Image of the day

Glacier retreat on the Adamello massif, Italian Alps

Earth Observation | Copernicus
Glaciers
Download [WEBP, 1.13 MB]
Side-by-side Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite images of the Adamello Massif in the Italian Alps, comparing 7 August 2016 (left) with 5 August 2026 (right). The 2026 image shows substantial glacier retreat and thinning, with much less continuous white ice and snow and more exposed rock and fragmented glacier surfaces.
Location: Italy
Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery

The Adamello Glacier is the largest in the Italian Alps, centred on the plateau of Pian di Neve between Lombardy and Trentino. The 2025–2026 winter brought little snow to the massif, exposing the glacier surface to solar radiation earlier than usual. Conditions deteriorated further during the heatwaves of summer 2026, when the freezing level rose above 4,900 metres, well above the highest summits, and the ice continued to melt even at night.

These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images, acquired on 7 August 2016 and 5 August 2026, respectively, show the massif ten years apart. The image on the left shows a broad, continuous ice cover, bright white under late-summer snow. In contrast, the image on the right reveals a darker surface of bare, debris-marked ice in pale grey tones, with the body of the glacier fully exposed. Between the two acquisitions, the front of the Mandrone tongue, the glacier's main outlet, has retreated by around 550 metres, according to the Italian Glaciological Foundation. 

Copernicus Sentinel-2 data support the long-term monitoring of glaciers and snow cover, contributing to water resource management, natural hazard monitoring and assessment, and climate research in mountain regions.

 

Latest images of the day

Image of the day
Satellite image of the coast near Ilulissat, Greenland, on 25 July 2026. Dark blue waters of Disko Bay are scattered with dozens of bright white icebergs of varying sizes drifting away from the mouth of Ilulissat Icefjord, which is covered by a large expanse of sea ice at the lower right. The town of Ilulissat appears along the rocky coastline on the right, with labels identifying the bay, icefjord, and icebergs. An inset map marks the location in Greenland, and Copernicus Sentinel-2 branding, coordinates,
Earth Observation | Copernicus
Icebergs turns over off Ilulissat, Greenland

This natural-colour image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 25 July 2026, shows several icebergs drifting across the dark blue waters of Disko Bay, western Greenland. Dense white ice packs the mouth of Ilulissat Icefjord to the east. The ice comes from Jakobshavn, one of Greenland's most active iceberg-producing glaciers. 

More
Image of the day
Four-panel satellite image titled “Low Water Level Across Europe’s Major Rivers,” showing river conditions in early August 2026. The panels show the Loire in France, the Po in Italy, the Rhine in Germany, and the Danube in Hungary. In each image, dark, narrow river channels are bordered by broad light-colored sandbars and exposed riverbeds, illustrating unusually low water levels. Labels identify each river, country, and date, with Copernicus and European Union branding visible.
Earth Observation | Copernicus
Europe's major rivers at record low water levels

Copernicus Sentinel-2 images acquired between 1 and 3 August 2026 reveal exceptionally low water levels along sections of four of Europe's largest rivers: the Loire near Saumur in France, the Po near Cremona in Italy, the Rhine near Boppard in Germany, and the Danube near Paks in Hungary.

More
Image of the day
Copernicus Sentinel-2 image of the Landes de Gascogne region in southwestern France showing the extent of the August 2026 wildfires. Burnt areas appear in dark reddish-brown across the forest north of Arcachon Bay, with additional smaller burn scars near Biscarrosse. A lighter-toned 2022 burn scar remains visible to the southeast. The Atlantic coast, Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux, and Langon are labelled for reference.
Earth Observation | Copernicus
Four years after the major wildfires of 2022, fire returns to the Landes de Gascogne, France

In the summer of 2022, the Landes de Gascogne forest in south-western France was hit by the country's largest wildfires in decades, with more than 30,000 hectares burnt around Landiras and La Teste-de-Buch. Four years later, wildfires returned on a larger scale.

More
Image of the day
Satellite image of southern Europe centred on Greece, showing a large plume of grey smoke drifting across the mainland and surrounding sea.
Earth Observation | Copernicus
Wildfires Burn More Than 10,000 Hectares in Greece

A major wildfire broke out on 1 August 2026 near Psatha and Porto Germeno, west of Athens, in western Attica. It has burned more than 10,000 hectares, prompting an emergency response involving hundreds of firefighters, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters.

More
Image of the day
Satellite image of a volcano eruption with lava flow visible in red, smoke in white and light blue, and surrounding vegetation in bright green.
Earth Observation | Copernicus
206 days of consecutive effusive eruption at Mayon volcano in the Philippines

Mayon Volcano in Albay Province, Philippines, has remained in a state of eruptive unrest since 6 January 2026. In July, activity included lava effusion, rockfalls, volcanic gas emissions, and minor eruptions at the summit crater.

More
See all
Components
Explore
Look further