NASA Langley Research Center

✈️ 2025 Aviation Weather Mission Monthly Update – July

2025-08-29T21:09:23Z

Cadets from the Wisconsin Wing - Great Lakes Regions observing the sky.

🌤️ Mission Overview

The 2025 Aviation Weather Mission brings together Civil Air Patrol cadets (ages 12–20) and senior members across the country to contribute meaningful aviation weather data as part of a national collaboration with NASA Earth Science. Participants record real-time airport conditions, GLOBE Cloud observations, and aircraft details, supporting satellite collocations provided by the NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center. These observations help validate satellite data and provide insights into weather and climate patterns relevant to aviation safety.

📝 Cadet Story #1: CAP Pacific Coast Region

Author: Cadet First Lieutenant Ava Firnkoess, CAP California Wing, 45th Composite Squadron

I had the opportunity to work with Squadron 29 on the Aviation weather mission on July 12th, with the photo data collection. This was an exciting mission that provided NASA with important information, which included collecting data on contrails for research.

The event went smoothly, thanks to Commander Willis of Squadron 29 for her organization and planning. We worked through initial challenges (weather and clouds) but as soon as we were able to get into the tracking, it went very well , thanks to the great leadership and teamwork. It was exciting to be able to track data properly in order to collaborate with CAP and NASA.

The most challenging for me was making sure I stayed in the precise spot to take accurate photos during the duration of the tracking and collection of data. With the team working together, everyone was diligent in helping to maintain stance and location for continued consistency in tracking.

I hope CAP continues to collaborate and work with NASA.

📝 Cadet Story #2: CAP Southeast Region

Author: Cadet First Lieutenant Kevin Reyes, CAP Puerto Rico Wing, Ponce Cadet Squadron

Taking part in the Aviation Weather Mission with the Civil Air Patrol was an experience I’ll never forget, one of those rare opportunities where passion, purpose, and service all come together. With the GLOBE Observer app, I was able to use something as familiar as my phone and turn it into a scientific instrument, spending hours scanning the skies for aircraft and capturing them in motion. I had to observe closely, track flight paths, and time my shots precisely to catch the aircraft and their contrails in clear detail.

The work required patience and focus. Sometimes clouds would obscure the view, or a plane would vanish into the distance just before I was ready. But when everything aligned, it felt like catching a perfect moment that could make a real difference. Each image and observation was submitted to help NASA study atmospheric conditions, contrail formation, and how these patterns affect weather and climate.

What made the mission truly special was knowing that my passion for aviation and photography wasn’t just a hobby in this context. My efforts, combined with those of volunteers across the country, became part of a much bigger picture, contributing to scientific understanding that could have a global impact. It was a reminder that even small, individual contributions, when combined, can fuel discoveries that reach far beyond the scope of our own view of the sky.

📝 Cadet Story #3: CAP Northeast Region

Author: Cadet First Lieutenant Dionne, CAP Maine Wing, County Composite Squadron

The NASA mission was an outstanding experience for me and my squadron. We all learned a lot from our unique roles during the mission. My squadron didn't have the best attendance or preparation, but we persevered and completed our mission while having fun. All of the cadets who attended had a great time and sense of purpose. The first day was slightly challenging trying to help everyone understand their roles, but after some practice we were able to get through the rest of the mission easily. The second day we had to use the cloudy day protocol during the first hour, making us learn the tree observation in GLOBE. It was different, but we learned different lessons.

All of the cadets that I talked with about their experience, have mentioned that they learned new skills and applications. Many of them said that they felt honored to be participating in a NASA mission. We all are grateful for this opportunity that we were given and hope to be a part of future missions.

Cadets from the Oklahoma Wing - Southwest Region

✈️ 2025 Aviation Weather Mission Monthly Update – June

2025-08-29T21:11:37Z

Kansas Wing cadets making observations.

🌤️ Mission Overview

📝 Cadet Story #1: CAP Mid-Atlantic Region

Author: C/SSgt Santiago Ordonez, CAP North Carolina Wing, Cape Fear Composite Squadron

26 July 2025 Mission Overview This report will cover my perspective of the mission with my friends in NC-023. This may not be what my fellow cadets saw from their perspective. Overall, I had a lot of fun.

I loved being able to help out NASA in all new ways that I never thought I could. The first mission was amazing, even though we didn't know what to expect, we still had a whole bunch of data ready for the scientists. Our main struggle was that GLOBE Observer would by no means cooperate with some of the cadets' phones.

Our second mission also went really well; it was super simple, and because we already knew what to do, it went super smoothly. There were a few errors here and there, but a lot fewer than in the first mission. We even uploaded more data. The main difference is that there were a couple of clouds here and there, but not enough to make any difference to the data. It was another successful mission.

Last but not least, our third mission. It got really cloudy really quickly. Luckily, we didn’t need to use the “cloudy day protocol.” It was harder that day, and I have to admit, some of our data refused to upload, so it wasn’t our best day, and yet we still uploaded almost as much data as last time. To sum it all up, doing this mission, I had a whole lot of fun, and I was so proud to be a big help to NASA and its scientists. Never would I have thought in a million years that I could help NASA in this way. I was so honored to even write this report!

📝 Cadet Story #2: CAP North Central Region

Author: C/MSgt Hastings and C/2nd Lt Hastings, CAP Kansas Wing

"Participating in the NASA weather mission has been one of my favorite activities through Civil Air Patrol. I’ve enjoyed how it lets me bond with members of my squadron and learn valuable skills. These skills include how to operate a sextant, use local ADSB to find planes, and how to record data for later use. I find it cool that in this mission we recorded weather and other parameters the same way that scientists do. It has been an amazing opportunity for my entire squadron. Thank you to the scientists at NASA. - C/MSgt Hastings

As a pilot myself, I rely on aviation weather to keep myself and my passengers safe. Collecting data to improve the weather models I use has been an incredible opportunity. The photos my team took combined with satellite imagery will provide a unique perspective on this field of study and I’m proud to be a part of it. Teaching other cadets the basics of orienteering and data collection has also helped me grow as a leader. I believe I speak for the majority of cadets who participated: we are happy to help and look forward to future missions!

Kansas Wing cadets recording observations.

✈️ 2025 Aviation Weather Mission Monthly Update – May

2025-08-29T21:14:27Z

Riverside Composite Squadron Heraldry Oklahoma Wing (SWR-OK-092) Cadets gathering and recording data.

🌤️ Mission Overview

📝 Cadet Story #1: CAP Mid-Atlantic Region

Author: C/A1C Rylan Thiemens, CAP Virginia Wing, Tidewater Composite Squadron

“On May 10, 2025, I participated in the NASA Aviation Weather mission that partnered with CAP to find contrails, photograph them and document specific information for NASA. Cadets rotated through and performed different jobs: observers, flight trackers, photographers, and orienteers. I loved the aspects of every role, but I favored the job of flight tracking. Using ADS-B Exchange, I located the position of planes, and my team’s photographers took photos. I enjoyed the challenge of meeting NASA’s requirements of locating a plane at a minimum altitude of 20,000 ft and recording the data on its track and what type of contrails it produced. Additionally, we were very fortunate to have a NASA scientist with us who was extremely helpful, not only helping us with the task, but also explaining the importance and meaning of collecting contrail data. Assisting NASA was an awesome experience, I cannot wait to do it again.”

