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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The '10 New Insights in Climate Science' report by @futureearth.bsky.social, The Earth League & @wcrpclimate.bsky.social identifies major climate developments. Scientists working through ESA's Climate Change Initiative contributed. Join today's webinar presenting the report: tinyurl.com/5n99w844

climate.esa.int

2026 climate science headlines outlined in new report

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Image: Greife, A. J., Calamita, E., Pinardi, M., Carrea, L., Maidment, R. I., Pitarch, J., et al. (2026). Find out more about the Lakes project: climate.esa.int/de/projekte/...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

💧 New study shows: Lake Kariba’s basins respond differently to low water levels. Satellite observations and a 3D model across 14 years show the upstream basin is most sensitive, while downstream waters are more stable. More: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

How water levels shape phytoplankton blooms across Lake Kariba, 2004–2018.
The heatmaps compare weekly changes in algae growth across the reservoir’s three basins. Symbols mark years with low, medium and high water levels. The maps show where persistent bloom hotspots occurred most frequently under each water-level condition. Satellite datasets from the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative underpin the analysis.

Greife, A. J., Calamita, E., Pinardi, M., Carrea, L., Maidment, R. I., Pitarch, J., et al. (2026).

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

🛰️ ESA is seeking proposals for the next generation of satellite climate records. This work will improve the availability of climate information for scientific research, modelling, adaptation and mitigation. Read more and submit your proposal: tinyurl.com/rshu3eer

tinyurl.com

New tender to develop next-generation satellite climate information

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Irrigation leaves a detectable pattern in soil moisture💧ESA-funded research mapped the locations of the main irrigated areas in the contiguous US. This method produced results that more closely matched official water-use statistics than the existing map alone. tinyurl.com/56jaktwr

Two maps compare irrigation across the United States; darker blue shows a larger irrigated share, and hatching marks cropland.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Join us for our next webinar to meet @ruthmottram.eurosky.social, the Principal Investigator of ESA PISCO project. She uses a combination of satellite data and climate models to study changes across polar ice sheets, and the role this plays in sea-level rise. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

ESA quote card featuring polar climate scientist Ruth Mottram on satellite records and models tracking how ice sheets are changing.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Polar ice sheets play a crucial role in the climate system and are key to future sea-level rise. Join @ruthmottram.eurosky.social on 28 Sept, 16 CEST, for an ESA Climate Change Initiative webinar on Earth observation, models and ice sheet change. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

💧Normal river flows remained uncommon across much of the world in 2025. 36% of the assessed catchment area was drier than normal. ESA's Climate Change Initiative contributed to the World Meteorological Organization's State of Global Water Resources 2025 report. climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

Lake water levels in 2025 expressed as anomalies compared with the 1995–2020 reference period. The selected 75 water bodies consist of 55% near-natural lakes, 12% regulated lakes and 33% reservoirs.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

There are only 2 days left to register for our SATACI webinar. Find out how satellite observations, climate simulations and long-term climate records can enhance our understanding of aerosol–cloud interactions and aerosol-related radiative effects. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Aerosol–liquid-cloud relationships stratified by aerosol layer height, obtained from climate-model simulations.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Credits: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Greenland and Antarctica have lost around 11 trillion tonnes of ice since the 1970s – and most of it never melted at the surface. 🧊 A new assessment by the Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise sets out the longest satellite record to date. Read more: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Seven new and updated satellite datasets are expanding the record of ocean waves🌊 ESA’s Climate Change Initiative Sea State project team has released version 4 data, providing global observations of significant wave height and sea state parameters. More about the new datasets: tinyurl.com/2nynufk9

Visualisation based on Global remote sensing merged multi-mission monthly gridded significant wave height, L4 product, version 1.1. New dataset available here: https://climate.esa.int/en/catalogue/315d8e013696420192f1ea1d9191ca9c/

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

🛰️Funding for satellite climate data was the theme of the first day of #UKEO26. Susanne Mecklenburg highlighted a upcoming ESA procurement to advance global satellite climate data records for sustained use in climate services. Find the tender here: esastar-publication-ext.sso.esa.int/ESATenderAct...

