Copernicus



What is Copernicus?

Copernicus is the Earth Observation component of the European Union’s Space programme. Earth Observation (EO) refers to the use of remote sensing technologies to monitor land, marine (seas, rivers, lakes) and atmosphere. Satellite-based Earth Observation relies on the use of satellite-mounted payloads to gather imaging data about the Earth’s characteristics. The images are then processed and analysed in order to extract different types of information that can serve a very wide range of applications and industries.

The information provided by the Copernicus services can be used by end users for a wide range of applications in a variety of areas. These include urban area management, sustainable development and nature protection, regional and local planning, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, health, civil protection, infrastructure, transport and mobility, as well as tourism.

Copernicus also collects information from in situ systems such as ground stations, which deliver data acquired by a multitude of sensors on the ground, at sea or in the air.

The Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG-DEFIS), that leads the European Commission's activities in the Defence Industry and Space sector, is in charge of implementing the EU Space programme consisting of the European Earth Observation Programme (Copernicus), the European Global Navigation Satellite System (Galileo) and the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).


What services does Copernicus provide?

There are two groups of earth observation satellites:

1. The Sentinels, which are developed for the specific needs of the Copernicus programme. Sentinel-1, -2, -3 and -6 are dedicated satellites, while Sentinel-4 and -5 are instruments onboard EUMETSAT’s weather satellites.

2. The Contributing Missions, which are operated by National, European or International organisations and already provide a wealth of data for Copernicus services.

The Copernicus services transform this wealth of satellite and in situ data into value-added information by processing and analysing the data. These value-adding activities are streamlined through six thematic streams of Copernicus services:


1. Atmosphere.

Monitoring anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) and its emissions is a challenging but vital task to mitigate global warming. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) and Carbon Monitor collaborate to provide near-real time daily CO2 emission estimates for six activity sectors in the European Union.

CAMS collaborates with Carbon Monitor to provide regularly updated estimates of daily CO2 emissions based on activity data for six sectors.

Carbon Monitor monitors the variations of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production since 1 January 2019 at national level with near-global coverage.

Daily CO2 emissions are estimated from a diverse range of activity data, including hourly to daily electrical power generation data of 29 countries, monthly production data and production indices of industry processes of 62 countries/regions, and daily mobility data and mobility indices of road transportation of 416 cities worldwide.

Individual flight location data and monthly data are utilised for aviation and maritime transportation sectors estimates.

In addition, monthly fuel consumption data that are corrected for daily air temperature of 206 countries were used for estimating the emissions from commercial and residential buildings.

Carbon Monitor data show the dynamic nature of CO2 emissions through daily, weekly and seasonal variations as influenced by workdays and holidays, as well as the unfolding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent events such as the war in Ukraine and recent droughts in Europe and China.


2. Marine.

The ocean, covering over two-thirds of the Earth's surface, is a dynamic entity that supports life both in and out of the water. Its interconnected currents and systems influence the climate, while its rich biodiversity not only supports marine life, but also plays a key role in human livelihoods.

Every year, Mercator Ocean International, in the framework of the European Union Copernicus Marine Service releases the Copernicus Ocean State Report.

As part of the Copernicus Marine Service, the annual Copernicus Ocean State Report (OSR) launched in 2015 is the key tool of its ocean reporting framework.

The OSR reports on the state, variability, and ongoing changes in the marine environment of the global ocean and the European regional seas over the past decades up to close to real time.

Using observation-based (remote sensing, in situ) and ocean reanalysis data, the OSR provides a comprehensive 4-dimensional (latitude, longitude, depth, and time) analysis of the Blue, Green, and White Ocean. The OSR is intended to act as a reference, providing a unique ocean monitoring dashboard for the scientific community and for policy makers and others with decision-making responsibilities.


3. Land.

The products of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service are organised into several components:

a. Land Cover and Land Use Mapping.

Land Cover and Land Use Mapping produces land cover classifications at various level of detail, both within a pan-European and global context. At the pan-European level, these are complemented by detailed layers on land cover characteristics, such as imperviousness, forests, grassland, water and wetness and small woody features. At global level, the land cover mapping follows the FAO's modular-hierarchical Land Cover Classification System.

b. Priority Area Monitoring.

Priority Area Monitoring aims to provide tailored and more detailed land cover and land use information on specific areas of interest, often called hot spots. Hot spots in the context of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service are areas prone to specific environmental challenges.

c. Bio-geophysical Parameters.

The systematic monitoring of Bio-geophysical Parameters produces a series of qualified bio-geophysical products on the status and evolution of the land surface. The products are used to monitor vegetation, crops, water cycle, energy budget and terrestrial cryosphere variables. For easier reference these products are grouped in five thematic blocks: Soil Moisture, Snow, Vegetation, Temperature and Reflectance and Water Bodies.

d. Ground Motion Monitoring.

The European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) provides consistent and reliable information regarding natural and anthropogenic ground motion over the Copernicus participating states and across national borders, with millimeter accuracy.

e. Satellite Data.

Satellite Data comprise image mosaics from contributing missions covering the territory of Europe as well as Sentinel-2 image mosaic production at global level.

f. Reference and Validation Data.

Reference and Validation Data covers reference datasets providing homogeneous pan-European hydrographic dataset and in situ measurements collected at global scale to validate core products of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service.


