Analytical Report 20: Copernicus data for the open data community
Publication Date/Time
2021-04-08T07:00:00+00:00
Country
Europe
The European Data Portal’s 20th analytical report helps open data
enthusiasts leverage the potential of Copernicus data for earth
observation applications
The European Data Portal (EDP) has published their 20th analytical
report: “Copernicus
[/sites/default/files/analytical_report_19-understanding_data_supply_demand.pdf]
Data for the open data community
[/sites/default/files/analytical-report_20_copernicus.pdf]”. The
report is prepared by con terra [https://www.con-terra.com/] and aims
to help open data enthusiasts exploit the potential of Copernicus data
for earth observation applications.

Copernicus [https://www.copernicus.eu/en] is the EU-funded earth
observation programme, led in partnership with the European Spaces
Agency (ESA) [https://www.esa.int/] that states: “Copernicus is the
most ambitious Earth observation programme to date. It will provide
accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the
management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of
climate change, and ensure civil security. […] Copernicus will help
shape the future of our planet for the benefit of all.”

By combining information from in situ sensors and satellites,
Copernicus regularly publishes vast amounts of earth observation data.
Though earth observation professionals are likely already familiar
with and able to use Copernicus data, non-experts can benefit from the
data as well. To facilitate this, the analytical report answers three
basic questions:

 	* What can I do with Copernicus data?
 	* How can I access the data?
 	* Which tools do I need for using the data?

In addressing these questions, the authors made use of information
that is already available on the European Data Portal in specialised
catalogues [/data/catalogues?locale=en], and practice examples of
Copernicus data applications.

On the basis of this analysis, the authors state that Copernicus Data
can be used for a wide range of cases. For instance: monitoring
plastic pollution of the oceans, land change through mining
activities, volcanic activities, ice loss, creation of artificial
islands, and various impacts on nature such as deforestation,
wildfires, storms, or pests.

A recent example of a Copernicus data use case is the observation of
the eruption of Mount Etna. Here, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite
data has been used to detect the signs of change that predict an
eruption. That is, optical and radar instruments capture the phenomena
such as lava flows, mudslides, ground fissures, and earthquakes that
occur prior to eruption. Atmospheric sensors subsequently identify the
gases and aerosols released and quantify the impact this has on the
environment.

Overall, the analytical report discovers that, although users may find
it difficult to use Copernicus data, the necessary tools and resources
are readily available. The use case of the Mount Etna volcano clearly
shows this as it makes use of tutorials and blog entries from
Sentinel-2 images. This analytical report can serve as a blueprint and
guide open data users with little background in earth observation to
monitor volcanic activity or capture the impact of COVID-19 on the
economy.

To learn more, access the full analytical report
[/sites/default/files/analytical-report_20_copernicus.pdf].

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