WEkEO
About
WEkEO is one of the 5 Copernicus DIAS (Data and Information Access Services). The overarching objective of DIAS is to enhance access to Copernicus data and information for further use in an efficient computing environment implementing the paradigm of “bringing the user to the data”, as one condition for unlocking the potential value of Copernicus for innovation, science, new business, implementation of public policies and economic growth. Considering the well-structured user communities and the strong relationship existing between EUMETSAT, Mercator-Océan and ECMWF, Copernicus ClimateChange Service, the organisations have joined their efforts to implement one instance of DIAS in partnership, namely WEkEO. WEkEO is the service for marine environmental data, virtual environments for data processing, and skilled user support. WEkEO has a public and free part for discovery and access to data and data products, while it also has a commercial part with various analysis applications and cloud space.
Type & number of data sets
The Harmonized Data Access (HAD) provides a single access protocol (REST API) whereby scaling and evolution of codes are made easy. This way, it provides easy & fast access to subsetting attributes in hundreds of datasets from different Copernicus sources and allows uniform access to the whole WEkEO catalogue, including subsetting and downloading functionalities. The HAD provides discovery and access to:
- All the Sentinel satellite data sets: S1, S2, S3 Marine, S3 Land, S5P
- Main Copernicus Service Data products from:
- Copernicus Marine Service
- CMEMS Copernicus Atmospheric Service: CAMS
- Copernicus Climate Service: C3S
- Copernicus Land Service: CLMS
The platform hosts thousands of Copernicus datasets and product layers, continuously expanding as new data streams and services are added.
Discovery and Access Mechanism
Users can access WEkEO through its web-based DIAS (Data and Information Access Services) platform, which provides a unified entry point for discovery, access, and processing of Copernicus data and information services. The platform offers interactive access via a web portal and Jupyter-based development environment, as well as machine-to-machine interfaces and APIs for data retrieval and analysis. WEkEO integrates and distributes data from multiple Copernicus component providers, including EUMETSAT, ECMWF, and Mercator Ocean International, supporting the broader Copernicus Programme. Access mechanisms are based on interoperable web services, cloud-based processing, and standardized APIs enabling scalable data analysis close to the data.
Data and Access Policy
The WEkEO data access policy is based on open access principles for Copernicus data and information products. Most datasets available through the platform are freely accessible for browsing and download without restrictions, in line with the Copernicus open data policy. However, user registration and authentication (AAI) are required to access personalised services, cloud computing resources, and advanced functionalities such as Jupyter-based processing environments, data workspace management, and scalable analysis tools. Access conditions may also apply depending on the specific Copernicus data provider policies.
Function in Blue-Cloud
Within Blue-Cloud, WEkEO acts as a cloud-based Earth observation processing and analytics component supporting marine and climate-related research workflows. It provides computational capabilities that allow users to run analyses on large Copernicus datasets without local data download, enabling scalable and reproducible processing close to the data sources. WEkEO supports integration of Earth observation products into Blue-Cloud virtual research environments and contributes to cross-domain analyses by linking satellite and model-based information with marine and in situ datasets. Through its cloud infrastructure, it enables advanced scientific workflows such as data fusion, time-series analysis, and model validation within distributed Blue-Cloud services.
Blue-Cloud partners involved
