The EGU General Assembly 2025 program placed a strong emphasis on Open Science across its scientific sessions, short courses, townhalls, and networking events. Key activities centered on four core themes: FAIR and open data, FAIR workflows, interoperability & reproducibility, and open-source initiatives. These themes resonated across disciplines and engaged key stakeholders. Prominent among these were …
The European Space Agency (ESA) and Brazil have maintained a collaborative relationship in space exploration and technology over the years. In 2002, ESA and Brazil signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement to expand joint efforts in space science, Earth Observation, telecommunications, microgravity experiments, and life sciences, facilitating the exchange of experts and collaborative studies, and strengthening …
In a surprising discovery, scientists have observed a glacier in West Antarctica rapidly diverting ice from its neighboring glacier, a phenomenon dubbed “ice piracy.” This significant shift, previously believed to occur over millennia, has occurred in less than two decades. The study, led by researchers from the University of Leeds and published in The Cryosphere, …
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Antarctica InSync coordination team are inviting the global scientific community to participate in the upcoming International Antarctica InSync Science Webinar. This online event aims to provide an in-depth update on the progress and future plans of the Antarctica InSync programme, focusing on establishing working groups centered around key …
Advancements in space technologies in the last decades have laid the basis for a new era for space-based sensing exploiting Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging, spurred on by the potential to deploy constellations of micro-satellites equipped with antennae possessing significant gain and steering capabilities. Long dwell-time products with fine spatial resolution enable the extraction of …
A study, recently published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, shows that it’s possible to safeguard 30 % of the Atlantic Ocean’s high‑seas biodiversity, without severely disrupting fishing or shipping routes, by harnessing satellite data to define “seascapes” and redirect marine traffic. Using bio‑optical information from ESA’s Envisat, Copernicus Sentinel‑3, alongside NASA’s Aqua, OrbView‑2 and NOAA‑20 satellites, …
A major step forward in Mediterranean Sea research was taken last week, on April 7th, with the inauguration of the advanced Mediterranean open science Data Analysis Lab (MeDAL) at ESA’s ESRIN Science Hub. The launch of the new initiative was formalised through the signature of a Memorandum of Intent by Simonetta Cheli, Director of ESA …
In collaboration with the AUC, the ESA EO AFRICA R&D Facility has launched a call for research proposals to support African–European collaborative efforts to develop innovative and reusable open-source EO algorithms and applications adapted to African solutions to African challenges by leveraging cutting-edge cloud-based data access and computing infrastructure. This is the second call of …
It’s a great time to work in Earth Observation, with an unprecedented number of missions acquiring high-quality, freely accessible data. These are complemented by a whole ecosystem of analytic tools and software. The ESA Earth Observation Program (EOP) supports EO downstream industry in developing novel applications, and numerous innovative results are generated every year in …
A paper, recently published in Nature Communications, reveals that a major subglacial lake drainage event beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier in 2013 temporarily doubled the rate of ocean-driven melting beneath its ice shelf. The sudden release of over 7 km³ of freshwater formed a buoyant plume that intensified the melting effect of warm, deep ocean …
