Various satellite instruments focus on different aspects of the Earth system.

What has half a century of Earth Observation taught us? The single biggest revolution is that our planet is always in flux. Like traditional paper maps, an individual satellite acquisition is rapidly outdated. But repeat acquisitions add a time dimension, capturing the dynamic complexity of the Earth system - differences between a wide array of satellite sensors, improving the understanding of how the Earth system works and the impact of human activities.

Roughly 37% of Earth’s land is today employed for agricultural purposes, with about 11% used for growing crops and the reminder for pasture.

Looking down on Earth from space is a surprisingly accurate way of detecting ground motion and subterranean features.

Earth’s land is the most varied terrain in the Solar System. Satellites classify land cover on an objective global basis, tracking changes as they occur.

The snow-and-ice 'cryosphere' is an important regulator of global climate - but one that is unequally sensitive to the effects of global warming.