The Copernicus, Natural Resources Canada, and the new
Planetary Computer:
Data platforms for environmental research
June 20, 2022, by Tamaka Fisher for ETEC 523: A1 Analysis, 2 minute read
Image by Egor Vikhrev on Unsplash
It's no secret that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing the global community. Humans have had and continue to have a detrimental impact on the earth's air, ground and water resources. 2021 saw an extreme heat wave in the Pacific Northwest which broke records and contributed to the death of over 600 people in BC, Canada. This has been said to be a one in 1000-year event, but it may happen more frequently. Scientists and researchers continue to study the earth's systems over time to support policymakers' decisions to plan for the future.
​This open education resource aims to provide a high-level outline of three online resource platforms for geospatial data. The resource will interest students and instructors of earth science, researchers, and entrepreneurs who rely on current and historical satellite data to study trends and changes. The analysis will review Copernicus (created for the European Union), Natural Resources Canada, and the upcoming Planetary Computer (USA). All three platforms were created to support environmental sustainability and earth sciences research and are accessible on computers, laptops, and other mobile devices. The Planetary Computer, part of Microsoft's AI for Earth program, will be unique in that anyone can update data in the system, which algorithms will manage. This will add trillions of data points to provide a much fuller picture of the planet's biodiversity.
​
First watch the following video to understand the services that the Copernicus program provides as well as gain a general understanding of the uses of geospatial data.
What is the Copernicus Program? Video 5 minutes, 37 seconds
The Copernicus program is fully operational and administrated by the European Commission. The main partners are member states, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), EU Agencies and Mercator Océan.
​
Copernicus owns or owns and operates in partnerships over 30 satellites. The organization provides data on the atmosphere, climate change, emergencies, land, marine, and security by satellite and in situ airborne, seaborne, and ground sensors. Data and Information Access Services (DIAS) allows users to develop and host their own cloud-based applications and free open source data is available using Python as their coding language. Online tutorials are available. The limitations are that some data may be on a pay-per-use basis, and one may need to pay for support subscriptions or priority services.
Meet some of the young engineers getting Canada’s RADARSAT Constellation satellites ready for space! Video 57 seconds
The Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation is fully operational and administrated by the Government of Canada. Main partners - Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency/Copernicus, and EUMETSAT, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
​
The Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation owns or owns and operates in partnerships eight satellites, plus two in development. Data services include air, biological diversity, climate, economy & industry, land, and society and culture. Data sources are satellites, and airborne sensors. Online tutorials are available and the free data is limited. Custom data sets can be requested/suggested.
​
Explainer: What is a Planetary Computer? Video 2 minutes, 16 seconds
The Planetary Computer is administered by Microsoft and is in preview and not fully operational as of June 20, 2022. The project main partners are US Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, European Space Agency/Copernicus, and Pangeo. Data services include accelerated land cover mapping, conservation planning, deforestation risk analysis, ecosystem monitoring, forest carbon risk assessment, global land use and land cover classification. Eighteen satellites are owned or owned in operating partnerships. Limited free open source data and online tutorials are available.
References
Copernicus (n.d.). Europe’s eyes on Earth. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.copernicus.eu/en
​
Government of Canada (n.d.). Satellite imagery and air photos. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-tools-and-publications/satellite-imagery-and-air-photos/10782
​
Microsoft (n.d.). AI for earth. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/ai-for-earth
Microsoft (n.d.). A planetary computer for a sustainable future. Retrieved June 20, 2022, from https://planetarycomputer.microsoft.com/
Neal, E., Huang, C. S. Y., & Nakamura, N. (2022). The 2021 pacific northwest heat wave and associated blocking: Meteorology and the role of an upstream cyclone as a diabatic source of wave activity. Geophysical Research Letters, 49(8), n/a. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097699
Philip, S. Y., Kew, S. F., van Oldenborgh, G. J., Anslow, F. S., Seneviratne, S. I., Vautard, R., Coumou, D., Ebi, K. L., Arrighi, J., Singh, R., van Aalst, M., Pereira Marghidan, C., Wehner, M., Yang, W., Li, S., Schumacher, D. L., Hauser, M., Bonnet, R., Luu, L. N., …Otto. F. E. L. (2021, November 12). Rapid attribution analysis of the extraordinary heatwave on the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada June 2021. Earth System Dynamics Discussions, 2021, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-2021-90
Smith, B. (2020, April 15). A healthy society requires a healthy planet. Microsoft. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/04/15/a-healthy-society-requires-a-healthy-planet/