Panel discussion at the UK Earth Observation Conference, with three speakers seated on stage and one speaking at a lectern. A large screen displays an ESA Earth Explorers slide showing satellite missions around a globe.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

How can satellite records be used as evidence of aerosol–cloud interactions? Marta Luffarelli explores how observations can be collocated and stratified, how climate simulations can support satellite-based studies, and whether long-term records can indicate radiative forcing. tinyurl.com/5n6s5asb

Preliminary regional climate indicator results

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The new, free Rapid Evaluation Framework speeds checks of climate models against real-world observations, using four ESA-supported satellite datasets. Results will support key climate assessments, including the next @ipcc.bsky.social report. Full story: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

High-level workflow for the Rapid Evaluation Framework (REF) combines quality-assured model output with a collection of observational reference data then initiates diagnostics and generation of tabular and graphical representations of a variety of metrics. The results are then published via an API for bespoke analysis and on an online dashboard for community use. Figure available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15594501 (Hoffman et al., 2026)

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

How can space help us see changes across Earth? At #ArsElectronica Festival 2026 in Linz, @miguelbooth.bsky.social took audiences from satellite observations and climate data to protecting Earth from asteroid impacts. Explore the interactive Climate from Space app: cfs.climate.esa.int 📸 vog.photo

A large projection of Earth showing Africa, Europe and Asia, with climate data including “4.6 mm per decade” and “111 Gt/yr”. An audience is seated below the screen in the darkened Deep Space 8K.

A speaker holding a microphone stands in front of an audience as a projection shows the Arctic region, sea ice and the text “Summer Sea Ice Extent” in Deep Space 8K.

A speaker addresses an audience in front of a large projection of a mountain glacier. Colour-coded lines illustrate changes across the glacier.

A projection shows an aerial view of a city partly covered by a large translucent ice cube. Text explains that the cube represents one year of ice loss, while an audience watches from below.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Environment and Climate Change Canada and ESA CCI's Remote Sensing of Tipping Points in Lakes project present Laurentian Great Lakes research at @oceanopticsconf.bsky.social in Ghent. Poster 25 | 14 Sep 2026 | 15:30–17:30 oceanopticsconference.org

Graphic showing a satellite image of the Laurentian Great Lakes with turquoise and green areas in the water, labelled “RESETlakes”. Below, two scatter plots compare satellite-derived and in situ chlorophyll-a measurements for the OC-CCI and Lakes-CCI products, illustrating differences in their accuracy and sensor-related bias.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

💻 Explore satellite-derived climate data through hands-on demos of the Climate Change Initiative Toolbox at the European Space Agency's booth during #UKEO2026, taking place from 15–17 September. No data analysis experience necessary. Places are limited. Register here: tally.so/r/ODKybY

Overview of the training material notebooks in the CCI Toolbox training environment, which show the different climate datasets that can be worked with.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Plan your #UKEO2026-visit: ESA’s Climate Change Initiative will bring satellite-derived climate information, practical data tools and expert discussion to the programme. 📅 15-17 September | University of Warwick Full programme: heyzine.com/flip-book/3e...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Meet Marta Luffarelli, a remote sensing scientist who works on retrieving aerosols, clouds and surfaces from Earth observation data. She coordinates the SATACI project, which brings together satellite scientists, aerosol and cloud experts, and climate modellers. Join her webinar tinyurl.com/5n6s5asb

ESA quote card with portrait of Marta Luffarelli describing SATACI as a shared space for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

A study supported by ESA's Climate Change Initiative projects that Europe's forest carbon sink could decline 39% by 2030 as disturbances outpace recovery. Meeting the target needs a 28% harvest cut from 2025. 🌲 More: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

Projected decline in the forest carbon sink in a business-as-usual scenario. The forest carbon sink is defined as the sum of five components: net carbon stock change in AGC, BGC, HWPs, deadwood (including litter), and soils. (a) Forest carbon sink of the EU-27. (b) Forest carbon sink of the five biogeographical regions, normalized by forest area (in hectare of forests, haF) to facilitate comparison.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

More about the Water Vapour project: climate.esa.int/en/projects/...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

☁️💧 Four updated satellite datasets now cover atmospheric water vapour over land from 2000 to 2023. Daily and monthly records at two levels of resolution support climate and water cycle research. More about the new datasets: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

ESA world map showing total atmospheric water vapour distribution on 15 December 2017, with higher concentrations in turquoise and blue. Total Column Water Vapour; Version v3.2; Temporal Resolution: monthly; December 15, 2017. Updated Total Column Water Vapour datasets are available, Version v4.2 2000-2023

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Quantifying aerosol–cloud interactions remains one of the most challenging aspects of understanding Earth's climate response. Join our next webinar with M. Luffarelli to find out how the SATACI project transforms satellite observations into reliable climate data. 23 Sep | 16:00 tinyurl.com/5n6s5asb

ESA webinar poster featuring a cloud-filled sky. The poster is about aerosol-cloud interactions with the SATACI project and includes a call to action and the date: 23/09/2026.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Warming is making extreme wildfires more likely and more severe. ESA’s XFires project aims to gain a holistic understanding of what makes fires extreme, their drivers and their impacts on Earth’s system, helping inform climate models and adaptation policy. climate.esa.int/en/Cross_ECV...

