Published on 23 October 2026
More than twenty years of European radar observations are becoming easier to use. ESA has released eight ready-to-use thematic SAR data collections, giving researchers direct access to historical ERS and Envisat imagery over scientifically important regions.
The collections bring together processed Synthetic Aperture Radar data acquired between 1991 and 2012 over areas including Svalbard, the Alps, Iceland and Italy’s volcanic regions. Instead of searching the full mission archives and processing individual scenes themselves, researchers can now download curated and quality-checked datasets directly.
Decades of ERS radar observations over Svalbard allow researchers to look back in time and study changes in glaciers, permafrost and other Arctic processes over much longer periods than modern missions alone can provide.
Image: ESA
Together, the eight collections contain 22 ERS and Envisat SAR datasets representing around 80 TB of data. They support research ranging from glacier and snow dynamics to volcanic deformation, natural hazards, hydrology and long-term climate change.
The initiative also demonstrates the lasting value of Europe’s Earth observation heritage. Although ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat are no longer operational, their observations remain highly relevant when combined into long and consistent time series that reveal how landscapes have changed over several decades.
The thematic collections are freely available to registered users through ESA’s SAR dissemination services and multi-mission catalogue.
Based on: European Space Agency (ESA), Thematic SAR data collections fuel research across key regions, 22 October 2026.