativity. Furthermore, by supporting the overall winning projects to accelerate and become profitable, the CASSINI hackathons contribute to building an environment around European space services and making them accessible to everyone.

OBSERVER: Discover the Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas - a new guide for understanding the climate evan Wed, 17/04/2024 - 13:06

As the world struggles to cope with the impacts of climate change, accessible tools to understand our changing climate have never been more urgently needed. Launched on 20 February by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas (C3S Atlas) is a powerful new tool designed to help policymakers and other climate service users to analyse and interpret climate data. With the upcoming publication of the European State of the Climate report by C3S, we are excited to discuss this new tool that can help users develop evidence-based policies and strategies to work to mitigate the consequences of and adapt to global warming. 

Evolving climate information 

The last few decades have seen a gradual but constant increase in the societal relevance of climate information. Starting with the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the World Meteorological Organization’s Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS), the focus has gradually shifted away from pure climate science and towards climate services in support of policies and decisions. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, or C3S represents another step in this process.

The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), released in August 2021, was also a critical milestone in this journey. For the first time, the Report included the IPCC Interactive Atlas (IPCC-IA), an interface that supports and expands the Report’s regional climate assessment. The IPCC-IA as published was designed to be static until the next Assessment Report (AR7). 

The new C3S Atlas introduces an interactive, live, and continuously evolving tool that customises climate data for specific users and regions. The Copernicus Climate Change Service carried out the work in collaboration with a data management company, Predictia, and the Spanish Research Council’s (CSIC) Cantabria Institute of Physics, IFCA.

So, what’s new?

The C3S Atlas now includes observational, reanalysis, and climate projection datasets from the C3S Climate Data Store. It displays updates with the latest data and new viewer functionalities.

30 variables and indices

The C3S Atlas includes 30 basic variables and indices, which can help scientists and policymakers understand what the climate is like now, and what the future might hold. For example, users can refer to the Atlas to examine different scenarios, such as what could happen if the world gets warmer by 1.5, 2, 3, and even 4 degrees Celsius. 

The Atlas also contains different datasets about the past. It includes observations like the E-OBS gridded observational database, which tracks the temperature in Europe since 1950. It also offers reanalyses from ERA5 and ERA5-Land, which give climate information from as far back as 1940 for ERA5 and 1950 for ERA5 Land, up to 2022. 

The ORAS5 ocean reanalysis from 1958 to 2014 supplies data for the oceans.

Nine indices and variables not featured in the IPCC-IA were added. These focus on the "wet and dry," "wind and radiation," and "circulation" aspects of the climate. You can explore all of the included variables here.

Go global or local

One standout feature of the C3S Atlas is its use of new Regional Climate Model (RCM) information from two specific datasets: CORDEX-CORE and CORDEX-EUR-11.

CORDEX-CORE data presents a high-resolution view of the globe as a mosaic, focusing on land areas. It shows how climate patterns shift in different regions, even at the city level. CORDEX-EUR-11 zooms in even further, providing detailed information about Europe, with a resolution of 12.5 kilometres. 

Another new feature of the Atlas is that users can draw their own boundaries on the map instead of being limited to predefined areas like countries or larger continental areas.

The regularly updated combination of data means that the C3S Atlas can empower researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in climate science to explore and analyse climate data in unprecedented detail, both globally and locally.

Climate and seasonal stripes

The C3S Atlas also offers versatile visualisation tools for exploring climate data.

Through climate stripes, they can customise climate projection time series data to show the projections from different models for a particular area and time period. Each coloured stripe can be used to represent the temperature of each year in the time series compared with the long-term average, with cooler years shown in blue and hotter years in red. 

Seasonal stripes are similar to the well-known climate stripes, but instead of including all the models, they show monthly values on the vertical axis.

Time series

This tool shows the values from all available models for a particular variable across a chosen region. It also indicates selected reference and baseline time periods. The variation among models is depicted by shading: darker shades represent where half of the models fall within a range of values. 

Accurate and reliable information

The C3S Atlas team has meticulously ensured the reliability and accuracy of all data within the Atlas through rigorous quality control measures. This helps policymakers make informed and science-based decisions rooted in the best and most reliable climate information available. "We are excited about the possibilities that the Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas offers. With its expanded scope, which is aligned with future C3S and IPCC requirements, and its intuitive, accessible interface, the C3S Atlas will give users access to quality-assured climate information. This represents another important step towards the operationalisation of climate services in support of their growing role in informing the international climate adaptation and mitigation effort,” said C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.

You can find all the details on practical navigation in the C3S Atlas in the comprehensive User Guide.

More information

Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas: a game changer for policymakers

Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas: guide to the powerful new C3S tool

OBSERVER: Celebrating a Decade of Copernicus Sentinel-1 evan Wed, 03/04/2024 - 11:54

A decade after Sentinel-1A's launch on 3 April 2014, it continues to deliver large amounts of data to users each month. This mission, built on the legacy of pioneering European satellite missions like ERS and ENVISAT, has provided invaluable data across diverse applications—from ocean monitoring to disaster response, far exceeding initial expectations. Despite Sentinel-1B's retirement due to an electrical failure, the mission's legacy continues, with Sentinel-1A still operational and future satellites poised to replenish the constellation. In this week's Observer, we take a close look at Sentinel-1 and celebrate its important contribution to the understanding of our Earth.

Almost 10 years ago, on 12 April 2014, the first radar images of Earth were captured by Sentinel-1A, just nine days after its launch. The “first light” image below shows Brussels, Belgium and its surroundings. Its vibrant colours provided a tantalising glimpse into the imagery which this new mission would contribute to Europe’s ambitious new Earth Observation programme. Copernicus is now integrated into the larger EU Space Programme, and the data from Sentinel-1 satellites have become an important part of many global efforts to understand and address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

The Sentinel-1 satellite mission, instruments, and capabilities

Europe has a long history of radar Earth Observation satellites that stretches back to the 90s. The first were the European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellites ERS-1 and ERS-2, launched in 1991 and 1995 respectively. These satellites were the first radar-equipped satellites designed in Europe specifically for environmental monitoring. Prior to the ERS missions, radar satellite technology had primarily been exploited by the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era, focusing on military and reconnaissance applications. This transition towards scientific and non-military use marked a significant shift in the application of radar satellite technology and set a new standard for Earth Observation. After the ERS mission would come ENVISAT, launched in 2002, adding new capabilities with its Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) sensor. 