A wildfire burns through a dense coniferous forest, with towering orange flames and thick smoke behind dark tree trunks.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Thank you very much for your interest. You can find more information about the job on the website: jobs.esa.int/job/Harwell-...

jobs.esa.int

Climate Applications Scientist

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Wildfires are spreading, satellites are watching. But it's more complex than it sounds. 🔥🛰️ Dr Lucrecia Pettinari explains how remote sensing tracks fuel dryness, active fires & burn scars – and where the limits lie. Watch: climate.esa.int/en/climate-c...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

New ESA-funded research turns CryoSat-2 observations into continuous monthly maps of Greenland Ice Sheet surface elevation change. The new method captures both seasonal and long-term changes, even where satellite observations are sparse. 🛰️❄️ doi.org/10.5194/tc-2...

Spatial distribution of surface elevation change rate (m yr−1) over the Greenland Ice Sheet for the period 2011–2025 derived from CryoSat-2 data ©ESA. Black circles indicate the locations where elevation-change time series are extracted. Stars mark PROMICE automatic weather stations used for validation.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

ESA is looking for a Climate Applications Scientist at ECSAT in Harwell, UK. Help turn decades of atmospheric satellite observations into climate information for research, climate services & policies. Apply by 31 August 2026 👉 jobs.esa.int/job/Harwell-...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

A 34-year satellite record shows why global averages can mislead: humid tropical and boreal forests are increasingly shifting from carbon sinks to sources. The record extends global estimates of forest carbon, covering the years 1988-2021: doi.org/10.1038/s414....

Time series of AGC stock changes with respect to 1988 at both global and biome levels, revealing overall increasing AGC stocks in global, temperate, boreal, and dry tropical & subtropical forests, and slightly decreasing AGC in moist tropical forests.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

2025 was among the three warmest years on record, with record greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level and ocean heat. The latest @ametsoc.org State of the Climate report drew on long-term satellite datasets from ESA's Climate Change Initiative across land, water, ice, oceans and the atmosphere.🛰️

climate.esa.int

2025 breaks climate records, says BAMS report

According to the 36th and latest iteration of the annual State of the Climate report published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS), greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea ...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Did you miss our webinar on satellite retrievals for wildfires? Here is the recording tinyurl.com/3utttbey Emilio Chuvieco, science leader of @esa.int's Climate Change Initiative Fire project, explained how satellite data is helping us better understand one of the biggest drivers of climate change.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

🛰️ Decades of satellite climate data, one Python package. On our updated website, you can find a number of code examples and extensive documentation of how to use our Toolbox and get fast access to it via our Jupyter Lab. climate.esa.int/en/data/tool...

Examples Explorer interface showing climate data tutorials for ESA satellite datasets and analysis.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Heatwaves dominate the headlines. But on the other side of the world, Antarctica is deep in winter – and its ice is telling a complicated story. Snowfall is adding mass. Glaciers are releasing ice into the ocean. For now, snowfall is winning – but only just. 🧊 climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Since 2018, Europe’s forests have been losing 46% more biomass per hectare disturbed forest each year than ever recorded. A new study has determined not just where Europe's forests were disturbed, but how much biomass disappeared along with them.🌲 Read more: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

These images show the absolute severity (left) and relative severity (right) of above-ground biomass (AGB) density loss from European forests caused by natural disturbances and harvest. Absolute severity measures the loss of above-ground biomass after a disturbance, such as wind, fire or insect damage, or after tree harvesting. Relative severity is a percentage loss relative to the biomass measured before disturbance or harvest. Credit: ESA (data source: Kowalski et al. 2026).

