2025 represented an unprecedented year for the EU Space Programme, particularly regarding the expansion of the Copernicus Sentinel family. Europe achieved a notable pace of satellite deployments, with the successful launches of Sentinel-4A, Sentinel-5A, Sentinel-1D, and Sentinel-6B. In parallel with these milestones, the Copernicus Image of the...

Daugavpils, Latvia’s second-largest city, lies to the south-east of the country and has long served as a key regional centre. Its development and identity are closely tied to the Daugava River, which flows through the city, shaping both the landscape and local life. Along its banks, forests, wetlands, and floodplains support diverse wildlife,...

The Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, situated on Alaska’s North Slope, is one of the most ecologically important Arctic wetland systems in North America. Recognised for its high conservation value, the area encompasses extensive tundra landscapes shaped by permafrost, shallow lakes, and wetlands. These habitats are important for migratory birds,...

Iceland’s glaciers are among the most prominent in Europe and play an important role in regulating freshwater resources and sea level contribution. In recent decades, they have shown sustained retreat and thinning, reflecting rising air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns associated with climate change, trends that are closely...

The Istrian Peninsula, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, is a region of high ecological value. It hosts a mosaic of karst hills, coastal wetlands, and productive marine habitats which support diverse wildlife. Its rugged shoreline, dotted with islands and bays, provides important breeding and feeding grounds for fish and seabirds,...

The 2025 Antarctic ozone hole closed on 1 December, marking the earliest closure since 2019. This year’s ozone hole was also relatively small for the second consecutive year, especially when compared to the larger and more persistent ozone holes observed between 2020 and 2023. It also exhibited higher ozone concentrations, raising hopes for...

Located in southern Chile’s Los Ríos Region, the city of Valdivia has been internationally designated under the Ramsar Convention as Latin America’s first “Wetland City”. The recognition comes after decades of citizen driven action to protect the city’s rivers, floodplains and coastal wetlands, which provide habitats for wildlife and act as...

The recently published Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2024 Report, based on data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), indicates that although last year’s fire season was classified as a moderate wildfire year for the EU, it remained above the 17-year average. This data visualisation shows the...

After reaching the second-lowest extent on record in November 2025, sea ice extent in the Arctic remained unusually low into December. Data from the EUMETSAT Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility (OSI SAF) show that, at the beginning of December 2025, Arctic sea ice extent was the lowest observed for this time of year. On 17...

In autumn 2025, persistently warm conditions combined with limited rainfall led to persistent drought conditions across the Iberian Peninsula. As rainfall deficits accumulated, soil moisture levels declined and water availability decreased, increasing pressure on agriculture, natural ecosystems, and water resources.  This data visualisation,...

The agricultural landscape surrounding Prague reflects the long-standing importance of farming in the Czech Republic, where arable land supports both national food production and rural livelihoods. This region is characterised by large, intensively managed fields interspersed with forests, urban areas, and other agricultural zones.  This data...

La Niña is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon characterised by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is part of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and significantly influences global weather patterns. By altering atmospheric circulation, La Niña can lead to...

Teide National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish Canary Islands.  It hosts one of the world’s most striking volcanic landscapes, with high-altitude plains, lava flows, and crater walls which host many endemic plant species and habitats.    This false-colour image, acquired on 15...

On 17 December 2025 at 06:01 CET (02:01 local time), two new Galileo satellites, designated SAT-33 and SAT-34, lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.  These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images show the four cities which play a central role in the EU Space Programme and Galileo, highlighting the institutional and operational...

Just weeks after its successful launch, Copernicus Sentinel-6B has delivered its first images, providing an early demonstration of how the mission will strengthen the global monitoring of oceans, coasts, and inland water bodies. Sentinel-6 is a collaborative EU–US mission, uniting the expertise of EUMETSAT, ESA, NASA, NOAA, and CNES to deliver...

Lake Omodeo, the largest artificial reservoir in central Sardinia, Italy, is a key asset for regional water supply, irrigation, and hydropower production. In recent years, however, prolonged drought conditions affecting the island have increasingly reduced its water availability, with visible impacts on the lake’s surface and storage capacity....

The Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve is located in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The reserve consists of extensive mangrove systems and interconnected lagoons, including the Agua Brava lagoon and the El Chumbeño estuary, located along the Pacific coast. In addition, this protected area is the subject of initiatives to support mangrove...

The Temmesjoki River is a small river that flows through the towns of Liminka, Tupos, and Tyrnävä on the Finnish coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, and empties into Liminganlahti Bay, a Natura 2000 and Ramsar site. This false-colour image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 28 September 2025, shows the river and its main...

On 9 December 2025, Storm Bram struck the United Kingdom and Ireland with strong winds and torrential rain, resulting in train, flight, and ferry cancellations, as well as power outages. On 10 December, flood warnings were in place across the United Kingdom, and severe flooding affected areas along multiple rivers. This image from one of the...

On International Mountain Day,  we recognise the significance of mountain ranges and the crucial role that mountain regions play in the water cycle, primarily through the presence of glaciers. Glaciers are vast reserves of ice and snow distributed across the planet. They support ecosystems and communities, yet they are undergoing rapid and...