Sentinel-1 represents the next evolution of Europe's radar-equipped satellites, building upon the foundations of its precursors. The mission is designed as a two-satellite constellation, initially made up of Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B. The satellites orbit in a Sun-synchronous, near-polar (98.18° inclination) orbit, ensuring a consistent long-term data archive. Each satellite is equipped with a C-band synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) instrument which operates in four modes and provides a spatial resolution down to 5 metres and a swath of up to 410 km. The SAR instrument allows for data collection in all weather conditions, including through cloud cover, as well as at night. Although Sentinel-1B was retired on August 3, 2020 due to an electrical failure, Sentinel-1A remains fully operational, and has far exceeded its life expectancy of 7 years. Even when one of its solar panels was damaged by a collision with a millimetre-sized particle of space debris in 2016, this was not enough to affect Sentinel-1A’s routine operations.

Use cases

The capabilities of the radar instrument on the Sentinel-1 satellites make them able to support a wide variety of applications such as monitoring the oceans, including shipping lanes, sea ice, and oil spills; mapping changing land cover, ground deformation, ice shelves, and glaciers; and supporting emergency response to disasters like floods and humanitarian relief efforts during crises.

Monitoring of oceans and ice

Sentinel-1's radar data is important for the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS), providing essential information regarding the state and dynamics of coastal zones. These applications not only help protect and manage the marine environment and its resources but also aim to keep vessels safe at sea. Radar images from Sentinel-1 generate timely maps of sea-ice conditions for safe passage in increasingly busy Arctic waters, distinguishing between thinner, more navigable first-year ice and the dangerous, much thicker multiyear ice. This capability is particularly suited to generating high-resolution ice charts, monitoring icebergs, and forecasting ice conditions. Additionally, data from Sentinel-1 can be used to track the paths of oil slicks and other pollutants, contributing to environmental protection and maritime safety. Users can now easily access relevant derived information products using the viewers in the new Copernicus Arctic and Coastal Hubs.

Monitoring land changes

The Sentinel-1 satellite mission has opened up new possibilities for many land applications. The satellites’ frequent revisits over the same area allow for the close monitoring of land changes, which is particularly useful in applications related to agriculture, forest management, and ground motion analysis. The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides a wide range of products based on Sentinel-1 data, including land cover and land use maps, vegetation monitoring, soil moisture, and water resource monitoring. Products such as Soil Moisture Index are relevant for agriculture as they can be used to make informed decisions about water usage to optimise crop health and productivity. For forest monitoring and management, numerous products based on Sentinel-1 data are available. These products facilitate the detection of clear-cut and partial-cut areas, forest type classification, biomass estimation, and disturbance detection, supporting deforestation monitoring in Europe and beyond. For ground motion analysis, the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS), part of CLMS, uses Sentinel-1 Interferometric SAR (InSAR) data to monitor ground motion with millimetre accuracy, allowing authorities to keep an eye on the structural integrity of infrastructure such as dams, bridges, railways, and buildings effectively. It also supports urban planning by providing data-driven insights into the likelihood of natural hazards such as landslides or subsidence, enabling informed decisions about where to build new infrastructure. 

Support to emergency and disaster response

Data from Sentinel-1 is used extensively by the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS), as the ability of SAR instruments to delineate flooded areas, see through clouds or thick smoke, and detect land changes is particularly useful for emergency situations. Sentinel-1 SAR data facilitates the identification of shifts in terrain and infrastructure damage following urban disasters, enabling precise assessments crucial for recovery planning and community impact evaluations. Moreover, this data is invaluable in land movement scenarios, like landslides or earthquakes, where it aids in detecting terrain alterations through the comparison of pre- and post-event images. Finally, the ability of radar imagery to quickly and efficiently detect the extent of flooded areas is very effective in supporting emergency response and disaster relief operations. This capability was recently demonstrated during the 2022 floods in Pakistan, where Sentinel-1 imagery used by the CEMS GloFAS Global Flood Monitoring (GFM) system, proved instrumental in the real-time monitoring and assessment efforts coordinated by various international and local agencies.

A decade of data production with much more to come

Since its launch, the Sentinel-1 satellite mission has provided a vast amount of data across a myriad of applications, from environmental monitoring to disaster response. The Sentinel-1 satellites currently publish over 95,000 products monthly, with over 2.3 petabytes of data downloaded by users worldwide, and are the only radar satellites whose data is available to users on a full, free, and open basis.

Looking to the future, the Sentinel-1 satellite mission is set to be bolstered by the upcoming launches of Sentinel-1C and 1D, with Sentinel-1C launching first to replace the now retired Sentinel-1B. These new additions will continue the Sentinel-1 legacy and ensure that users will have the data needed to feed their services in the future, as well as improve the overall performance and data quality of the constellation. 

Copernicus Sentinel-1 has made a significant impact on our ability to observe and understand the Earth. As we look back on a decade of innovation and forward to the future, we celebrate Sentinel-1’s contributions and the potential of Copernicus to support us in addressing some of the most important challenges of our time.

OBSERVER: Monitoring the World’s Forests with Copernicus Land evan Thu, 21/03/2024 - 14:07

The Siberian Taiga, a vast expanse of old-growth forest in the northern reaches of Asia, stands as a beacon of biodiversity and ecological resilience amidst the global deforestation crisis. While the Taiga remains largely untouched, it serves as a stark contrast to the alarming rate of forest loss experienced worldwide, where the last century alone has seen more trees lost than in the previous 9,000 years combined. This massive decline in global forests underscores the urgent need for effective monitoring and management strategies to preserve our planet's remaining forests. In this context, the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides high-quality, open-access datasets that are essential for policymaking and conservation efforts, supporting the EU's ambitious strategies to halt deforestation and promote forest protection. In this week's Observer, we'll delve into the innovative tools and data provided by CLMS, showcasing how it's improving our ability to monitor and manage forests globally, and discussing the implications for future forest-related policies and strategies.

In the northern reaches of Asia lies the world’s largest unbroken old growth forest. It is known as the Siberian Taiga, and it extends from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East, covering an area of just over 12 million square kilometres. Owing to the harsh arctic conditions and the sparsity of human settlements that characterise this region, the Siberian Taiga has remained untouched by human activity, though it has been affected by climate change-induced mega-wildfires.

