Miradas orbitales opened at CaixaForum Girona, where it will remain until 9 February before travelling to other parts of Spain. Its images show in close detail how human activity has altered the Earth. The message is direct: what happens far away can affect daily life.
Several displays link distant processes to events in Spain. Visitors can compare the Albufera de Valencia before and after a DANA, trace lava reaching the sea during the 2021 La Palma eruption, and see the footprint of an open-cast copper mine in Sevilla.
These are not abstract science displays. They show how floods, volcanic activity, land use and pollution change the places where people live and work.
At the opening, Michael Booth, the ESA coordinator for public outreach on Earth observation and data visualisation, referred to the torrential rains recorded in Catalonia in recent days. He said satellite observations show increasingly intense weather events in the Mediterranean. Some storms now resemble tropical systems more than the region’s usual weather patterns. During the recent extreme-rain episode in north-eastern Spain, the Mediterranean near the Spanish coast was reported to be about 3°C warmer than normal. That extra heat increases evaporation and the moisture available to developing storms.
Independent meteorological reporting described the episode as an organised mesoscale convective system, rather than an isolated thunderstorm. Such a system can sustain intense rain, hail and squalls. The term medicane is sometimes used for these events. It refers to a rare warm-core, quasi-tropical system, not a full tropical hurricane. Reports also said this episode did not begin as a classic DANA. Marion Friedl, project director at Ars Electronica, which designed the exhibition, shared that assessment. Local rainfall totals in Barcelona were reported to reach as much as 200 mm. Spain’s AEMET weather service issued a special warning for torrential rain and very strong winds around Barcelona and Girona.
The exhibition sets climate change against a longer timeline. Older and current images reveal faster polar ice loss. Anna Ruiz, the scientific adviser to Miradas orbitales, said the effects extend beyond the poles. Changes in ice can affect ocean currents and the climate in many regions.
The Catalan rainfall episode shows the same connection. Warmer Mediterranean water adds moisture to the atmosphere. Some assessments indicate that, under suitable unstable conditions, rainfall amounts can rise by roughly 20% for each additional degree of warming.
Space monitoring can also guide practical action. Satellite data can detect agricultural pests early and track the positive effect of protecting Indigenous territories from rainforest deforestation. The exhibition also covers nitrogen dioxide, a gas linked to urban and industrial pollution that can cause respiratory problems.
One earlier analysis examined the wider connection between snow and climate signals. It looked at how microplastics can reduce snow reflectivity and speed up melting in older snow near Formigal.
The route starts with the origins of satellites and their technological development. It then moves through the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. Each section shows how human activity interacts with one of those layers. The images come from the satellite network of the ESA and the European Union. Accompanying data makes a vast stream of information easier for non-specialists to understand.
CaixaForum Girona director Anna Colomer said the format is aimed at adults, especially younger generations. Interactive maps and data help visitors connect satellite views with familiar situations. Parallel activities extend the programme.
One scheduled discussion will be led by Javier Martín, director of the Observatorio Fabra. It will focus on Earth observation from space and its value in anticipating risks and planning responses.
Booth also described open access to ESA images and data as a source of hope. Institutions and individuals can consult them from anywhere in the world.
That access matters. Miradas orbitales gives visitors visual evidence and points to citizen science as one way to take part. CaixaForum Girona makes satellite observation an accessible record of environmental change and an argument for protecting the planet.
