Drought worsens in much of Europe

March 31 () –

Much of southern and western Europe has been affected by substantial soil moisture anomalies due to an exceptionally dry and warm winter, second warmest on record.

Data from ESA’s SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) mission have been used to monitor low soil moisture levels across Europe.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, between December 2022 and February 2023, the average temperature was 1.4 °C above the 1991-2020 average. Particularly in February 2023, high temperatures combined with a lack of rain meant that western and southern Europe experienced drier-than-average conditions, with several regions experiencing low soil moisture levels.

Satellite images a clear picture of the severity of the drought that will affect central and western Europe in 2023.

The impacts of drought are particularly visible in France, Spain, the United Kingdom and northern Italy and raise concerns about water supply, agriculture and energy production.

The SMOS satellite carries a novel interferometric radiometer that captures “brightness temperature” images. These images are used to obtain global maps of soil moisture every three days, achieving an accuracy of 4% at a spatial resolution of about 50 km, comparable to detecting a teaspoon of water mixed in a handful of soil, ESA reports.

Most of Western Europe experienced below average soil moisture, reaching more than 4% below average in many regions. This was more than 8% below the average in parts of Spain and Turkey.

Although the vegetation and crops at the beginning of the growing season have not yet been significantly affected, the current situation could become critical in the coming months if temperatures and the lack of precipitation persist in the spring of 2023.

SMOS is one of ESA’s Earth Explorer missions, which form the scientific and research element of the Living Planet Programme. In its more than 13 years in orbit, SMOS has not only exceeded its planned lifetime and exceeded its original science goals, but the mission has been extended to 2025.