📝 Cadet Story #2: CAP Southwest Region

Author: C/SMSgt Jacob Buford, CAP Oklahoma Wing, Riverside Composite Squadron

“This was one of my top favorite experiences I’ve had with Civil Air Patrol. I love both weather and aviation. This mission was interesting and fun! Not only did we get to partner with NASA on something really cool and valuable, I learned important skills for my future. Perfect day, great team, and both a fun and educational experience! On the day my team did our mission, we had very few clouds in the sky. Visibility was perfect. We set up a base at Tulsa Air and Space Museum, which sits on the NW corner of Tulsa International Airport. First, we learned and practiced using all the tools- Flight Radar 24, sextant, compass, camera, uploading pics and data to GLOBE. Working together took fast paced communication and problem solving, but we were running smoothly by our 3rd plane, and from then on, it was really fun! We set up stations with our partner and learned to communicate the necessary information for the others to get their job done, and supported each other’s roles. I was a Flight Tracker. It was exciting to figure out altitude, type of plane, and origin/destination. Also to work with the orienteer to figure out azimuth, and photographer and spotter to note any contrails, and to make sure we were all tracking the same plane. We had to make sure our data manager had all the necessary information for data entry. It was a great team building experience! I especially enjoyed seeing all the air traffic on Flight Radar 24, just by aiming my Ipad in any direction. I have a whole new understanding, perspective, and appreciation on contrails and air traffic. I have used Flight Radar 24 many times, since introduction to it through this mission. Grateful for the opportunity!”

C/A1C Rylan Thiemens of the Tidewater Composite Squadron Virginia Wing (MAR-VA-035) taking photos and other cadets gathering and recording data.

✈️ 2025 Aviation Weather Mission Monthly Update – April

2025-08-25T14:57:27Z

Cadet C/SRA Wall taking photo of aircraft pointed out by SM Palermo of St. George Composite Squadron Utah Wing (RMR-UT-051).

🌤️ Mission Overview

📝 Cadet Story #1: Great Lakes Region

Author: Cadet Captain Lily Schaefer, CAP Wisconsin Wing, Stevens Point Composite Squadron

“Layered in cold-weather gear, we stood on the ramp at Central Wisconsin Airport, scanning the sky with the GLOBE app ready. I waited to photograph our first aircraft. When one passed overhead, everything clicked—our training made sense. My teammates tracked the aircraft while I took photos. We used compasses and sextants to find exact positions and recorded data with care. Sometimes it was fast-paced, other times, silent and still. As a cadet Aerospace Education Officer, I truly value missions like this. It’s an amazing feeling to contribute to real science and support NASA as a Civil Air Patrol cadet.”

📝 Cadet Story #2: Rocky Mountain Region

Author: C/Maj Ian Perkins, CAP Utah Wing, St. George Composite Squadron

“With partly cloudy skies and clear visibility, the day began at the historic “Old Airport” in St. George, Utah, next to Dixie Technical College. After the morning safety briefing, cadets and senior members organized into teams to begin field activities. They spent time photographing aircraft and the sky while collecting atmospheric data. This was an excellent exercise that provided valuable experience in observation, documentation, and teamwork; participants enjoyed the hands-on learning and gained a deeper understanding of aviation and weather patterns. Maj Greg Johnson said “...the best thing is the interaction between the seniors and the cadets, all the way through.” Making this mission a perfect success!”

The Cadet Stores were also highlighted in the NASA Aeronautics Monthly STEM Newsletter Issue 48.

Stevens Point Composite Squadron Wisconsin (GLR-WI-183) Cadets tracking planes and gathering data.

My First Cloud Observation with the GLOBE Observer App

2025-07-16T22:45:38Z

Background

I received my formal training on GLOBE Atmosphere protocols, particularly cloud observation, in the summer of 2011. In 2016, the GLOBE Program launched the GLOBE Observer (GO) app, designed for volunteer science. The GO app is more user-friendly and focuses on specific observations anyone with a smartphone can make.

The GLOBE Program is structured and education-focused, targeting students and educators, while the GO app is intuitive and accessible to the general public. Both contribute valuable data to the scientific community and enhance public understanding of environmental science. I've found the step-by-step training that is built into the GO app extremely easy to follow and always available for a quick reference when needed.

My First Observation

Armed with my previous training in GLOBE cloud protocol, I set out to make my first observation with the GO app. However, I hesitated. I wanted my observation to be perfect, and I struggled to find the ideal view. First, I was waiting for the clouds to be just right (whatever that really means). Then I realized that outside my condo, buildings were obstructed the view in some of the directions I needed to take photos.

So, I thought the baseball field would be perfect, but I quickly realized that even though there was an open view there were many people and cars around me. I soon realized that I didn’t need a perfect setting to take a cloud observation—I just needed to take it. Photos are nice and add depth to the observation, but they're not essential. The important part is to make the observation.

Embracing Imperfection

With this realization, I went into an imperfect setting and captured my small point of view of how the clouds looked that day. At the condo, I discovered that if I moved into the middle of the parking lot that the buildings really didn’t block every direction of my view.

At the ballfield, the people and the cars were really not even an issue because of the angle with which the photos needed to be taken.

Turns out that getting the perfect observation really isn’t the goal. The goal is to make the observation, contribute to the bigger picture of science, because that's what truly matters.

New Year, New Look: Favorite Cloud Ask Us Anything

2024-04-11T08:00:38Z

The GLOBE Clouds team is delighted to announce this new section that showcases sky and cloud photographs from around the world! We’ve also been receiving some amazing questions from students.

The featured question was asked by students from Corpus Christi Catholic School:

Question: Why can we see clouds but not evaporation?
Answer: Water vapor is invisible. However, the water in clouds is in liquid or solid state, not gas.

Do you have a favorite cloud photo or a question for the team? Use the linked form to cast your vote and ask us any question related to clouds. The winning photo will be announced at our next quarterly update.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Meet the Expert: Magdalena Waleska Aldana Segura

2024-04-04T08:00:38Z

Waleska works with in-service teachers in the teacher training programs of the Galileo University and the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. She is the founder and coordinator of the STEAM program

Question: Where are you from?
Answer: I was born in the city of the eternal Spring, Guatemala City, in Central America, several eclipses, comets, and moons ago.

Question: What inspired you to work in this field?
Answer: Since I was little I had a fascination with natural phenomena, the reason why stars shine led me to be a Physicist, and fireflies and bioluminescence have always caught my attention. I went out with my father when I was very little to look for fireflies at night, something I miss a lot now with climate change. The gardens were filled with fireflies at night; it was a unique spectacle, and this always caught my attention; how electronic devices work, and that's how I advanced in my career. I became interested in the National Science Olympics, and that's how I found the Physics major. The more I know about the GLOBE program, the more it catches my attention, and I consider it a valuable program so that young people can learn about the intersection between sciences: between Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. The program works well in low-resource schools, as it also promotes imagination and creativity. It uses something wonderful, the sky as an observatory and laboratory. It provides a unique opportunity for young people to interact with something they see very far away: real scientists and NASA.

