Remote sensing and satellite imagery have become common use in monitoring and modelling of various biological and physical characteristics of Earth - now Copernicus Sentinel-1 is giving a new approach for monitoring the evolution of shorelines.

The complete drying-up of Lake Aculeo in Chile was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, enabling scientists to follow the water surface extent at high frequency, and thus witness this dramatic loss.

While world-class scientists are meeting in the Azores to discuss how satellites have revealed changes in the height of the sea, ice, inland bodies of water and more, the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite has new reasons to shine.

Wave information is crucial for people working at sea, to be able to navigate and operate safely. A new product based on satellite altimeter data detailing ‘Significant Wave Height' now enables this.

Monitoring large, remote bodies of water is logistically challenging, time consuming and expensive. Responding quickly to events that pose a risk to human health has been almost impossible, given the size of some lakes and seas. An innovative satellite data service is now able to change things around.

Discover more about our planet with the Earth from Space video programme. In this special edition, senior scientist at France's Collecte Localisation Satellites, Marie-Hélène Rio, joins the show to discuss how data on ocean surface currents by the Sentinel-3 satellite mission are used by people working at sea.

The European Union's Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission is providing far more images than previous generations of synthetic aperture radar satellites, bringing many significant advantages. One of them is determining the difference between naturally-occurring and polluting oil on the ocean surface.

With its unique sensor and frequent revisit cycle, the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite can measure sea level in locations where not previously possible.