Sadly, most of the other forests around the world are under threat. In just the last 100 years, the world has lost as many trees as the previous 9,000 years combined. To put in perspective just how much forest has been lost in the last century, it is more than the entire South American continent. Most of this deforestation has been caused by the drive to make room for agricultural fields, the vast majority of which are dedicated to animal grazing or growing crops that become animal feed. 

This massive decline in global forests has numerous negative consequences. Forests are, for example, home to 80% of the terrestrial biodiversity on Earth, providing habitats for literally millions of unique species of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. In fact, forest biodiversity is so high that famed British entomologist E.O. Wilson wrote in his book The Diversity of Life about an insect collecting trip he took to the Amazon rainforest in which he concluded that there are some beetle species whose entire population exists on and in single, individual trees. 

Protecting Forests with Policy

Forests also provide a whole host of environmental services. They play a key role in the water cycle by absorbing rainfall and releasing water vapour into the atmosphere through a process known as transpiration. This process is vital for maintaining both local and global climate stability. Forests also protect soil from erosion by rain and wind and help maintain soil fertility through nutrient cycling. Air quality is also improved by forests. Not only do they filter pollutants and dust from the air, but they also produce around 20% of the world’s oxygen.

The European Union (EU) has taken significant steps to address the issue of deforestation and forest degradation, with the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the proposed Forest Monitoring Framework being two of the most notable.  The EUDR, introduced to curb the EU market's impact on global deforestation and forest degradation, mandates companies trading in commodities such as cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood to conduct extensive due diligence on their value chain. This ensures that the goods do not result from recent deforestation, forest degradation, or breaches of local environmental and social laws, aligning with the EU's broader strategy to reduce its consumption impact on land and promote the consumption of products from deforestation-free supply chains. 

The European Commission proposed a new Forest Monitoring Framework in November 2023. This framework aims to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring the status and trends of forests across the EU, focusing on specific indicators related to climate change, biodiversity, health, invasive alien species, and forest management. The proposal is part of the EU’s efforts to ensure a coordinated EU forest monitoring system, addressing the fragmented and inconsistent information on EU forests, their social and economic value, and the pressures they face. The framework is designed to enable the collection and sharing of timely, reliable, and comparable forest data, building on existing national systems and encouraging Member States to develop integrated long-term forest plans or adapt their existing plans.

In addition, EU has also passed a number of other ambitious and binding policies—such as the Biodiversity Strategy, the Forest Strategy, the LULUCF Regulation, and the EU Timber Regulation—which aim to halt deforestation and promote protection and restoration of European forests. 

CLMS: A Tool for Forest Monitoring

The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) offers one of the world’s most extensive portfolios of high quality, open-access land cover and land use datasets. The service is jointly operated by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which manages the pan-European component, and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), which manages the global component. The synergy between European and global efforts, supported by CLMS, allows for a comprehensive view of forest health and trends at a global level, with a special emphasis on high spatial and temporal resolution for Europe. 

Global Component Products

CLMS offers two primary products that can be used to monitor forest cover at the global scale. The first is the 100m Dynamic Land Cover product, which provides annually updated global land cover maps at 100m spatial resolution. It uses state-of-the-art data analysis techniques to ensure temporal consistency and accuracy, with the latest version achieving 80% accuracy on each continent. This makes this land cover dataset of more than 20 classes a flexible tool for a wide range of applications, including forest monitoring. It is important to note that from 2025 onward, the existing 100m resolution product of the Dynamic Land Cover will be superseded with the global 10m land cover mapping as part of the new Copernicus Global Land Cover and Tropical Forest Mapping and Monitoring contract. This contract will also introduce a specific tropical forest monitoring product at 10m resolution starting with reference year 2020. The tropical forest monitoring product will include information on percentage of tree cover at 10m spatial resolution and annual changes.

The second product capable of monitoring forest cover globally is the Reference Land Cover and Land Cover Change in selected Hot Spots product. It supports efforts to preserve selected global “hot spots”, so named for their rich biodiversity, key landscape area, protected site, as well as cultural significance. There are land cover and land cover change datasets designed to offer high-resolution insights into these global hotspots, many of which are forests, with a specific focus on the African continent.

European Component Products

At the European scale, CLMS offers 10 products that contain detailed information on forests and tree cover. The Tree Cover Density product provides information on the percentage of tree cover in a given area. Like the other high-resolution layers, these data are updated annually and are available across the EEA38 area at 10m spatial resolution. Dominant Leaf Type is produced in parallel with Tree Cover Density and allows users to identify and track changes in the dominant leaf type of the entire European tree cover. The Forest Type product is derived from the Tree Cover Density and Dominant Leaf Type products. Together, these represent some of the best publicly available tree cover monitoring data in the world. Small Woody Features rounds out the set of high-resolution layers by providing information on linear and patchy tree cover such as one might find in a fragmented agricultural landscape. 

CORINE Land Cover (CLC) offers a pan-European land cover and land use inventory with 44 thematic classes, ranging from broad forested areas to individual vineyards, whereas CLC+ BackBone serves to complement and extend this product by providing higher resolution and detail to certain land cover classes of this flagship product. 

The priority area products are designed to provide a higher level of detail for specific areas of interest prone to environmental change. The Riparian Zones product is focused on the buffer areas between land and waterways, which are characterised by their unique combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats that are critical for a number of plant and animal species. The Natura 2000 product offers a comprehensive overview of select Natura 2000 sites protected under the European Union’s Habitats Directive. The Coastal Zones product covers the entirety of European coastal areas to an inland depth of 10 kilometres and gives users access to detailed land cover/land use maps of these regions. Finally, the Urban Atlas provides detailed land cover/land use maps for 788 Functional Urban Areas across Europe, including urban forests.

Forest Products in Action

On its website, the European Environment Agency provides a section dedicated to indicators, which are designed to support all phases of environmental policy making from the creation of policy frameworks to target setting. The 2018 high resolution Forest Type status layer, in combination with the 2018 Small Woody Features layer, was used as the basis for the creation of a Forest Connectivity indicator which represents the level of connectivity between forests in each Member State and Collaborating Sates of EEA. The level of forest connectivity is strongly correlated to the level of biodiversity, with more fragmented and disconnected forests showing lower species diversity compared to well-connected forests. Work such as this helps provide metrics for key forest-related policies such as the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which include a pledge to promote forest connectivity by planting at least three billion additional trees by 2030. 