Question: What inspires you about eclipses?
Answer: Since ancient times, eclipses have fascinated humanity. I had the opportunity to see the 1991 eclipse, and I have had the privilege of seeing several lunar eclipses. It reminds us that we are not in an isolated system, that the universe is wonderful and that we still have a lot to discover. It reminds us that the world is bigger than the 4 walls where we normally live. The eclipse is a unique opportunity, and this one in particular will pass over our heads at noon. With luck, we may see the comet Pons-Brooks at the same time as the eclipse (near Jupiter during totality). Both are unique, valuable experiences that create the illusion of space in the collective imagination. That wonderful place, unknown, immense and yet to be known. I am from the generation that was excited about space as the final frontier, and it became the means to learn more about our planet. That is the value of a program like GLOBE. During this eclipse, we want to monitor the incidence of clouds and cosmic radiation. From the previous eclipse, we had the experience that it rained slightly after the totality of the annularity, with a completely clear sky. Nature is wonderful!

Question: What ideas would you like to share about how to participate and observe an eclipse, like the one occurring on 08 April 2024?
Answer:We encourage them to participate and observe the eclipse safely, whether with appropriate lenses, observation boxes, punched cards, but above all, safely. An extremely useful tool is GLOBE Observer, just try to update it and become familiar with it beforehand. It is a valuable tool where you can share data and observations with people throughout the entire trajectory. This eclipse, due to its same characteristics, has a wider area of totality than previous ones, the moon will be slightly closer, and it will also be an experience with a longer observation time, around 4 minutes 23 seconds in some places. This allows you to observe clouds, nature, and changes in surface temperature; but above all, experience it as a whole.

Try to enjoy the eclipse, wherever you are; it is a unique opportunity that also demonstrates that science transcends borders and unites people. Millions of people will be in the path of this eclipse that passes through large cities in Mexico and the United States. It is a unique opportunity in urban centers to see this phenomenon, motivate the passion for science, and also have a totally free cosmic spectacle.

Question: What advice would you like to tell the next generation of observers?
Answer: Fight for your dreams, wherever you are, there are opportunities to do science, to innovate, to dream and create a better future for everyone. We depend on the next observers to solve the enigmas of science. Citizen scientists like you will be the scientists of the future who solve society's problems and create wonderful new discoveries. Physics needs many observers who can answer those questions that contribute in the process to improving everyone's daily lives. We depend on you, and we trust you. See the sky with those eyes of wonder, like children for the first time; but know that we are all here to help you in any way we can, that our knowledge and experience is at the service of this generation.

Science Topic with Dr. Brad Hegyi: Understanding Our Solar-powered Earth with NASA Data Provided by the POWER Project

2024-04-01T08:00:38Z

Brad Hegyi is a research scientist for the NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) project team at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, USA. Brad develops metrics and statistics for POWER from model estimates of future climate to help support planning for future energy use by heating and cooling systems in buildings. Brad also helps create interactive data products to better visualize changes occurring in the climate data.

The energy that comes from the Sun is the basic source of energy for everything on Earth. Solar energy drives Earth’s weather and climate and is greatly affected by the presence of clouds. It also provides the energy for plants that are a part of Earth’s biosphere and human agriculture. Understanding solar energy is also increasingly important when thinking about renewable energy. Since 2003, the NASA Prediction of World Energy Resources (POWER) project has helped bring NASA data to people that are thinking about solar energy and making informed decisions after analyzing the data.

POWER brings together high-quality data from different sources within NASA. Data comes from sources such as the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) project, the Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM), and the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA2). Our website makes it easy to access the data from different data sources across NASA in one place. The data can easily become a part of your project through our data visualization tool, geospatial image services, an interface to directly bring NASA data into your code, and even through cloud computing (Amazon Web Services). All available data is provided in common and easy-to-use data formats. Tutorials are also available on the website to guide users.

The accessible NASA data provided by POWER has been used in many projects and applications. For example, POWER data was used by a company to determine the best times to deploy floating solar-powered drones in the ocean. Many different users have relied on data provided by POWER to make decisions about providing solar power for locations such as bus stops, agricultural land, and remote locations in Africa. For more details about the POWER project and how to get started using NASA data, check out our website and story map.

GLOBE Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-Powered Earth (15 March - 15 April 2024)

2024-03-27T18:15:43Z

The Sun drives many processes in Earth’s atmosphere. As the Sun rises and sets, it warms the Earth’s surface at different intensities. These changes in heat lead to changes in the clouds, especially the types of clouds. To study these changes, we need observations at different times over the course of hours, days, weeks, months, and years from around the globe. It can be tricky to capture the extent of these interactions with satellites alone, which is why we need observations from your perspective on the ground as part of the GLOBE Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-Powered Earth.

The challenge runs 15 March - 15 April 2024 to align with the NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge which occurred 15 March - 15 April 2018. In the 2018 challenge, volunteers submitted more than 55,600 cloud observations! The 2024 GLOBE Eclipse Challenge builds the long-term record of cloud observations to help scientists study change over time and allows a comparison to the previous challenge data.

Supporting GLOBE Student Investigations of the Eclipse

2024-03-14T21:44:11Z

On April 8, 2024 many of us in North America will have the opportunity to experience a solar eclipse. Whether you’re in the path of totality, or will be experiencing a partial eclipse, it’s sure to be all the buzz. This is a great opportunity to turn the excitement about the solar eclipse into curiosity about other fields of science.

During the eclipse, as the moon comes between us and the Sun, we will experience a sudden change in the amount of Sun’s energy reaching our surface. This can cause changes in our atmosphere including changes in air temperature, surface temperature, clouds, and wind. This can make for interesting GLOBE student research!

In fact, GLOBE is interested in learning more about clouds and their relation to Sun’s heating with the upcoming GLOBE Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-Powered Earth running from March 15- April 15. As the Sun rises and sets, it warms the Earth’s surface at different intensities. These changes in heat lead to changes in the clouds, especially the types of clouds. To study these changes, we need observations at different times over the course of hours, days, weeks, months, and years from around the globe. One instance of rapid change is the upcoming total solar eclipse on 8 April. This natural experiment is a great opportunity for those experiencing the eclipse to study how rapidly changing solar energy influences clouds and temperature.

GLOBE Observer, the app of The GLOBE Program, will release a special GLOBE Eclipse Tool just before the eclipse. On the day of the eclipse, April 8th, when you go into the Eclipse Tool, you will see when maximum coverage will be for your location. The app will remind you to make observations of clouds and air temperature before and after the eclipse, at about 10-minute intervals. You can also document your location by making a land cover observation in the Eclipse tool. Be sure when using an air temperature thermometer to first calibrate the thermometer and minimize other factors that can influence your temperature reading, such as measuring temperature in the shade. The GLOBE Eclipse Overview sheet summarizes how to participate in data collections using the GLOBE Eclipse tool.

Educators have shared experiences from recent eclipses and suggest that in addition to having the option to enter GLOBE data directly in the app, to also use paper data sheets. This can also help if you are trying to engage multiple learners but do not have a device for each. The Eclipse Air Temperature Data Sheets (in English and Spanish) can help keep your data organized.

