The European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly is an annual event bringing together geoscientists from all over the world into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth and Planetary Sciences: geomorphology, geochemistry, geophysics, geobiology and hazards research alike. During the week, over 3 000 papers will be presented, with nearly 7 000 poster sessions.
The unique view afforded from space has become integral to the geosciences. For example, satellite imagery enables long-term objective monitoring of climate change effects, measuring precise shifts in land cover, ice field extent, sea surface height and even the composition of the atmosphere.
In the shorter-term, satellites yielded rapid mapping of the December 2004 Sumatran tsunami, swiftly bringing home the full scope of the disaster. And ESA and the European Union's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative aims at combining satellite and in-situ information for enhanced natural hazard awareness and management.
ESA's planetary missions have transformed our understanding of the worlds beyond Earth. Results from the historic Huygens landing on Titan are providing fresh insights into the distant methane-rich moon of Saturn, while Mars Express continues to deliver spectacular images of the Martian surface and new information on the planet's atmosphere and climate. At the same time, Smart-1 is commencing the first detailed survey of the Earth's Moon since the Apollo programme.
The Agency's forthcoming missions Venus Express and Bepi-Colombo will visit Venus and Mercury, the two worlds closest to the Sun, while Rose
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Contact: Mariangela D'Acunto
mariangela.dacunto@esa.int
39-069-418-0856
European Space Agency
22-Apr-2005