Gepubliceerd op 21 december 2021
This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 15 December 2021, shows the 26-kilometre long Zemu Glacier, located near the Khangchendzonga Massif (the third highest mountain in the world), and in the protected Khangchendzonga National Park on the border between India and Nepal.
Pristine old-growth forests, numerous glacial lakes, and a unique fauna and flora contribute to the exceptional beauty of the landscape and biodiversity of the region. In December 2021, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a report identifying the Hindu Kush Himalaya, comprising 12 mountain ranges from Afghanistan to Myanmar, and where the Zemu glacier is located, as having World Heritage potential.
The high-resolution data captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites (10 metres in multiple spectral bands) are suitable for observing high-altitude mountain systems and monitoring changing landscapes in fragile ecosystems.