In 2020 the Castilla-La Mancha Forest Fires Service (INFOCAM) took advantage of several CLMS global coverage products to evaluate the susceptibility of Spanish forests to fire risk. As climate change produces more frequent and intense droughts, and a reduction in forest management activities results in a higher fuel load in Spanish forests, fire risk in Spain is higher than ever. As a result, a detailed understanding of vegetation conditions is absolutely essential for fire management services. With publicly available CLMS datasets, INFOCAM is able to produce a set of materials such as vegetation stress risk assessments, fire intensity forecasts, and fire season preparedness estimates, all of which contribute to better forest fire management and increased safety for civilians and firefighting personnel.

The utility of CLMS data in the context of current and future forest-related policies such as the EU Deforestation Regulation, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, and the proposed Forest Monitoring Law highlights the service's pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future. As we strive to balance human needs with environmental preservation, the importance of technology and policy in driving sustainable forest management and conservation is more important than ever before.

As we move forward, the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) is poised for significant progress in technology and data products, promising to further enhance the capabilities for monitoring and managing forests globally. Innovations in satellite imaging, data processing algorithms, and artificial intelligence are expected to improve the accuracy, resolution, and timeliness of land cover and forest health data. Such progress will enable more precise tracking of deforestation, forest degradation, and reforestation efforts, offering invaluable insights for conservation strategies and policymaking.

OBSERVER: 2023 - A year of unprecedented heat and climate extremes evan Thu, 14/03/2024 - 13:24

Earlier this year, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Global Climate Highlights 2023 Summary confirmed 2023 as the warmest year on record, with global temperatures reaching an alarming 1.48 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. This unprecedented rise in temperature, underscored by a series of extreme weather events, from devastating droughts and wildfires to marine heatwaves, signals an urgent call for action. Analysing the ERA5 dataset, the report highlights the significant impact of shifts from La Niña to El Niño conditions and the continuous increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, driving home the critical need for global decarbonisation efforts and the strategic use of climate data to navigate the challenges of a warming world and safeguard our future. 

Record-breaking temperatures 

2023 has witnessed an unparalleled surge in global temperatures, setting a new record with an average annual value of 14.98°C, surpassing the previous high in 2016 by 0.17°C. This increase has been consistent, with temperatures from June to December each month being warmer than any corresponding month in past records. The boreal summer, spanning June to August, was notably the warmest season ever recorded. 

The daily temperature records offer a vivid depiction of the ongoing warming trend, marking the first time in recorded history in which every day of a year exceeded pre-industrial levels by 1°C. The frequency of days crossing the 1.5°C threshold approached 50%, with two days in November above the 2°C mark, illustrating the continued impacts of climate change. 

Analysis by C3S using the ERA5 dataset, which including climate records dating back to 1940, confirms these findings, aligning with several other global temperature datasets and indicating that 2023 was the warmest year since 1850, the year records started being collected. The ERA5 dataset shows that 2023 was not only 0.17°C warmer than 2016 but also 0.60°C above the 1991-2020 average, and a staggering 1.48°C warmer than the pre-industrial levels of 1850-1900. The report also highlights the likelihood of a 12-month period ending in January or February 2024 exceeding the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. 

The exceptional warmth of 2023 was evident across the entire year, with each month from June to December setting new records for warmth. July and August were the warmest months on record, contributing to the boreal summer being the warmest season ever documented. September 2023 stood out with a temperature deviation of 0.93°C above the 1991-2020 average, the largest deviation for any month in the ERA5 dataset. October, November, and December each recorded a temperature 0.85°C above the average, ranking them among the highest deviations observed. 

In revealing this significant warming trend that exceeded the records set in 2016 and the pre-industrial average by a never-seen-before margin, the Global Climate Highlights Summary underscores the extraordinary nature of the climate phenomena observed throughout the year and marks a critical point in the current and future challenges stemming from climate change. 

Factors influencing the unusual warmth

The transition from La Niña to El Niño conditions significantly influenced the global temperature rise in 2023. This shift contributed to the record-breaking sea surface temperatures (SSTs) observed from April through December. The North Atlantic, in particular, recorded exceptionally high temperatures, which played a pivotal role in the global warmth experienced. Additionally, the reduced extent of Antarctic sea ice further exemplified the unusual climatic conditions of the year. These factors, combined with the general trend of global warming, underscore the complex interplay of natural variability and human-induced climate change driving the planet towards unprecedented warmth.

The year-to-year increase in global-average temperature was considerable from 2022 to 2023 and can be partly attributed to a shift from La Niña conditions in 2020–2022 to El Niño conditions in 2023. However, warm ocean temperatures outside the tropical Pacific were also a factor, especially in the North Atlantic, contributing to record-high global sea surface temperatures. These warmer waters were associated with marine heatwaves in various places like the Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, North Pacific, and much of the North Atlantic. The reduction in marine sulphur aerosols from shipping due to the phasing out of high-sulphur marine fuels in 2020, is also expected to have had a marginal impact on the global average temperature increase, underscoring the myriad of factors influencing the year's exceptional warmth.

Greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise

Meanwhile, the concentration of greenhouse gases continued its upward trajectory, exceeding those observed in recent history. In 2023, carbon dioxide concentrations reached 419 ppm, and methane concentrations reached 1902 ppb. Preliminary analyses of satellite data revealed an increase from 2022 of approximately 2.4 ppm for carbon dioxide and 11 ppb for methane. The report goes on to make the shocking revelation that further analysis based on measurements from ice cores and other additional data sources indicate that the atmospheric CO2 concentrations were higher in 2023 than any other time in the last 2 million years. The observed increasing concentration of these greenhouse gases underscores their significant role in driving global warming and highlights the urgency of mitigating emissions.

The climate outlook for 2024

Current data and forecasts suggest that 2024 is shaping up to be another record-breaking year in terms of global temperatures. Forecasts from the UK Met Office and Barcelona Supercomputing Centre indicate that 2024 could be even warmer and that more unprecedented temperatures such as those observed in 2023 could be recorded, with a reasonable probability that global average temperatures will exceed the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. This expectation is largely due to the historical pattern observed with El Niño events, during which their effect on global mean temperatures tends to be larger in the year following their peak.  