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

ESA is hiring a Climate Applications Scientist at ECSAT, Harwell 🛰️ Lead atmospheric R&D projects in the Climate Team and shape how decades of satellite data get used in climate science. 📍 ECSAT, Harwell, UK | 📅 Deadline 31 August Apply now 👉 climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Join us at #UKEO2026 🛰️ ESA's Climate Change Initiative will be part of the programme of UK’s leading forum for the Earth Observation community, from tipping point research to AI in Earth Observation. 📅 15–17 September | University of Warwick 🎟 ukeo.org/register/

Promotional banner for the UK Earth Observation Conference 2026, 15–17 September at the University of Warwick, featuring an abstract digital globe visualisation and logos of the organising bodies.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Join the ESA ECO-MOSAIC online workshop to learn about the challenges of integrating EBVs and ECVs into species distribution models. 📅 4 September. 13:00 CET 👉climate.esa.int/en/supporting-the-paris-agreement/ecomosaic/events/ecomosaic-online-workshop-invitation/

climate.esa.int

Eco-mosaic workshop - invitation

Register for the ESA ECO-MOSAIC workshop on integrating EBVs and ECVs in species distribution modelling. Experts will discuss challenges, priorities and practical steps to improve biodiversity and cli...

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Learn more about how we monitor fire: climate.esa.int/en/projects/...

climate.esa.int

Fire

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Wildfires have already affected about 300,000 ha of land across Southern Europe. Over 265,000 people evacuated in France & Spain. @calbergel.bsky.social, Head of ESA’s Actionable Climate Information section, explains how climate change fuels extreme fire events & how satellites help track them.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Over the past weeks, several new and updated climate datasets have been added to the ESA Climate Change Initiative Open Data Portal – Biomass, Fire, Lakes, Vegetation Parameters, and Precursors for aerosols and ozone. Full overview: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

Global Above-Ground Biomass estimates for 2024, derived from the CCI Biomass v7 product.

MRBA60H: Harmonised Medium Resolution Burned Area dataset v6.0, 2003-2018. Comparison with other existing Medium Resolution datasets. Global gridded monthly datasets at 0.25-deg resolution

Map visualisation of global lake surface temperature data.

Map of Europe and Africa showing vegetation greenness (FAPAR) on 2012 06 26, with a colour scale from 0.0 (light) to 1.0 (dark green). Data shown in a vertical swath over the continents.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Satellites don't just explore space - they also help to protect our planet. At the @yorkfestofideas.bsky.social, ESA's Clément Albergel explained how satellite data supports evidence-based climate action and the Paris Agreement. Watch the full panel discussion here: climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

climate.esa.int

From space exploration to understanding Earth: ESA at the York Festival of Ideas

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Antarctica's algae may not simply be disappearing, they may be changing season. Satellite data shows diatoms rising in spring but falling in summer since 2014–2015, with haptophytes doing the opposite. A regime shift with consequences for krill and the ocean's carbon pump. tinyurl.com/5d5emyfr

Six Southern Ocean maps show spring and summer changes in chlorophyll and phytoplankton groups from 1998–2014 to 2015–2024.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Partially disturbed tropical forests recover to 75% of their original carbon after 20 years. Forests regrowing on completely cleared land reach only 38%. A synthesis of 146 studies now gives countries the numbers they need for UN climate reporting. 🌿 climate.esa.int/en/news-even...

Across the tropical frontiers. Aerial imagery highlighting the diversity of tropical forest degradation and recovery processes happening in Ghana. Far left: agroforestry and secondary forest regrowth, middle: tree croplands and agricultural use, right: natural forest with less signs of human disturbance but rather individual disturbances. Credit: Johannes Wilk, GFZ (2025)

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

One day left to register for our webinar on satellite fire monitoring. Learn how @esa.int's Climate Change Intiative Fire project tracks global burned area and fire emissions and why it matters for climate system, civil protection, and environmental policy.🔥 Register here: t1p.de/xuyrj

False-colour satellite image of active fires in northeast Portugal and northwest Spain on 16 August 2025, with smoke plumes and burned areas highlighted in red.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Read more about the Anthropogenic Water Use project from ESA's Climate Change Initiative here: climate.esa.int/en/projects/...

climate.esa.int

Anthropogenic Water Use

The home of the ESA Climate Change Initiative Anthropogenic Water use project

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Irrigation is the single largest human intervention in the water cycle, yet we struggle to account for it. New research under @esa.int's Climate Change Initiative presents the first long-term datasets of irrigation water use across four major regions: US, India, Australia, and Spain. t1p.de/unbk3

Maps of the four study regions considered in the work, for which Irrigation Water Use archives are available.

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esaclimate @esaclimate.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Europe just experienced one of the most intense heatwaves on record – also effecting our soils. This animation shows a global data record of Soil Moisture spanning 1991-2024, produced under @esa.int's Climate Change Initiative. It shows our soils are shifting unevenly and persistently. t1p.de/ror55

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