After you collect and submit your data, you’ll want to help learners analyze the data and put their research project together. If you used the Eclipse Tool to collect data, you already have access to a graph of your data. If not, the Atmosphere Changes During Eclipse Spreadsheet can help you organize and analyze your data. You can then use the Eclipse Student Research Poster Template to help put all the main pieces of a student research project together in poster format. Finally, consider sharing the research by uploading their GLOBE Student Research Report.

If you’re looking for a less quantitative way to document your eclipse experience, check out the Solar Eclipse Journal. This sheet encourages you to use all your senses in experiencing the eclipse and even provides sentence starters to help you reflect upon changes during the solar eclipse.

No matter what you choose, make sure you and those around you practice proper eclipse viewing safety. I hope you enjoy your eclipse experience.

GLOBE Eclipse Challenge: Clouds and Our Solar-powered Earth

2024-02-29T19:36:19Z

Energy from the Sun warms our planet, and changes in sunlight can also cause changes in temperature, clouds, and wind. Clouds are ever changing and give you clues and information on what is happening in the atmosphere. Eclipses provide a natural experiment, in which the Sun’s light is blocked from Earth for a brief period in time, allowing us to observe the effects of that sudden change. Read the newly released blog post explaining in depth cloud formation and which ones would be impacted by the upcoming total solar eclipse over North America and how the data will be used.

Also, join us for the March GLOBE Observer Connect (March 21 at 8pm ET) to learn from Marilé Colón Robles, GLOBE Clouds project scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, about the different processes by which clouds form and how the eclipse may have an impact on those processes. You will also hear from Ashlee Autore, a scientist also at NASA Langley, about the analysis she has been doing of cloud observations during the annular eclipse on 14 October 2023, and what she hopes to explore with further data from the total solar eclipse on 08 April. She is especially interested in how cloud coverage changes during the eclipse across different climate zones.

GLOBE Clouds and NGSS (Elementary and Middle School)

2024-01-19T14:38:11Z

A new resource is now available created by GLOBE educator Mr. Roger Rose (@rrose) as part of his NASA internship in 2023 titled, GLOBE Atmosphere Clouds and NGSS. This document compares portions of the clouds protocol to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for elementary and middle school with tips and resources to use in the classroom.

The document is available on the resources section of the NASA GLOBE Clouds page.

Novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Nubes Diciembre/Enero/Febrero 2023-2024

2023-12-15T15:10:38Z

¡Las novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Nubes están disponibles!

Próximamente: Reto de Nubes 2024
El equipo se complace en anunciar que en 2024 tendremos un Reto de Nubes centrado en cómo cambian las nubes a lo largo del día.

Finaliza la primera misión satelital Lidar de larga duración CALIPSO
CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations, por sus siglas en inglés), un satélite lidar que avanzó en la comprensión mundial del clima, el tiempo y la calidad del aire, finalizó su misión científica el 1 de agosto de 2023 después de 17 años de funcionamiento.

Conoce al experto: Erquinio Taborda
Erquinio Taborda es docente de la Institución Educativa Distrital San Gabriel de la Ciudad de Barranquilla, Colombia. Ha estado haciendo observaciones de nubes desde 2005 cuando formó parte del programa CERES-S'COOL de la NASA Langley, en Hampton, Virginia y conoció a la científica de la NASA Dr. Lin Chambers. Ahora, hace parte del personal docente adscrito al Ministerio de Educación de Colombia, donde desarrolla contenidos para las asignaturas de Matemáticas, Física y Robótica utilizando los protocolos y la metodología GLOBE.

Tema científico: Nubes en exoplanetas
Hemos hablado de nubes en otros planetas de nuestro sistema solar. Pero, ¿qué pasa con las nubes aún más lejanas? Hoy exploramos las nubes de los exoplanetas. Un exoplaneta es un planeta que orbita alrededor de una estrella distinta al Sol. Al igual que en la Tierra, las nubes de los exoplanetas consisten en gotas líquidas o sólidas suspendidas en una atmósfera. Sin embargo, algunos exoplanetas orbitan tan cerca de sus estrellas, que sus temperaturas alcanzan miles de grados.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update: December, January, February 2023-2024

2023-12-15T15:02:19Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is available for December, January, February 2023-2024!

Coming Soon: Cloud Challenge 2024
The team is excited to announce that in 2024 we will have a Cloud Challenge focused on how clouds change throughout the day.

First Long-Duration Lidar Satellite Mission CALIPSO Ends
CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations), a lidar satellite that advanced the world’s understanding of climate, weather, and air quality, ended its scientific mission on August 1, 2023 after 17 years of operation.

Meet an Expert: Erquinio Taborda
Erquinio Taborda is a teacher at the San Gabriel District Educational Institution in the City of Barranquilla, Colombia. He has been doing cloud observations since 2005 when he was part of the CERES-S'COOL program of NASA Langley, in Hampton, Virginia and met NASA scientist Dr. Lin Chambers. Now, he is part of the teaching staff attached to the Colombian Ministry of Education, where he develops content for the subjects of Mathematics, Physics, and Robotics using the protocols and the GLOBE methodology.

Science Topic: Clouds on Exoplanets
We have talked about clouds on other planets in our solar system. But what about clouds even farther away? In this update, we explore clouds on exoplanets. An exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star other than the Sun. Just like on Earth, clouds on exoplanets consist of liquid or solid droplets suspended in an atmosphere. However, some exoplanets orbit so close to their stars, that their temperatures reach thousands of degrees.

NASA GLOBE Clouds communications in Spanish
Our NASA GLOBE Clouds team will attempt to translate our communications to Spanish whenever possible. You can sign up to receive NASA GLOBE Clouds communications in Spanish.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update

2023-10-31T13:49:19Z

The September/October/November 2023 NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is now available! Find out how to sign up for NASA GLOBE Clouds communications in Spanish. Join our GLOBE Observer Connect series on October 5 at 8pm ET to learn about changes in the atmosphere and animal behaviors during an eclipse. Learn how to create a family emergency plan in case of extreme weather. Check out our “GLOBE Clouds by the numbers” section to see how many observations were made in the last quarter. Meet our expert, GLOBE Clouds Outreach Coordinator Rosalba Giarratano. Finally, learn about extreme heat and heat waves, with NASA Langley Data Scientist Ashlee Autore.

GLOBE Goes to Hero Kids Foundation Summer Camp August 2023

2023-08-23T16:02:30Z

August 9-11, 2023, Tina Harte Ballinger and Amy Ellisor of the GLOBE Goes to Camp team piloted a GLOBE STEM Camp at Hero Kids Foundation in Suffolk, VA assisted by Isaac Lee the Program Director of Hero Kids. Over 25 campers and 6 YMCA staff from the Armed Services YMCA in Virginia Beach, VA. joined in collecting of cloud, surface temperature, soil, and tree height data through the lens of "Environmental Stewardship". Campers loved the hikes through the forest and were amazed at the differences in the characterization of the soil in the forest as compared to that of an open meadow. The weather allowed for a perfect surface temperature investigation with one completely overcast day followed by a full day of sunshine. The campers were excited to see the differences in surface temperature between the two days. Members of the Hero Kids Foundation Executive Board, Dave McBride COO of Science Systems and Applications (SSAI), Frank Peri Chief Engineer at SSAI and Caitlyn Dreux Director of the Bahethi Foundation were there to support the effort and see for themselves the potential for incorporating GLOBE Goes to Camp in the future. The camp was such a success that there are plans for adding GLOBE Goes to Camp to Hero Kid Foundation's summer schedule as an annual event moving forward.