The most recent seasonal forecast from Copernicus Climate Change Service published on February 10, 2024 indicates that the El Niño event has likely peaked and will continue to decay over a six-month forecast period. By the middle of the year 2024, La Niña conditions are predicted more likely than a continuation of El Niño. Further ahead, the recent long-range forecast from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) suggests that La Niña or neutral conditions are the likely pattern. 

The shift towards La Niña conditions implies a potential cooling effect on the global average temperature, contrasting with the warming trend observed during El Niño. However, it is important to note that this natural variability is superimposed on the long-term warming trend caused by human-induced increases in greenhouse gases. In fact, recent La Niña years have been warmer than El Niño years from earlier decades, underscoring the dominant influence of anthropogenic global warming. The La Niña year of 2020, for example, tied with 2016—a year which started with a significant El Niño—as the all-time-record-high global surface temperature. Therefore, while the forecasted transition to La Niña may moderate the rate of temperature increase in the short term, it will not counteract the overarching trend of global warming while the ongoing rise in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases are expected to continue driving the global average temperature upwards.

Reflecting on the report’s findings, Carlo Buontempo, Director of Copernicus’ Climate Change Service, said: “The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilisation developed. This has profound consequences for the Paris Agreement and all human endeavours. If we want to successfully manage our climate risk portfolio, we need to urgently decarbonise our economy whilst using climate data and knowledge to prepare for the future.”

OBSERVER: An in-depth look at the Copernicus Arctic Hub evan Wed, 06/03/2024 - 12:45

The Arctic, a region rich in unique ecosystems and home to fascinating wildlife such as polar bears, walruses and narwhals, plays a pivotal role in the Earth’s climate system. The extensive snow and ice cover reflects a large portion of sunlight back into space, balancing global temperatures. However, this critical balance is being disrupted by the effects of climate change, leading to the Arctic warming four times faster than the rest of the world. Rapid warming, and melting of Arctic sea ice, not only threatens the region’s unique ecosystems and wildlife, but is also making it more navigable, attracting an increasing number of ships through its waters. This increased accessibility coupled with the region’s significant oil and natural gas reserves is making the Arctic a region of significant geo-economic interest. The geopolitical implications of this, combined with the environmental changes driven by climate change, underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to preserving and protecting Arctic regions and its inhabitants.

Earth Observation (EO) data and products provide a range of crucial information to support decision-making and policy development on a diverse array of interconnected Arctic issues, making EO ideally suited for managing the complex challenges of this region. In this week's Observer, we'll explore the recently launched Copernicus Arctic Hub and see how it is improving our understanding of the Arctic regions and supporting the implementation of EU policies.

Arctic regions are warming four times faster than the rest of the world as a result of climate change. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery (2023)

About the Arctic Hub

Established by the European Commission, the Copernicus Arctic Hub is a one-stop-shop for access to Copernicus knowledge and applications on climate, ocean, land and emergency-related issues, focusing on Arctic regions. Around 150 EO-based products are available free of charge in the hub catalogue, providing a wide range of datasets from satellite imagery to in situ observations and model outputs, giving the user an informative, data-rich and science-based view of the region.

The Copernicus data and products made available through this hub focus on three areas: safety, climate change, and sustainability, which correspond the areas and objectives in the EU’s Arctic Policy. With its simple interface, it is designed to be easy to navigate, allowing users to access data from different sources of Arctic relevance, including data from all Copernicus services concerned. While it's coordinated by Mercator Ocean International, which also implements the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS), the hub aims to promote knowledge sharing between all Copernicus services and facilitate the process of identifying thematic needs and gaps.

This infographic shows the different data sources and which Copernicus Services provide them. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Marine Service, implemented by Mercator Ocean International

An eye on policy

The hub is also helping on the policy front, particularly with the EU's Arctic Policy which was updated in 2021 and is a crucial step towards preserving Arctic ecosystems and promoting sustainable development in this fragile region. This policy is in line with the objectives set out in the EU Green Deal and is essential for safeguarding Europe's geopolitical interests in Arctic regions. It aims to facilitate peaceful cooperation in the region, mitigate the effects of climate change and support Arctic communities.

The Copernicus Arctic hub supports the EU's Arctic Policy by facilitating access to data and enabling a wide range of users, including policy makers, industry stakeholders, students, and researchers to better understand the complexities of the social, economic, political, and environmental landscapes in the Arctic, which are crucial for the EU's strategic and day-to-day interests in these regions. This allows for better navigation of the Arctic's challenges and opportunities, and the development of better informed and more effective policies, at both regional and EU level.

Exploring the hub

When entering the hub, users are presented with links to basic background information on the content. Users can start by exploring the different datasets available, as well as some use cases with applications that companies and researchers are using. The use cases are divided into three main areas of application: security, climate change, and sustainability. Persons who are already using Copernicus EO-based products to study Arctic regions can also add their own use case to the platform by submitting a form describing how they're using the Arctic Hub. 

Navigating the data viewer - Three main areas of application

The data viewer is a valuable tool for exploring Arctic regions. It provides users with access to EO data from a wide range of Copernicus products and services, which can be visualised on a map or easily downloaded. By including products based on satellite and in situ data, the viewer provides detailed, near real-time information about Arctic regions. Users can browse the catalogue of products and easily add new layers to the map view. There are more than 100 layers to choose from, all useful in one of the three main areas of application.

For safety applications, the hub showcases important tools and data to address the challenges of navigating the Arctic’s extreme weather conditions and arduous environment. The objective of the EU Arctic Policy is a safe, stable, sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous Arctic. In the context of Arctic maritime safety, Copernicus can provide reliable data products that can make an important contribution to disaster risk reduction and support maritime navigation in Arctic waters. The Arctic Hub highlights several safety use cases, including Drift+Noise Polar Services for operational ice maps, IcySea for ice information apps, the Greenland Community Ice Information Service for community safety, and the ARCOS early-warning system, among others, helping to reduce the risk of disasters and supporting Arctic maritime navigation. 