4. Climate Change.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) provides climate monitoring for the globe, Europe and the Arctic.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the UN authoritative organisation that collates, monitors and predicts weather, climate and water resources, and provides related services at national, regional and global scales through its 193 Members, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services. C3S and the WMO have released a joint report on the European State of the Climate (ESOTC) in 2023. This provides descriptions and analysis of climate conditions and variations from across the Earth system, key events and their impacts, and a discussion of climate policy and action with a focus on human health. The ESOTC also includes updates on the long-term evolution of key Climate Indicators.

Since the 1980s, Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average, becoming the fastest-warming continent on Earth. This is due to several factors, including the proportion of European land in the Arctic, which is the fastest-warming region on Earth, and to changes in atmospheric circulation that favour more frequent summer heatwaves.

Glaciers are melting and there are changes in the pattern of precipitation. An increase in extreme rainfall is leading to catastrophic events, such as the widespread flooding seen in Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden in 2023. Meanwhile, southern Europe is seeing widespread droughts. The frequency and severity of extreme events are increasing.


5. Security.

The Copernicus service for Security applications aims to support European Union policies by providing information in response to Europe’s security challenges. It improves crisis prevention, preparedness and response in four key areas:

a. Border Surveillance.

In the area of border surveillance, the main objectives are to reduce the death toll of illegal immigrants at sea, to increase the internal security of the European Union and to fight against cross-border crime.

With an agreement signed on 10 November 2015, the European Commission entrusted FRONTEX with the border surveillance component of the Copernicus Security Service. The objective is to support the EU’s external border surveillance information exchange framework (EUROSUR) by providing near real time data on what is happening on land and at sea around the EU’s borders.

b. Maritime Surveillance.

In the area of maritime surveillance, the overall objective of the European Union is to support Europe's maritime security objectives and related activities in the maritime domain. The corresponding challenges mainly relate to safety of navigation, support to fisheries control, combatting marine pollution, and law enforcement at sea.

With an agreement signed on 3 December 2015, the European Commission entrusted EMSA with the operation of the maritime surveillance component of the Copernicus Security Service. Under the agreement, EMSA uses space data from Copernicus Sentinel 1 and other satellites combined with other sources of maritime information to effectively monitor maritime areas of interest.

c. Support to EU External and Security Actions (SESA).

The Copernicus security service component on support to EU External and Security Actions (SESA) is a European geospatial information service that assists the EU and its Member States in the framework of applicable Union policies and legislation along the following main policy groups, associated to key responsibilities across EU Institutions and Member States:

1. Union external action supporting the Union and its Member States.

2. Security challenges facing the Union and its Member States.

3. Monitoring of the implementation of EU Law.

The EU Satellite Centre (SatCen) was entrusted by the Commission in 2016 with the implementation of the Copernicus security service in support to EU External Action.

On 29 August 2023, the Commission and the SatCen signed a new contribution agreement for the implementation of the Copernicus Security Service component SESA. This new agreement ensures the continuity of service provision until 2027 and implements evolutions.

The SESA service includes new application areas, notably addressing Security of EU Citizens, Humanitarian Aid, Crisis and Conflict, Rule of Law, Transport Safety and Security, Stability and Resilience for Development, Cultural Heritage, International Trade and Economic Diplomacy as well as cutting-edge challenges such as Environmental Compliance, Climate Security or Health Security. These additional application areas have been designed based on specific user needs and through service evolution activities. The SESA service mainly targets European users, but it can also be activated by key international stakeholders, as appropriate under EU international cooperation agreements.

d. Research for Earth Observation Security applications.

With the adoption of the EU Space Programme Regulation in 2021, emphasis was placed also on strengthening the link with research activities, particularly Horizon Europe, aligning R&D activities with service evolution needs, while maximising the probability of uptake of R&D results and foster Industrial competitiveness.

Earth Observation (EO) technologies are advanced significantly, both in terms of observation and data processing capacities, allowing for narrowing the gap between user expectations and service delivery. It became key to incorporate new technologies into operational services, rendering them more fit for the purpose they were designed for, while countering obsolescence.


6. Emergency.

The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) supports all actors involved in the management of natural or manmade disasters by providing geospatial data and images for informed decision making. CEMS constantly monitors Europe and the globe for signals of an impending disaster or evidence of one happening in real time.

The service immediately notifies national authorities of their findings or can be activated on-demand and offers to provide them with maps, time-series or other relevant information to better manage disaster risk. CEMS products are created using satellite, in-situ (non-space) and model data.

CEMS products show information about a disaster event on a scale, timeline, and perspective that only geospatial information can provide. CEMS products can examine changes to an area of Earth over a series of days, weeks, months or years. This can help authorities pinpoint affected areas by identifying changes e.g. from one day to the next.

The high level of detail allows actors to visualise the extent of an event without travelling to each area of a region, saving time and resources. The products can be quickly shared among all agencies involved in an incident to enable timely and consistent response actions.

Floods - The European Flood Awareness Systems (EFAS) and Global Flood Awareness Systems (GloFAS) provide complementary flood forecast information to relevant stakeholders that support flood risk management at the national, regional and global level.

Fires - The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) monitors forest fire activity in near-real time. EFFIS supports wildfire management at the national and regional level for EU member states and across the Middle East and North Africa.

Droughts - The Drought Observatory (DO) provides drought-relevant information and early-warnings for Europe (EDO) and globally (GDO). The service publishes short analytical reports (Drought News) in anticipation of an imminent drought.