ESA expands the WorldSoils project

The European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to expand the activities of the WorldSoils project, designed to develop a pre-operational system for monitoring Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) on a global scale. This project combines the exploitation of Earth Observation (EO) satellite data with large soil databases and modeling techniques.

In 2024, WorldSoils reached a key milestone with the presentation of its validation results. However, new opportunities have been identified to expand its activities and maximize its impact. Among future priorities, the project aims to continue SOC modeling at a regional scale with the goal of extending its application to the continental level. New soil indices and indicators will also be explored, such as the Soil Moisture Index (SMI), Soil Water Index (SWI), drought index, average annual basal area increment (BAI), and soil sealing index.

Additionally, the SOC/clay ratio will be estimated using advanced EO techniques, as indicator of soil health and fertility in relation to soil nutrients, moisture and micro biotic activity and to expand test sites in Europe and other continents, considering data quality and availability and institutional agreements reached. Collaborations will also be established with international organizations such as FAO, EEA, EUSO, NASA, and JAXA, promoting synergies with certification entities. To optimize the use of EO-based SOC products, training programs will be designed for end users.

International Recognition and Project Expansion

The project's achievements were presented at the "Earth Observation for Soil Protection and Restoration" Symposium, organized by ESA in 2024. Although the developed tools and algorithms have been positively evaluated, there is a need to improve the production and validation of high-resolution global SOC maps, as the focus has mainly been regional in Europe so far.

In response to this challenge, ESA has issued a request for a contract change for the project. The expansion will include improvements in SOC models and products, as well as the production and acquisition of new EO-based soil products in broader areas. Validation of these products will also be carried out at regional sites in the EU, with subsequent implementation in other global regions. To ensure service continuity, long-term support and integration of systems with ESA's Application Propagation Environments (APEx) are planned.

The project extension is estimated to last 14 months, starting in March 2025. With this expansion, WorldSoils strengthens its role as a key initiative in developing innovative EO-based solutions, contributing to the protection and sustainable management of soils globally.

GMV leads the WorldSoils consortium, which includes the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), the University of Leuven (UCL), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), and Tel Aviv University (TAU).