For climate change monitoring, Copernicus Marine products such as sea ice thickness are useful for measuring ice melt. Arctic sea ice extent has declined significantly since 1979. The decline tends to occur in all months of the year, but has been greater in September, the time at which the ice extent reaches its annual minimum. By activating this layer and moving the cursor over different years in the map view of the data viewer, users can see how sea ice has changed in thickness over time. Looking at sea surface temperatures can also be useful. Global mean sea surface temperature has increased since pre-industrial times. Although this increase has not been uniform across all parts of the ocean, parts of the Arctic Ocean are among the fastest warming areas, making this an important variable to look at.

Finally, sustainability is a fundamental area of application of the Arctic Hub, particularly with regard to the fragile Arctic ecosystems and the increasing human activity in the region. Arctic regions are home to many unique and diverse species of flora and fauna. Until recently, the permanent sea ice cover has served as a protective shield for these ecosystems, limiting anthropogenic interference. In recent years, however, the Arctic ice cap has begun to retreat, opening up new shipping lanes which provide significant revenues for the Arctic shipping industry. This new accessibility can attract economic development, including the establishment of new ports and related shipping infrastructure, which in turn can lead to increased urbanisation. Layers that include global atmospheric composition forecasts from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), for example, help stakeholders monitor atmospheric changes, such as emissions from high latitude fires and how these threaten local flora and fauna.

The Copernicus Arctic Hub is emerging as a key platform to better address the many challenges facing Arctic regions. By bringing together information from the Copernicus services, the hub provides users with a data-rich and detailed understanding of the Arctic environment in crucial areas of application such as security, climate change and sustainability. Its user-friendly interface facilitates access to a wide range of datasets, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders. In line with the EU's Arctic Policy, it supports efforts to preserve Arctic ecosystems, promoting sustainable development and safeguarding Europe's geopolitical interests in the region. 

References and notes

1. The Copernicus Marine Service is implemented by Mercator Ocean International.

OBSERVER: Copernicus data for climate-informed decisions evan Thu, 29/02/2024 - 13:02

As global warming accelerates, decisions on infrastructure, energy, mobility, water and food security or urban planning need to be informed by the potential impacts of climate change. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) ERA5 reanalysis dataset provides key insights about our past and present climate, helping to foresee the risks, and assisting policymakers in making informed decisions. 
The consequences of climate change, anticipated by scientists many years ago, have become a part of our everyday lives. Throughout 2023, almost every corner of the world was affected, and nearly every individual has witnessed, to varying degrees, an increase in the frequency or intensity of extreme weather occurrences such as heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, or heavy rainfall. This transformation is occurring rapidly, and so we need swift adjustments in policies.

Reliable and high-quality data plays a crucial role in decision-making, as understanding the past establishes the baseline risk profile needed for effective future planning. 

Agricultural areas around Thessaly, Greece, flooded on 20 September 2023, two weeks after storm Daniel caused record-breaking rainfall.  Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery.

The ERA5 reanalysis from C3S provides reliable quality-controlled data on the state of Earth’s climate. It presents a thorough account of climate conditions on an hourly basis spanning from 1940 to a few days before the present, generating maps-without-gaps with a resolution of about 30 km.

When it comes to tracking global temperatures, particularly temperature anomalies, which involve comparing the temperature for a specific period with the average values over a historical period taken as a reference (e.g. 1991-2020), ERA5 stands out as one of the most widely used datasets globally. 

For example, using ERA5 data, C3S determined that the five months of June, July, August, September, and October 2023 were the warmest on record compared to the 1991-2020 averages for the same months. As a result, there is a high level of certainty that 2023 will be the warmest year on record.

Globally averaged surface air temperature anomalies relative to 1991–2020 for each October from 1940 to 2023. Data source: ERA5. Credit: C3S.

One ERA5, a family of datasets

Users have open access to the ERA5 dataset in the Climate Data Store (CDS) where, in addition to the main dataset, they can also benefit from other versions tailored to their needs. Let’s take a closer look at the ERA5 family of products. 

ERA5 

ERA5 provides detailed, hourly data on atmospheric, sea surface, and land surface conditions from 1940 up to five days before the present. By integrating billions of observations with cutting-edge simulations, the dataset stands as one of the most precise reconstructions of past global weather. With a horizontal resolution of 30 km, ERA5 is able to retrieve comprehensive global data on atmospheric conditions, ocean waves, and various land surface variables.

After ERA5 datasets are generated, they undergo a two-month period of quality control, during which C3S reviews and corrects any errors identified. Such instances have occurred only once since operations began, and users are promptly notified of any such corrections. 

ERA5-T 

ERA5-T (‘T’ standing for temporal) is a product in which the data from the core ERA5 dataset is pre-released with a latency of just 5 days, to meet the demands of users who require more recent data. In most cases, ERA5-t and ERA5 are identical.

ERA5-Land 

ERA5-Land is a high-resolution version of the land-related variables from the ERA5 dataset, providing a consistent view of the evolution of the land surface through land variables (lake water temperature, river discharge, soil moisture and others). It does this at an improved spatial resolution of 9 km to provide hourly data on a global scale for 50 land variables from January 1950 to three months before the present day. 

Comparison of soil temperatures graphs with different products, namely ERA-Interim, ERA5 and ERA5-Land. The charts show soil temperature of the top 7 cm of soil at 12 UTC on 15 March 2010 according to ERA-Interim (79 km grid spacing, left), ERA5 (31 km grid spacing, middle), and ERA5-Land (9 km grid spacing, right). The temperature values over the Mediterranean Sea in ERA-Interim and ERA5 are sea-surface temperature values. Credit: C3S.

ERA5-Land-T

ERA5-Land-T combines the improved spatial resolution of ERA5-Land with the reduced waiting time of ERA5-T, reducing the delay for ERA5-Land data to just five days before the present, meeting the needs of users requiring data on recent land conditions. 

ERA5 – a truly unique dataset 

Drawing on the extensive data resources of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and its Member States, ERA5 stands out as one of – if not - the most used reanalysis datasets globally. Trusted by influential organisations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), ERA5 data is also cited in numerous research papers. 

The teams dedicated to ERA5 continually improve the dataset through diligent efforts in data rescue and ongoing verification operations. Apart from verifications conducted by C3S, scientists worldwide also engage in regular assessments, comparing ERA5 results with observations and other reanalysis datasets to ensure reliability and accuracy. 