GLOBE Goes to Camp Summer Explorations

2023-06-28T17:38:08Z

GLOBE Goes to Camp is in full swing for the summer with GLOBE data collection and informal learning opportunities for campers across the United States. Campers participated in hydrology, soil, land cover, and tree investigations throughout the month of June looking for freshwater macro-invertebrates all the way to who could find the tallest tree. Campers are engaging not only in STEAM based learning opportunities, but are also building a sense of environmental stewardship as they learn about how what we do affects the Earth as a system. Communities are becoming involved as they learn about the connections between GLOBE, NASA, and issues that affect them where they live.

The NASA GLOBE Goes to Camp Summer IOP launches this June

2023-05-26T14:43:29Z

Join summer campers from over 30 camps across the United States as they collect air temperature, soil temperature, surface temperature, and water temperature study over the next two months. Campers will explore relationships between each of the GLOBE temperature protocols as they monitor differences across various microclimates found within their camp and community. Each camp will have the opportunity to explore data being collected by other GLOBE Camps and members of the GLOBE community (that's you!), expanding their understanding of data as it relates to others across the US and around the world. Put on your hiking boots, gather your thermometers, and join the campers in the data collection across the US and beyond to help the entire GLOBE community gain a better understanding of the many microclimates that form the building blocks of our global climate.

All Virtual - Clouds Training for Educators

2023-01-27T19:23:13Z

Join the NASA GLOBE Clouds team and become GLOBE trained in cloud observations. Learn why clouds are important, how does NASA study clouds, and what are satellite matches. The clouds pacing guides will be used as starting points on how to do cloud observations in your classrooms or educational settings.

Novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Nubes

2023-01-06T21:54:00Z

Novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Clouds
Diciembre/Enero/Febrero 2022-2023

Las novedades trimestrales de NASA GLOBE Nubes 2022-2023 están disponibles.

Anuncio acerca de NOAA-20
En 2023, será posible hacer coincidir tus observaciones satelitales con un nuevo satélite. Obtén más información sobre NOAA-20 y cómo aumentar la posibilidad de obtener una coincidencia con satélites.

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE termina en 2022
Después de lograr una increíble cantidad de clasificación de fotos del cielo, NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE está llegando a su fin; sin embargo, puedes conocer sus historias de éxito y descargar sus datos en este informe de fin de año.

Consejo de observación de nubes: iridiscencia de nubes
La iridiscencia de las nubes ocurre cuando pequeñas gotas de agua o pequeños cristales de hielo dispersan la luz del sol, haciendo que las nubes parezcan arco iris de nubes.

Conoce a una experta: Dra. Annette Bombosch
La Dr. Annette Bombosch, cofundadora de The Polar Collective, quiere ayudar a las personas a darse cuenta de que todos pueden hacer una diferencia, sin importar cuán pequeña sea. Su organización vincula a la comunidad científica polar y a los científicos ciudadanos que visitan los polos. ¡Uno de los proyectos que la Dr. Bombosch y The Polar Collective apoyan es GLOBE Nubes!

Tema científico: ¿Son las nubes del hemisferio norte diferentes de las nubes del hemisferio sur?Las nubes en el hemisferio sur son diferentes de las del hemisferio norte debido a su composición; la mayoría de las nubes observadas estaban hechas de gotas de agua líquida.

¿Te gustaría contactar al equipo de NASA GLOBE Nubes? Utiliza nuestra página de contacto para enviarnos preguntas o comentarios. ¡Muchas gracias por todas tus observaciones!

Sinceramente,
El equipo NASA GLOBE Nubes

NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update

2023-01-06T21:53:19Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is available for winter 2022-23!

NOAA-20 Announcement
In 2023, it will be possible for you to match your satellite observations with a new satellite. Learn more about NOAA-20 and how to increase the chance to get a satellite match.

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE Ends in 2022
After achieving an incredible number of sky photos’ classification, NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE is coming to an end, but you can learn about its success stories and download its data in this year-end report.

Cloud Observation Tip: Cloud Iridescence
Cloud iridescence occurs when small water droplets or small ice crystals scatter the sun’s light, making clouds appear like cloud rainbows.

Meet an Expert: Dr. Annette Bombosch
Dr. Annette Bombosch, co-founder of The Polar Collective, wants to help people realize that everyone can make a difference, no matter how small. Her organization links the polar science community and citizen scientists visiting the poles. One of the projects Dr. Bombosch and The Polar Collective supports is GLOBE Clouds!

Science Topic: Are Northern Hemisphere Clouds Different than Southern Hemisphere Clouds?
Clouds in the southern hemisphere are different from those in the northern hemisphere due to their composition; more of the clouds observed were made of liquid water droplets.

Would you like to reach the NASA GLOBE Clouds team? Use our contact page to send us questions or comments. Thank you so much for all your observations!

Sincerely,
The NASA GLOBE Cloud Team

Cómo comparar tus observaciones de nubes con datos de satélites

2022-12-22T21:53:18Z

Uno de los momentos más emocionantes al realizar una observación de nubes es recibir tu correo electrónico personalizado de la NASA. El correo electrónico incluye datos sobre tu observación, hora y ubicación, y los compara con los datos obtenidos por satélites aproximadamente al mismo tiempo y en tu ubicación.

Comprensión de las tres partes de tu tabla de coincidencias con satélites: general, detallada e imágenes

Para cada sección, observa las comparaciones generales entre tu reporte y los datos resultantes. Recuerda, tu punto de vista del cielo (desde el suelo mirando hacia arriba) es diferente de los instrumentos de los satélites (desde el espacio mirando hacia abajo). Echemos un vistazo a cada sección.

La sección integral

Esta sección de la tabla contiene los nombres de los satélites, la latitud y la longitud, la fecha y la hora, y los informes de cobertura total de nubes. En amarillo, encontrarás los datos del satélite geoestacionario para tu ubicación. Estos podrían ser de los satélites GOES, Himawari o Meteosat. En azul, encontrarás datos recopilados del satélite Aqua. Y si esa misma columna es naranja, entonces encontrarás datos del satélite Terra. Tus observaciones siempre aparecerán en el lado derecho, en color verde.

Los informes de "cobertura total de nubes" de los satélites son un valor, mientras que tus observaciones se encuentran en un rango aproximado. Los símbolos circulares representan una gama de opciones de observación para seleccionar (ver imagen a continuación).

Sugerencia útil: usa los símbolos para ver si los reportes de satélites se encuentran en la misma categoría que tu reporte.

¿Qué pasa si los resultados no concuerdan? Las diferencias en la cobertura de nubes se ven afectadas por muchas variables. Tal vez el satélite vio nubes en capas que no pudiste detectar con tus ojos. Tal vez fue difícil elegir el rango de cobertura de nubes. ¡Puedes usar la actividad de estimación de cobertura de nubes y probar tus habilidades con coberturas de nubes creadas por otros!

Llévalo un paso más allá: observa los datos de múltiples satélites y examina cuánto varían los resultados. Si realizas observaciones de nubes durante varios días, intenta detectar un patrón.

