Multilingual materials

This booklet provides a clear introduction to Earth observation with the European Copernicus programme. It introduces the Sentinel satellites – the "Sentinels in Space" – and their tasks in observing the climate, environment and changes on Earth. In addition to technical basics such as resolution, spectra and image interpretation, the booklet shows practical examples of how satellite images can be used in school lessons – for example, in geography, biology, physics or computer science. It also explains current educational projects, freely available data portals and software tools such as…

Metaan (CH4) on tugev kasvuhoonegaas. Selle peamised heitkogused pärinevad põllumajandusest, fossiilkütuste põletamisest ja jäätmemajandusest. Ülemaailmne metaani kontsentratsioon atmosfääris on aastakümneid suurenenud. Alates 2006. aastast on selle sisaldus suurenenud ligikaudu 7%. Kiireim viis heitme vähendamiseks on kontrollida fossiilkütuste käitlemist. Satelliidipiltide abil on võimalik tuvastada selliseid ettearvamatuid ja lühiajalisi lekkeid nagu torujuhtmete ja gaasiväljade lekked. Hollandi kosmoseuuringute instituut kasutab oluliste reostuskollete kaardistamiseks satelliidipiltide…

Measuring temperatures is something we do every day. But how do you measure the temperature of the entire Earth? This video introduces you to the Sentinel-3 satellite, our "thermometer in space." You’ll learn how it measures the Earth’s heat from 800 km above, and what we can learn from it. We’ll look at fascinating thermal images, like one from a heatwave in Egypt. You’ll see how cities, deserts, and forests have different temperatures. In the end, we’ll explain why these measurements are so important for understanding climate change and extreme weather events.

Light is reflected in a specific direction from smooth surfaces, while rough surfaces scatter it in many directions. Radar satellites use this principle for Earth observation. They send microwaves to the Earth and analyze the returning signals to identify different types of surfaces. Smooth surfaces appear differently on radar images compared to rough ones. By analyzing these differences, scientists can gather important information about the Earth’s surface. Stay tuned to learn more!

Diese Unterrichtseinheit vermittelt Schüler:innen anschaulich die Auswirkungen von Hitzewellen und urbanen Hitzeinseln im Kontext des Klimawandels. Mithilfe von Satellitendaten und digitalen Tools analysieren sie reale Beispiele und entwickeln eigene Lösungsansätze für lebenswertere Städte. Das Material eignet sich besonders für den Geographieunterricht der Sekundarstufe I und fördert sowohl fachliche als auch methodische Kompetenzen. Ziele der Einheit: Verständnis von Hitzewellen und urbanen Hitzeinseln entwickeln Unterschiede zwischen Stadt-, Land- und Flussräumen analysieren…

Already today, there are more and more heat waves, which are a burden for people living in cities. Older people in particular suffer, and for some it has life-threatening consequences. Against the background of climate change and forecasts that two thirds of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, the urban climate is a current and relevant topic. Paris is one of the most severely affected cities in Europe. Summer nights here are up to 4 K warmer than in the surrounding countryside. During the heat waves in the summer of 2022, Paris was hit particularly hard by the heat, but…

Satellite images show our planet from new angles and in the most unusual colors. But they’re not just beautiful to look at! They help gather information whose analysis makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the Earth system and the changes it is undergoing. But how does this work? What do these silent observers—the satellites—look like? What data do they provide, and how do they help us understand the highly dynamic processes on our planet and recognize the role humans play in them?