Paraná River Flooding

Map of flood extent on the Paraná River in northern Argentina near the border with Paraguay. Water bodies and surrounding wetland areas observed by the German TerraSAR-X satellite on 11 June 2008 are colored blue, while recently flooded areas imaged by Sentinel-1A on 15 June 2014 appear in red.

This map was produced following an activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. More information.

The radar on Sentinel-1 is able to ‘see’ through clouds, rain and in darkness, making it particularly useful for monitoring floods. Images acquired before and after a flood offer immediate information on the extent of inundation and support assessments of property and environmental damage.

Image credit: ESA/DLR/CAEARTE/CONAE ML

Santorini Rising

Model of vertical movement across Santorini from January 2011 to present, derived from data from the Envisat and TerraSAR-X missions. Over the past year and a half, parts of Santorini have risen by 14 cm, such as the Kameni islands in the center. Scientists believe that new molten rock has been squeezing up beneath the volcano at a depth of about 4 km, pictured here as a red dot.

Image credit: M. Parks