La sección detallada

Esta sección contiene información sobre la cantidad y las características de las nubes observadas. Estos datos se dividen por el nivel de altitud de la base de las nubes, por lo que las nubes con bases inferiores a los 2000 metros se consideran nubes de bajo nivel. Las nubes con bases entre 2000 y 6000 metros son nubes de nivel medio, mientras que las nubes altas son aquellas con bases superiores a los 6000 metros. La información contenida aquí nos ayuda a comprender mejor cómo las nubes en diferentes altitudes podrían estar afectando el balance energético de la Tierra.

Leyenda: Consejo 2: Mira el nivel (bajo, medio o alto) con la mayor cantidad de nubes reportadas. Tus observaciones concuerdan con los satélites cuando la mayor cantidad de nubes se reporta en el mismo nivel de altitud. Sería interesante investigar cualquier diferencia mirando las fotografías que enviaste con tu informe de nubes y las imágenes de los satélites.

Sugerencia útil: tú, el/la observador(a), eres el/la único(a) que reporta el tipo de nube; los instrumentos en los satélites no lo hacen. Los instrumentos a bordo de los satélites te dicen las características de las nubes observadas. Esta información incluye la altitud, lo que hay dentro de la nube (gotas de agua, cristales de hielo o ambos) y la opacidad de la nube.

Puedes comparar tus observaciones con los datos del satélite y ver si coinciden en la opacidad y la cobertura de nubes para ese nivel.

¿Qué pasa si las observaciones no concuerdan? Concéntrate en el panorama general. Pregúntate qué nivel tenía la mayor cantidad de nubes reportadas, o si la opacidad está de acuerdo en cada reporte. Notar dónde concuerdan las observaciones te dará una mejor idea de por qué hay diferencias, grandes o pequeñas, y especialmente cuando miras las imágenes en la última sección del reporte.

La sección de imágenes

Aquí encontrarás diferentes conjuntos de imágenes. Las imágenes de satélite se centran sobre tu ubicación. Para los satélites geoestacionarios, tu ubicación se representa con un punto. Estas imágenes también tendrán un círculo rojo que marca un área de 40 kilómetros de diámetro alrededor de tu ubicación. Para Terra y Aqua, se incluye en el correo electrónico un enlace al programa de visualización de la NASA (Worldview). Según tus datos, el enlace a Worldview se centrará en tu ubicación, lo que te permite acercar y alejar, así como agregar otros campos de datos. También verás tus propias imágenes enviadas a través de la aplicación GLOBE Observer. Tus imágenes son increíblemente valiosas para los científicos, quienes obtienen una vista única con tus imágenes.

Leyenda: Consejo 3: Compara las formas y el grosor de las nubes dentro de las imágenes de los satélites y las tuyas.

Sugerencia útil: mira a través de las imágenes satelitales en busca de nubes o capas delgadas. Los cúmulos se verán hinchados en las imágenes de satélite. Los cirros también se ven delgados en las imágenes de satélite.

¿Qué sucede si tengo una coincidencia de satélite CALIPSO? La coincidencia del satélite CALIPSO es ligeramente diferente de la tabla que recibe de los otros satélites. Puedes leer más sobre CALIPSO y cómo leer esa coincidencia de satélite en particular utilizando nuestra guía (sólo disponible en inglés).

Las nubes son un factor clave que influye en el clima local, así como en el sistema climático de la Tierra. Los satélites sólo pueden capturar una vista de arriba hacia abajo de nuestro planeta. Tus observaciones terrestres complementan lo que los satélites no pueden ver. Cuando realizas una observación de nubes a través del programa GLOBE durante una coincidencia de satélite (dentro de los 15 minutos de una observación de satélite), ambos puntos de vista coinciden brindando la suma de ambas vistas. Tus observaciones de nubes, sincronizadas con las coincidencias de satélites, son una parte importante del rompecabezas del sistema terrestre que la NASA está construyendo activamente.

Un nuevo satélite con quien tener coincidencias de GLOBE Nubes: NOAA-20

2022-12-22T21:53:40Z

El equipo de NASA GLOBE Nubes se complace en anunciar la adición de NOAA-20, un nuevo satélite, a las capacidades de comparación de satélites. Esto significa que cuando realizas tus observaciones de nubes, pueden coincidir con NOAA-20, pero ¿qué es NOAA-20?

Todo sobre NOAA-20

NOAA-20, anteriormente conocido como JPSS-1, es uno de los cinco satélites que integrarán el Sistema Conjunto de Satélites Polares, o JPSS por las siglas en inglés. Esta constelación de satélites orbitan uno tras otro a lo largo de la misma trayectoria. Los satélites JPSS giran alrededor de la Tierra de polo a polo y cruzan el ecuador 14 veces al día en la órbita de la tarde. Esta pista proporciona una cobertura global completa de nuestro planeta dos veces al día.

Los satélites proporcionan datos que informan los modelos numéricos de pronóstico del tiempo. También recopilan observaciones durante eventos climáticos severos y detectarán y monitorearán peligros ambientales como sequías, incendios forestales, mala calidad del aire y aguas costeras dañinas. Puedes obtener más información sobre JPSS en la página de recursos educativos (sólo en inglés).

La singularidad del satélite NOAA-20 es que lleva un instrumento adicional llamado CERES o Clouds and Earth's Radiation Energy System. Este instrumento se administra en el Centro de Investigación Langley de la NASA, que es el hogar del equipo GLOBE Nubes. CERES se utiliza para monitorear cómo las nubes impactan el presupuesto energético y el clima de la Tierra. Obtén más información sobre el impacto que tienen las nubes en el clima de la Tierra en este video con el Dr. Patrick Taylor del Centro de Investigación Langley de la NASA

Cómo obtener coincidencias con el satélite NOAA-20

El equipo de GLOBE Nubes comenzará a comparar tus observaciones de nubes con NOAA-20 el 2023. Estos son algunos pasos que puedes practicar para prepararte a recibir coincidencias con NOAA-20 y con otros satélites de órbita polar (Terra, Aqua, CALIPSO).

Utiliza el horario de coincidencias con satélites

NOAA-20 es un satélite de órbita polar, por lo que la mejor manera de obtener una coincidencia con tus observaciones es verificando la hora y la fecha en que NOAA-20 volará sobre tu área. Haz clic en el botón naranja en la página principal de las nubes. Esto te dará una lista de todos los satélites en órbita polar y cuándo volarán cada uno sobre tu ubicación.

*Nota: Los satélites geoestacionarios no tienen un horario de sobrevuelo. Si hay datos disponibles de estos satélites en el momento y lugar en que realizas tus observaciones de nubes, recibirás entonces un correo electrónico personalizado de la NASA con tus comparaciones.

2. Haz observaciones de nubes 15 minutos antes o después de la hora seleccionada

Logra una coincidencia con un satélite de órbita polar (Terra, Aqua, CALIPSO y pronto NOAA-20) al hacer una observación de nubes dentro de un período de 15 minutos a partir de la fecha y hora en el programa de sobrevuelo de satélites. Tu ventana para garantizar una coincidencia comienza 15 minutos antes de la hora indicada y finaliza 15 minutos después. Puedes también configurar notificaciones de los próximos sobrevuelos de satélites. La cobertura de nubes, los tipos de nubes y la opacidad son información importante para los científicos.

