Guatemala has called for urgent international assistance to fight raging wildfires, particularly on the Agua volcano, which has devastated hundreds of hectares of forest in a matter of days. Vice President Karin Herrera has mobilised the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction CONRED to aid, stressing the need for firefighting equipment...

The ecosystems and communities of the Pacific Islands are vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. For example, the area is increasingly affected by extreme weather events, such as cyclones, which are becoming more frequent and intense. This image, acquired on 24 December 2023 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the...

The city of Melbourne in Australia has recently been named one of the 10 most sustainable cities in the world. Its investments in implementing clean transport solutions, such as trams and bike lanes, contribute to efforts aiming to reduce polluting emissions. The city prioritises green spaces, such as parks, which not only beautify the urban...

A recent study sheds light on the alarming rate at which glaciers are disappearing in Africa, particularly on Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro and the Ruwenzori Mountains. Despite the fact they are close to the equator, these glaciers serve as critical indicators of climate change. The study, published in the Environmental Research: Climate journal,...

In the Brazilian region of Roraima, the fight against rampant wildfires is intensifying as authorities battle more than 600 hotspots reported since the beginning of February, according to The National Institute for Space Research of Brazil. The area, known for its dense forests and unique biodiversity, is facing a serious threat to its...

The Great Lakes, which consist of five lakes: Superior, Ontario, Erie, Huron, and Michigan, are a vital freshwater resource, collectively holding about one-fifth of the world's surface freshwater and serving as crucial ecosystems and transportation routes. These interconnected bodies of water, bordered by the United States and Canada, hit...

The current high-pressure system over southern Europe has caused air quality to deteriorate in Italy. In the Po Valley, pollution levels are worrying and have exceeded normative thresholds. As shown in this visualisation based on data  from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, PM10 exceeded 100 μg/m3 in many areas of the Po Valley on...

Popocatépetl is a stratovolcano in central Mexico, formed by the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate. Its eruptions are predominantly explosive, driven by the build-up of gas pressure in the magma chamber. It is closely monitored due to its proximity to densely populated areas such as Mexico City and La Puebla. The...

Lake Chapala, the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, is located in the state of Jalisco. It is the primary source of water supply for the Guadalajara metropolitan area and supports a rich biodiversity of aquatic life, including numerous fish species and migratory birds. Since 2009, the reservoir has been declared a wetland of international...

Isle Royale, covering 54,200 hectares, is located in the remote western part of Lake Superior, between Minnesota, USA and Thunder Bay, Canada. The island serves as a haven for wildlife biologists, providing a unique setting to study wolves and moose in their natural habitat, free from human interference.  Since 1958, researchers have conducted...

Coral bleaching is a marine phenomenon which occurs when corals expel the algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn white or pale. This expulsion is often triggered by environmental stressors such as rising water temperatures, pollution, or changes in ocean chemistry. Without the colourful algae, corals lose their primary source of...

This visualisation, based on data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), shows the global surface air temperature anomaly for January 2024. According to C3S data, January 2024 was the warmest January on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 13.14°C. The month was 1.66°C warmer than the estimate of the January...

On 8 February, the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted for the third time since December 2023. The lava flow has disrupted the hot water supply to more than 20,000 households, and the local Civil Protection Agency has raised its alert level to emergency status for the whole Reykjanes Peninsula region. This image of the eruption was acquired by one...

Chile has been ravaged by forest fires, particularly in the Valparaíso region, where nearly 8,700 hectares have been devastated by the 5-day blaze. More than 6,000 people have been displaced in the region and at least 131 casualties have been reported. The authorities have declared the wildfires contained, but firefighters are still working to...

Severe forest fires continue to rage in Chile. According to Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, there are currently around 90 active wildfires  in various areas, which have burned at least 43,000 hectares. A minimum of 112 casualties have been reported and a state of emergency has been declared. This image of Chile, acquired by one of the...

The 3,000 kilometre-long Yukon River is a vital artery through the wilderness of Alaska. It has its source in British Columbia, and flows northwest, cutting through the vast Alaskan landscape before ending its course in the Bering Sea.  The Yukon River Delta is a vast expanse of marshes, channels and wetlands and is one of the largest in North...

Located in Argentina's Patagonia region, Los Alerces National Park is a sanctuary of ancient forests, lakes and rugged mountains. Famous for its namesake ancient alerce trees, some of which are over 3,000 years old, it is home to a wide range of flora and fauna, as well as the indigenous Tehuelche communities. A wildfire has been raging in the...

The Emperor Penguin is a species vulnerable to the effects of climate change and could be almost extinct by the end of the century. It breeds in colonies of thousands of individuals in Antarctica, leaving a trail of guano in the ice that can be seen from space.   Four unreported colonies have recently been discovered in Antarctica using...

Gulmarg is a popular ski destination in the Western Himalayas. After an unprecedentedly warm season with only one day of snow in December 2023 and none in January, it is suffering from an almost complete lack of snow. This has a serious impact on the economy of local communities that rely on winter sports tourism. The lack of snow cover can be...

This image of Gavarda, a town in the Valencian Community (Spain), was acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 25 January 2024. On that day, Western Europe was hit by an unseasonable heatwave, with record temperatures in several areas. In Spain, Gavarda recorded 30.7ºC, the highest air temperature ever recorded in Europe in...