Multiple agricultural fires are ongoing in South Asia.  They are causing high levels of PM2.5, which creates numerous air pollution hotspots. In Laos, the smoke clouds have led to dangerously poor air quality, forcing schools to close. One of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured the thick smoke cloud on 4 April, highlighting the widespread impact...

In early April 2023, multiple plumes of Saharan dust were observed originating from Africa. On 4 April, Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured an image of a large plume stretching hundreds of kilometres from the coast of Libya to Türkiye. These dust plumes can have severe impacts on the environment, air quality, and human health. Therefore, monitoring...

The glaciers in New Zealand are rapidly retreating due to the effects of climate change, and it is predicted that many of them will vanish within the next decade. Among those at risk is the Brewster Glacier, which can be seen in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 22 March.  According to the scientists at the...

Latvia is currently facing severe floods along the Daugava River, causing water levels to rise rapidly in nine municipalities of the Upper Daugava Region. The floods pose a serious threat to surrounding communities, farms, and the environment. The extent of the floods can be appreciated in this Copernicus Sentinel-1A radar image captured on 1...

Arctic sea ice reached its maximum extent for the year on 6 March. It happens to be the fifth smallest winter extent in the 45-year satellite record. This Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite image captured on 30 March shows the extent of sea ice off the coast of Greenland. The melting of Arctic sea ice has a significant impact on the global...

Dozens of fires are currently active in Asturias, an Autonomous Region in north-western Spain. The blazes have already caused the evacuation of about twenty people in the towns of Aristebano and Caborno, affecting various buildings and constructions in several towns. The weather conditions, with strong gusts of wind and high temperatures, are...

Villarrica is one of the most active volcanoes in Chile, known for its frequent strombolian activity and the occasional presence of a small lava lake in its summit crater. Over the past few days, moderate activity and frequent degassing have been observed at the volcano. The hot spot in the summit area of the Villarrica is visible in this...

As the spring season arrives, the clouds slowly dissipate, offering a crystal-clear view of the high latitudes and their awe-inspiring natural landscapes. On 26 March, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites captured an almost cloudless image of the Scandinavian peninsula, showcasing the region's breathtaking natural beauty still covered...

Although many glaciers in Antarctica usually maintain their snow cover throughout the year, the last austral summer season saw anomalously high temperatures that resulted in the melting of several snow-covered regions in the Antarctic Peninsula, which extends towards South America, to their bare ground. Several glaciers in the region completely...

This image, acquired on 26 March by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, shows the burn scar caused by the first major wildfire of 2023, which broke out last week north of Valencia. The fire started on 23 March, causing widespread damage and the destruction of approximately 3,700 hectares of vegetation. After starting in the Castellón...

On 17 March 2023, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured this rare cloud-free image of  Deception Island. Deception Island is an active volcanic caldera located in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It has long been the focus of intense interest from both tourists and researchers because of its remarkable geology and unique...

This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on March 10, 2023, shows Chinguetti in Mauritania.  Situated in the Adrar Region, Chinguetti is an important UNESCO World Heritage Site, once a thriving centre for religion, trade, and scholarship. However, it is now facing a grave risk due to the consequences of climate...

Tropical cyclone Freddy, during its extensive journey, has caused serious destruction and loss of life. The latest countries to be devastated by the cyclone are Mozambique and Malawi, with more than 300 fatalities and dozens of missing persons. On 18 March, one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites captured a plume of sediments flowing from...

This image, acquired on 16 March by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites,s shows iceberg A76a. A76a is one of the largest icebergs in the world. After its calving in 2021, it continued its journey in the Antarctic Ocean. Oceanic currents have recently been carrying it closer to South Georgia, and it is now only approximately 600 km away...

As spring approaches, Iceland is displaying its natural beauty in a rare cloud-free image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite on 16 March. The false-colour visualisation depicts the bare soil in yellow, while ice appears in white and blue shades. The Sentinel-3 satellites are part of the Space Component of European Union's...

This image, acquired on 14 March by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, captures banks of sargassum floating off the coast of the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea. Sargassum is a brown seaweed commonly found in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the largest bloom in years began in early 2023 and has affected many coastlines...

Since 2017, the Antarctic sea ice extent has consistently been below the average value of the 1981-2010 reference period. In February 2023, this trend reached a new negative milestone. According to Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) data, the Antarctic sea ice extent reached the lowest level ever recorded, standing at 34% below the...

Temperatures above reference average values continue to be recorded in Europe. According to the latest climate bulletin published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), February 2023 has been the fifth warmest February globally. Air temperatures were above average for most of Europe, with anomalies reaching +8ºC peaks in the Arctic...

This image, acquired on 2 March 2023 by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites, shows a snow-covered Yosemite National Park in California. After a series of winter storms, California officials reported that the State’s snowpack is the largest in decades.  The current snow accumulation stands at 177% of the norm at this time of the year....

At the end of February, tropical cyclone Freddy caused significant damage and population displacements in Madagascar and Mozambique, with at least 21 casualties. After more than two weeks, its cyclonic activity has not stopped. As shown in this image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellites, on 7 March, Freddy was approaching...