Press Release: Breakthrough in environmental monitoring from space

Scientists working at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission have developed a new way to interpret data from satellites observing the earth. The satellites monitor the nature, state and evolution of the earth's vegetation. This enhanced monitoring capacity facilitates the assessment of the impact of major climatic events, such as the severe drought and heatwave in Western Europe in 2003. The new method involves the use of practical algorithms to interpret remote sensing data collected by sensors in satellites.