Ejemplo: La primera oportunidad de la lista es para Aqua, que estará en el área a las 14:13 hora local. La ventana para garantizar una coincidencia con este satélite sería hace una observación de nubes en cualquier momento entre la 1:58 p.m. y las 2:28 p.m., hora local.

Primera oportunidad	Última oportunidad
2:13pm - 0:15 = 1:58pm hora local	2:13pm + 0:15 = 2:28pm hora local

3. Incluye fotografías del cielo con tus observaciones de nubes

Las fotografías del cielo les dan a los científicos la oportunidad de observar las nubes desde tu punto de vista. Usar fotografías brinda información sobre la ubicación y la opacidad de las nubes, y el espesor de las tormentas de polvo o humo de incendios cercanos reportadas. Por esta razón, la aplicación GLOBE Observer te brinda la oportunidad de tomar una fotografía en cada dirección cardinal (N, S, E, W), hacia arriba y hacia abajo.

Tus fotografías son importantes en múltiples circunstancias:

La presencia de nubes cirros delgadas y altas (usualmente llamadas cirros subvisibles) captadas en las fotografías.
Un evento como una tormenta de polvo o humo de incendios cercanos bloqueando la vista del cielo y nubes.
Estelas de avión reportadas y captadas en las fotografías.
Cuando tus observaciones no se comparan igualmente con los reportes de los satélites con los que tuviste coincidencias (vídeo disponible en inglés; YouTube permite habilitar subtítulos en español).

Las imágenes de satélite se envían cada vez que se produce una coincidencia de satélite. Los encontrarás en la parte inferior de la tabla de coincidencias de satélites. Hay recursos para ayudarte a analizar los datos satelitales de GEO, Terra y Aqua, y CALIPSO (disponible en inglés); de esta manera, puedes comparar tus observaciones y fotografías del cielo.

GLOBE Clouds Student Research Resources

2022-12-15T20:47:22Z

Participating in the 2023 International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS)? The GLOBE Clouds team have put together resources for you. GLOBE Clouds team members Marilé Colón Robles and Rosalba Giarratano have prepared a webinar available on YouTube in English and in Spanish.

The slides from the webinar:

Presentation in English.
Presentation in Spanish.

Resources shared in the webinars:

You can contact the presenters with any questions:

Marilé Colón Robles - Marile.ColonRobles (at) nasa.gov
Rosalba Giarratano - Rosalba.N.Giarratano (at) nasa.gov

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE is closing with a very successful story

2022-11-15T22:18:05Z

2022 Celebration

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE has tagged over 735,000 photographs of sky and clouds all because of you! The photographs are part of cloud reports sent in from over 120 different countries and regions around the world.

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE is closing with a very successful story. The project will stop collecting data on 1 December 2022. On 16 December 2022, NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE will no longer be a NASA sponsored project. The website will remain open. The datasets will be available for researchers and participants to use. The Cloud interactives ( Cover and What Do You Seen ) will still function. The CLOUD GAZE team will set up test datasets within the interactives for educators and teachers to use in their classrooms.

Figure 1. NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE Infographic

Impact of the Data

The NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE dataset is the combination of two citizen science datasets. It merges cloud cover and cloud type information from people, and images with satellite data. It is one of the few datasets of its kind that combines three different datasets into one single file. This provides researchers and citizen scientists the opportunity to study clouds from three different perspectives in one. Download the data from the GLOBE Observer data site.

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE: Merging of Multiple Cloud Datasets

Ground observations of clouds supplied by citizen scientists through The GLOBE Program

Satellite Observations of Clouds

Cloud Cover and Cloud Type Identifications per sky photograph

Cloud Cover: 50-90%

Cloud Types:

Contrails

Cirrus or Cirrostratus

Altostratus or stratus

Geolocation and cardinal direction recorded through The GLOBE Program.

Accessibility and Internships

The NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE increased the accessibility of The GLOBE Program to participants who could not participate before. This was truly impactful during the backlash of COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for people to do real science from their homes.

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team had the fortune to collaborate with Naudia Graham, a high school intern. She became a GLOBE Clouds expert quickly. She is also interested in advocating for accessibility. Naudia had an important research question: “How can blind and sighted students learn about clouds alongside each other?”

If you would like to learn more about Naudia’s work, please access Naudia’s student report.

Summer Research Experience

Audrey Cabrera, Data Science Intern Summer 2022

The summer months were filled with data analysis with our summer intern Audrey Cabrera. A senior at University of California Los Angeles in Statistics with a focus on data science, Audrey spent her summer analyzing your data and comparing it with the ground observations reported by The GLOBE Program. Read about Audrey's work on her blog post below and by reviewing her research poster.

Would you like to reach the NASA GLOBE Clouds team?

Use our contact page.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update

2022-10-17T18:25:50Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds Quarterly Update is available for September/October/November 2022!

Match to a Million Satellite Matches Celebration
Thanks to you, The GLOBE Program has reached one million satellite observations matched to your cloud reports! Share in the celebration and thank you videos made just for you.

GLOBE Clouds New Satellite Matching: NOAA-20
The NASA GLOBE Clouds team will soon be adding NOAA-20 to our satellite matching capabilities. Learn more about NOAA-20 and updates to the GLOBE Clouds satellite matching schedule.

Meet an Expert: Naudia Graham
Discover how a high school intern used technology and creativity to learn about clouds. Learn how her work advocated for accessibility too!

Science Topic: The Good and the Bad of Clouds while Looking at Trees with Brian Campbell
This fall, you are invited to participate in the GLOBE Trees Challenge 2022: Trees in a Changing Climate and learn how clouds can be good and bad when measuring trees from space.

Would you like to reach the NASA GLOBE Clouds team? Use our contact page to send us questions or comments. Thank you so much for all your observations!

If you would like to stop receiving Satellite Match emails, sign in to your GLOBE account on globe.gov or observer.globe.gov and uncheck "Receive GLOBE Observer News" option under "GLOBE Opt-In" under your account settings. You can also check your GLOBE Opt-In options from the GLOBE Observer app.

Sincerely,
The NASA GLOBE Cloud Team

A Retired Professional Leading the Way Towards “Match to a Million”

2025-02-18T21:12:46Z

The GLOBE Program, through its various platforms such as the International Virtual Student Symposium (IVSS), Student Research Symposium (SRS), Regional Meetings has always highlighted relevant student research accomplishments and outputs. The GLOBE activities, however, are not just limited to students and teachers. We are pleased to know that retired professionals can also work and contribute meaningfully to the GLOBE database as citizen scientists. Let us get to know one cloud enthusiast from India, Om Prakash Gupta.

Om Prakash Gupta is one of the most active citizen scientists that we are lucky to have as part of our GLOBE community. He is a retired principal and a postgraduate in Geography from Kanpur University, but Om is also a GLOBE Clouds and NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE superstar! When citizen scientists make a GLOBE Clouds observation within 15 minutes of a satellite observation, both points of views are matched. The matched data provides a more comprehensive view of what is going on in our atmosphere, and this augmented data set is very useful for scientific research. Well, Om has not just matched satellite observations one or twice. With his GLOBE Clouds observations, Om has matched satellite data more than 9,000 times, contributing greatly to a GLOBE Clouds lifetime goal of reaching a million satellite matches.

