Exploring water dynamics in the Mediterranean with Copernicus
A climatic and environmental crossroads where Europe, Africa, and the Middle East meet.
It is a region whose climate is as varied as its landscapes. While coastal Morroco and inland Spain may see less than 300 mm of rain per year, parts of Croatia and Lebanon may exceed 1,500 mm per year. At the same time, the island of Sicily regularly experiences summer temperatures in the mid-40s, while Thessaloniki & Northern Greece can see sub-zero temperatures along with their winter snow.
These differences may seem striking, but what binds them all together is water. The long dry summer is the Mediterranean's true common thread, one that has shaped every crop planted, every city built, and every civilization that has risen and fallen along the shores of the sea.
What if we could follow this water on a journey? What if we could peer down from space, and watch as it completes the cycle from sea, to sky, to land—and back again? With the help of Copernicus, the European Union's Earth Observation programme, we can do exactly that. Through the Marine Service, we can understand the broader dynamics at play as our water begins its journey in the sea. The Atmosphere Monitoring Service lets us track it after it evaporates and enters the sky. The Climate Change Service reveals how precipitation patterns are shifting over time, while the Emergency Management Service allows us to monitor the catastrophic floods that can follow. Finally, the Land Monitoring Service tracks how the water is absorbed, redirected, and transformed by the landscapes it falls upon.
The Mediterranean has always inspired epic journeys. And like all journeys, they must begin somewhere. This one begins with the sea.