Space agencies offer a global view of the changing environment

ESA, NASA, and JAXA collaborated to create an open-source platform based on the Euro Data Cube. This platform used a wealth data from Earth-observing satellites to document global changes in our society and the environment. The COVID-19 Earth Observatory Dashboard now has six new focus areas that provide a detailed, objective, and comprehensive view of the planet.

The dashboard displays examples of global environmental change on six themes: atmospheres, oceans, biomass and cryosphere, as well as agriculture and the economy. Each theme has its own interactive story, which makes it an easy resource. decision-makersFor those who don’t know much about Earth observation data, there are advanced data exploration options for scientists.

Simonetta Cheli (Director of Earth Observing Programmes at ESA), commented that “international collaboration between our space agencies was key.” Our advanced Earth-observing satellite dataESA, NASA, and JAXA provide daily benefits to society and advance our knowledge about our planet.

“After the success with the Earth Observing Dashboard I am thrilled to see how our technical knowledge and resources can be used to improve our understanding of global environmental change and other societal issues impacting our planet.”

“Accessibility to data is a top priority at NASA,” stated Karen St. Germain (NASA Earth Science Division Director). “With our partners at ESA, JAXA, it is another important step in getting the most current information to the public about the changing planet in an accessible and convenient manner that can inform decisions and planning for communities all over the globe.

Koji Terada (Vice President and Director General Space Technology Directorate, JAXA) said, “Following our collaboration with NASA and ESA regarding COVID-19,” and added, “We expanded this dashboard to provide the stories about global issues such as environmental and human rights. Climate Changeto the rest of the world through the trilateral collaboration. We at JAXA are committed to improving the quality of Earth observation data and understanding Earth’s systems.

The dashboard displays the effects of climate change on human activities and uses accurate remote sensing observations. You can explore countries and regions all over the globe to see how indicators change over time. You can also deep dive into data-driven stories or interactively explore datasets.

The atmosphere focus area highlights the ways in which climate change and pollution are contributing to the most pressing environmental problems of our time. The biomass focus area contains a story that describes how trees and plants remove large amounts of carbon dioxide each year.

The Agrarian areaSatellite data can be used to provide insight into crop conditions, agricultural production, and food supply. The cryosphere contains a story about how global temperature rise affects the extent of sea-ice.

The water and ocean area is the Earth’s largest natural resource. It allows users to see an ocean view that is just as rich and complex than the land. The economy focus area gives access to datasets that illustrate how the Earth’s economic and social systems are interconnected with the environment.

The Earth Observing Dashboard provides direct access to a data exploration tool. Users can view any of 72 datasets using the dataset explorer. Economic indicators, 35 indicators for agriculture, 29 indicators for air quality, 37 indicators for water, and two indicators to measure health. It also includes tutorial links that explain how to use the dataset explorator through real-world examples.

NASA, JAXA and ESA will continue to improve the dashboard as new data becomes available. The dashboard is accessible here Here.