Currently, all the ERA5 teams are working on ERA6, the upcoming version expected to feature an improved horizontal resolution of at least 18 km. ERA6 will also improve the realism of interactions between the atmosphere, land, and ocean through additional and more efficient observations. Anticipated to be accessible around 2027, ERA6 will represent a significant advancement in reanalysis capabilities. 

Annual average surface air temperature anomaly (°C) for 2022, relative to the average for the 1991–2020 reference period. Produced for C3S’ European State of the Climate 2022. Data source: ERA5. Credit: C3S.

But why do we need a reanalysis in the first place?

Reanalysis activities originated from the need to have comprehensive information about current and past conditions to accurately predict future weather. To fill the gaps in observations, numerical models are used to provide the most realistic estimate of the values of all variables, including for locations where direct observations are not available, essentially reforecasting past conditions.

And so, reanalyses originally emerged as a secondary element of numerical weather prediction. However, what was once a byproduct has now become a distinct product in its own right. Since the introduction of ERA5 in 2017, the reanalysis has generated a coherent "map without gaps" of the climate, filling in areas or timeframes where observations were lacking.

Despite the complexity of creating, maintaining, and validating a reanalysis dataset, the advantages significantly outweigh the challenges, particularly at a time when comprehending the trajectory of our climate has become necessary. C3S has consistently improved this formidable climate-monitoring tool by incorporating new observations and refining simulations, in tandem with improvements to the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System. 

ERA5 in support of decision-making

The range of possibilities with ERA5 is almost boundless, as long as we pose the right questions and possess the basic skills to process the data. C3S, along with platforms like WEkEO, provides tools that facilitate both access to and processing of the data. 

Evolution of the maximum temperatures for Brussels during summer from the dataset "Climate Variables for Cities in Europe from 2008 to 2017." (illustration). Credit: C3S/ VITO.

For example, ERA5 enables local authorities to assess temperature and precipitation trends, helping them to anticipate infrastructure investments and formulate agricultural strategies. Mountain communities can use ERA5 data to gain crucial insights into changes in snowfall, while coastal regions benefit from critical information on ocean waves and temperatures, which are important for industries such as fishing and tourism.

An increasing array of decision-ready applications and publications grounded in ERA5 is used to inform global policies. Notable examples include the C3S flagship ‘European State of the Climate’ report and the monthly, yearly and seasonal updates available on the C3S website. ERA5-derived applications, like the "Extreme precipitation statistics for Europe," present data on extreme precipitation from 1979 to 2019, enabling analysis and comparison of indicators. Furthermore, C3S, in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean, has developed two applications: one assesses the impact of climate change on the suitability of Mediterranean habitats for vector-borne diseases, while the other explores the risk to UNESCO World Heritage Sites from sea level rise in the Mediterranean Basin.

View of the application “Extreme sea levels on Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage Sites” developed by C3S in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean. Credit: C3S and the Union for the Mediterranean.

Policymakers and the public are already using ERA5 data without being aware of it. For example, ERA5 played a key role in the training of GraphCast, the artificial intelligence weather prediction model created by Google, which has gained attention for its exceptional accuracy. 

“The ERA5 reanalysis dataset is very well established as a scientific tool, used by organisations worldwide as a trustworthy source of information about our changing climate,” says C3S Director Carlo Buontempo. “As global warming accelerates at alarming levels, we are putting all our efforts into developing new tools that will make our data more accessible and meaningful to decision-makers that need to make fast, informed decisions affecting the lives of millions of people,” he concluded. 

Observer: Explore our changing climate with these apps evan Thu, 22/02/2024 - 10:36

Data from Copernicus sneaks into many aspects of our lives. It's in daily forecasts of air quality and pollen levels across Europe, it's in our news channels, and it's even in your social media feeds, if you engage with Earth Observation content, of course!

But if you want to go one step further and actually explore Copernicus data for yourself, you don't have to be an expert user. Around the world, many researchers and developers have worked together to create easy-to-use applications, so you can explore Copernicus data at your own pace, with your own questions.

In particular, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has developed a wealth of applications — the C3S Apps — that you can navigate and use to explore different climate variables in context. As an appetizer, here are four easy-to-use apps to try if you want to better understand our changing climate.

Image description: Collage of visualisations from the C3S app gallery. Credit: C3S

App #1 - Global Temperature Trend Monitor

The Global Temperature Trend Monitor puts current shifts in global mean temperature trends into the context of the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement.

This application is your window into understanding the pace of temperature change compared to the pre-industrial era. It includes a sliding scale to explore data from 2000 to the present. The visualisation is clear and compelling, with a red line extending into the future, marking the average rate of warming over the past 30 years until it reaches the critical 1.5°C limit. 

Updated monthly, this tool transforms data originally from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report into an accessible, near-real-time resource. Whether you're an environmental enthusiast, a curious learner or a concerned global citizen, this app empowers you to understand the urgency of our changing climate and the importance of meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Video of the Global Temperature Trend Monitor in action. Credit: C3S

App #2 - Monthly Climate Bulletin Explorer

Each month, C3S publishes the Climate Bulletin, a compilation of information on various climate variables around the world. It includes monthly maps of surface air temperature and sea ice, as well as other variables such as precipitation, humidity and soil moisture for Europe and other regions. 

The application provides an interactive version of the bulletin, allowing you to explore the datasets for aggregated regions (the globe, Europe and European macro-regions) and individual European countries. When you open the application, you'll see a global map where you can select one of the variables you want to explore: temperature, precipitation, humidity and soil moisture. Once selected, you can explore how the variables have changed over a selectable 30-year reference period. If you click on one of the highlighted regions, you'll see a time series of the anomalies of all the variables mentioned, averaged over the selected region.

This application is useful if you want to get a deeper understanding of the Climate Bulletins without having to check the datasets yourself.

Climate Bulletin Explorer showing September anomalies with respect to average September precipitation between 1991-2020 in Southwest Europe. Credit: C3S

App #3 - European Hydrology Seasonal Forecast Explorer

The European Hydrology Seasonal Forecast Explorer is useful if you want to explore river discharge across Europe. The interactive map within the app lets you explore the most likely river discharge forecasts provided by selected hydrological models, indicating whether conditions are expected to be above, near or below normal. By simply clicking on a specific grid point or catchment, you can access a more detailed visualisation and gain a comprehensive understanding of river discharge forecasts.

