The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The top map shows sea-surface salinity derived from SMOS measurements, while the bottom map is derived from measurements of Argo profilers in the water (in situ). The higher detail in the SMOS data can be clearly seen when comparing the images. Data for both maps was collected for the August–September period in 2010 and 2011. The squares outline areas where salinity measurements have been compared in the following graph.