Talking climate

ESA developed the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) to generate long-term data – about 30 years of data for every variable. Once available, the data will be archived and made freely accessible to climate research and modelling communities worldwide.

Some of the leading scientists on the Essential Climate Variables explain just what they are measuring within their project, why they need it and what it is good for. 

Ice sheets

Expert René Forsberg of the Technical University of Denmark explains the importance of ice sheets as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Ocean colour

Expert Shubha Sathyendranath of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK, explains the importance of ocean colour as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Aerosols

Expert Thomas Holzer-Popp at DLR, Germany, explains the importance of aerosols as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Soil moisture

Expert Wolfgang Wagner of the Technical University of Vienna, explains the importance of soil moisture as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Sea level

Expert Anny Cazenave of LEGOS, France, explains the importance of sea level as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Glaciers

Expert Frank Paul of the University of Zürich, Switzerland, explains the importance of glaciers as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Sea ice

Expert Stein Sandven of NERSC, Norway, explains the importance of sea ice as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Sea surface temperature

Expert Chris Merchant of the University of Reading, UK, explains the importance of sea surface temperature as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.

Land cover

Expert Sophie Bontemps of UC Louvain, Belgium, explains the importance of land cover as an Essential Climate Variable to understand our changing world.