Screenshot of the European Hydrology Seasonal Forecast Explorer. Credit: C3S

These seasonal forecasts have far-reaching implications, serving various sectors of the water industry, including river management for hydropower and environmental protection. In essence, this application provides both a broad overview of river conditions across Europe and the tools to facilitate regional water management planning. 

Whether you're an environmentalist, a water manager or a concerned citizen, this application will help you explore water resources across Europe.

App #4- ERA5 Explorer

As the name suggests, this application is based on ERA5, the latest global climate reanalysis produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for C3S. ERA5 describes the complete global history of the atmosphere for 1979-2020, using a combination of models and data assimilation systems to 'reanalyse' past observations. 

As a result, this app provides visualisations of historical climate statistics for any location in the world. Click anywhere on the interactive map or search for a city to explore the typical monthly climate and discover how it has changed over the past forty years.

You can use this app to explore a range of climate statistics between 1979 and 2020 around the world. You can even create a "Show Your Stripes" graphic, as we did here for the city of Sofia, Bulgaria:

User interacting with the ERA5 Explorer app. Credit: C3S

If you're eager to discover more climate-related apps, make sure to visit the C3S gallery. You can also explore other Copernicus Services to uncover exciting ways to engage with Copernicus data — even if you're not a seasoned data analytics expert!
 

OBSERVER: An in-depth look at the Copernicus Coastal Hub evan Thu, 15/02/2024 - 12:46

Imagine a summer jog along the sandy beaches of the Algarve in Portugal, a boat trip around Norwegian fjords or a leisurely walk to see the pink flamingos of the Camargue in France. Diverse and full of life, Europe's coastal zones are much admired for their biodiversity and the benefits they provide to people's livelihoods. Copernicus helps us to study and understand individual aspects of these regions; for example, the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS) provides products on ocean parameters such as water quality or sea surface temperature, while the Copernicus Land Service (CLMS) provides data on salt marshes. But to fully understand a coastal zone - and the impact of human activity on it - we need to be able to consider and analyse the different characteristics of the zones and the complex interplay of variables that can impact these unique landscapes. The recently launched Copernicus Coastal Hub aims to facilitate this kind of comprehensive analysis by providing an integrated platform for accessing a wide range of coastal data.

In this week's Observer, we'll take you on a tour of the hub and see how it's improving user experience and streamlining access to coastal zone data.

A Natura 2000 site, the Camargue in France is home to Europe's largest colony of pink flamingos, as well as many other priority species listed under EU nature directives. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery 

About the Coastal Hub

Shaped by the dynamic interplay of sea and land, coastal zones are often densely populated. Rich in biodiversity and resources, they support important ecosystems and vital industries such as tourism, fisheries and shipping. These areas, characterised by intense variability at the sea-land interface, are vulnerable to natural hazards due to the energy of waves and wind. These impacts are intensifying as the climate changes, leading to more extreme weather events and significant human and economic losses.

Established by the European Commission, the Copernicus Coastal Hub serves as a single access point to Copernicus knowledge and applications on climate, ocean, land and emergency, with a focus on Europe's coastal regions. Around 150 Earth Observation-based products are available free of charge in the hub catalogue, providing a wide range of datasets from satellite imagery to in situ observations, giving a comprehensive view of the coastal environment.

The hub facilitates data access for new and existing users and supports policy implementation from national to local levels. While it's coordinated by the Copernicus Marine Service [1], the hub aims to promote learning between all Copernicus services and facilitate the process of identifying thematic needs and gaps.

Exploring the hub

As soon as you enter the hub, you are presented with links to some basic background information on its content — the different data sets available as well as some use cases, in which you'll find applications that businesses and researchers are using to monitor, manage, and improve coastal areas across Europe. Common areas of interest include land-sea interactions, water reservoirs, pollution, eutrophication, marine protected areas and maritime spatial planning. However, if you already know what topic and subject you'd like to explore within the hub, you can go straight to the data viewer.

The data viewer is an incredibly useful tool for exploring coastal zones across Europe. It lets users access EO data from a vast portfolio of Copernicus products and services, visualised directly on a map. By including products based on satellite and in situ data (e.g. data collected by buoys in the sea) from all five thematic areas and services, the viewer provides both up-to-date and comprehensive information about coastal regions. 

Once you've opened the viewer, you can browse the catalogue of products and add any new layer to the map view. If you're unfamiliar with a product and want to learn more before adding it to the data viewer, you can click on the 'i' button and read a full description of the product, its temporal and geographical extent, use cases, and other features.

Navigating the data viewer 

Imagine, for example, that you're scouring a coastal area in the Mediterranean for possible locations to open a new aquaculture farm. Choosing the perfect location means considering a number of factors to ensure the best conditions for the success of your venture.

Factors such as water quality, site accessibility, impact on biodiversity are important in the selection of an aquaculture site. Credit: Lucut Razvan, Unsplash

One aspect you need to pay close attention to is water quality, which includes variables such as ocean colour, suspended matter and turbidity or water temperature and salinity. At the same time, you'll need to secure the infrastructure and check if extreme weather, like extreme waves, are likely to occur. You'll also want to make sure you're not too close to runoff from agricultural land, as pollution from pesticides and fertilisers can harm fish and shellfish. These are just a few of the many variables that must be considered when selecting a location for an aquaculture farm. As these data are produced by different Copernicus services, checking them individually would mean going to the website of each service to access each dataset.

To assess water temperature and salinity using the Coastal Hub data viewer you simply select the "Sea Water Potential Temperature" and "Sea Water Salinity" layers of the Mediterranean Sea Physical Analysis and Forecast product. To find a place away from where frequent high waves are uncommon, you can add a layer for this, and finally, you can activate the coastal land cover/land use layer, which shows you what land is used for agricultural purposes so you can avoid locations too close to these areas. Now you have a global view of the Mediterranean and are ready to choose the perfect spot! 

The Copernicus Coastal Hub Data Viewer is a powerful tool to navigate through different products on different aspects of Europe's coastal zones. Credit: Coastal Hub, Mercator Ocean International

The Copernicus Coastal Hub is a ground-breaking platform that offers a new perspective on the study of Europe's coastal zones. By bringing together data from different Copernicus services, it creates a holistic view that promotes a better understanding of the complex relationships between human activities and the environment in coastal regions. 

References and notes

1. The Copernicus Marine Service is implemented by Mercator Ocean International.