The first satellite-based service for extensive and uninterrupted monitoring and mapping of land stability has won the top prize in the European Earth-monitoring competition.

In its fourth year, the Copernicus Masters competition seeks innovative solutions for business and society based on Earth observation data, while fostering creative product development and entrepreneurship in Europe. This year, the competition received more than 170 entries from 43 countries.

The 2014 winners were announced yesterday evening at an event in Berlin, Germany.

Volker Liebig, Director of ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes, presented the Copernicus Masters prize to Andrew Sowter and Paul Bhatia from the University of Nottingham for their Punnet project.

The service aims to map and monitor land stability with millimetre-precision, facilitating large-scale coverage of land deformation from mining, groundwater extraction, drilling and other causes.