When asked about what makes him passionate about clouds, Om has shared he has had a keen interest in cloud gazing since he was a child. He always wants to learn more about our atmosphere and to contribute to the study of our climate. He would like to inspire other citizen scientists to enjoy the natural beauty of clouds in the sky and to help aid in the understanding of climate change.

We hope that Om’s enthusiasm in doing these measurements inspires not just our current GLOBE students and teachers to do more observations and to use GLOBE protocols but also those who are not in the education sector. After all, this is what citizen science is all about - gathering and sharing scientific data and collaborating to produce useful research for the general public. We can see in Om a real citizen scientist at work!

Clouds in a Changing Climate

2022-01-05T01:16:07Z

Did you know that clouds can both warm and cool our planet? Keeping an eye on clouds helps NASA study our climate. You can notice some of these changes by just looking at the clouds.

Here are some examples you might have already noticed:

Do all clouds cast shadows? Low thick clouds tend to cast the most shadows. The shadows show you how the cloud is blocking the light from the sun from reaching the ground. This is similar to you placing your hand in front of your eyes when it is too sunny. Your hand is blocking the light from reaching your eyes. This is the same as the cloud blocking the light from the sun, and because of this it cools the Earth.

Is the temperature during cloudy nights the same as during clear nights? During winter time, there is a very strong noticeable difference. At nights, you might notice high stratus clouds lingering through the night. These mid and high level clouds warm the atmosphere. The result is that cloudy nights are not as cold as clear nights.

Do all cloud types rain? Somehow we can tell if a cloud is about to rain and get the urge to run inside. Usually, these clouds look dark and can get pretty big. Other times, it seems that clouds rain very softly and for a long time. What you’ve noticed are the two cloud types that produce precipitation: cumulonimbus and nimbostratus clouds. Just these two cloud types lead to any type of precipitation. What would happen if you see them more often in your area? What would happen if you see them less? The results would be how clouds impact the climate of your location.

These three examples show how a person and their continued observations of clouds are important to understanding a location’s clouds and its climate.

This January, The GLOBE Program would like to invite you all to take part in a new challenge by taking a look at clouds and climate. During the NASA GLOBE Clouds Challenge: Clouds in a Changing Climate (15 January - 15 February) you can help scientists studying clouds and climate by making cloud observations with the GLOBE Observer app. Plus, for this challenge we also have an alternative form of participation you can do from the comfort of your home. You can help identify clouds online through the Zooniverse project NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE.

Why do we need your help? Satellites can only capture a top-down view of our planet. While satellites give us a big picture of climatic cloud effects, they struggle at times to provide a detailed analysis of what's happening in specific locations. For example, it can be challenging to determine how cloud cover is affecting local weather patterns, or whether a particular area is receiving more or less precipitation over time.

We need your ground observations to complement what the satellite cannot see, for example, cloud bases, ground cover, and multiple cloud layers. We also want to match your ground observations of clouds with Earth observing satellites. We would like to get as many satellite matches as possible during this cloud challenge. Help us reach 20K matches by timing your cloud observations! It is easy to do with the GLOBE Observer app since the app lets you know when the satellites will be overhead for you when making cloud observations. Plus, anytime you make an observation that is matched with one made by a satellite you will receive a personalized email from NASA.

The below has a little bit more about the types of satellites you can match with when making cloud observations with the GLOBE Observer app:

Some satellites are always observing the same location of the Earth. These are referred to as geostationary satellites. All you have to do to get a satellite match is make a cloud observation. If there is data available, you will see the match in the satellite match table sent to you in the NASA personalized email.

Other satellites observe the entire planet. These are referred to as low Earth orbiting satellites. A match is possible if one of these satellites was overhead within 15 minutes before or after the observation. The GLOBE Program’s GLOBE Observer app can alert you when a satellite will be over your area. You can find this setting in the GLOBE Observer app on the main clouds screen. A new step-by-step video tutorial shows you how to set up notifications for satellite flyovers within the app.

The power of photographs

Plus, knowing what types of clouds and how many clouds are in an area are important to understand the climate. Photographs of the sky and clouds give scientists the opportunity to see locations from your unique perspective. Sky photographs are one of the most requested portions of a GLOBE Clouds observation. This is because there is so much you can do with them. Details within a photograph can be used to compare with satellite data, confirm dust or haze observations, and give insight to unique cloud types like lenticular and noctilucent clouds over the polar regions.

This is how the idea for NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE came to be. The project allows participants to look at cloud photographs and help classify them. All photographs were submitted by GLOBE participants through the program’s GLOBE Observer app. While classifying users are asked to identify elements such as the presence or absence of clouds, dust storms, smoke plumes and haze layers.

To take part in the classification portion of this year’s challenge, go to the NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE page on the Zooniverse online citizen science platform. There you can learn more about the project and choose between the two interactives: “Cloud Cover” and “What Do You See.” In each interactive, you will go through a quick tutorial and answer a simple question for each photograph that pops up. The “Cloud Cover” interactive asks you to identify what is the total cloud cover observed in the photograph. The “What Do You See” interactive asks you to identify the type of clouds you observe. For both, choose the best selection and submit. It is that easy!

We hope you will plan to join us in January for the NASA GLOBE Cloud Challenge 2022: Clouds in a Changing Climate. As you can see there are multiple ways to participate. In any way that you do participate it will have a large impact in helping us to understand the Earth’s climate. And as a reminder, help us reach our 20K satellite match goal! And continue your observations after the challenge is over to help continue to create a climate dataset.

November wild weather events

2021-12-17T21:14:59Z

The weather has been really kicking up quite a bit of whacky weather in November. On November 2, 2021, the town of Kikonai in northern Japan’s Kokkaido prefecture set a record amount of rainfall of 2.2 inches (5.5 centimeters) in 10 minutes. Wow!! That’s a lot of rain in a short amount of time! You can see where the rainfall fell on the image below!

(credit: Extreme weather around the world amid COP26 - The Washington Post)

Meanwhile in Uzbekistan, it saw the worst dust storm in about 50 years! The dust finally settled on November 4, 2021 but still lingered for days afterwards. Dust particles are harmful to human health and this dust storm was 30 times higher than what is considered acceptable for that area. This dust storm was triggered after months of the area not receiving enough rain. That’s what I call a dust event!!

In addition, eastern Asia experienced record temperatures. Shenyang in northeast China tied it’s monthly record at 67.6 F and North Korea had temperatures in the 68 F range.

(credit: Extreme weather around the world amid COP26 - The Washington Post)

On November 7, 2021, the southeast US experienced high levels of coastal flooding from an off shore storm. Water levels reached highs that are not typically seen out of hurricanes but with global sea level rising, water levels reaching this high might become more common in the future. Fort Pulaski, GA saw it’s fourth highest water level on the same day and Charleston Harbor, SC reached it’s 10th highest level in 100 years. The conditions where high water was present caused several roads to close, breached homes and businesses and cancelled Veteran’s Day parade that should have happened in the area.

(credit: Extreme weather around the world amid COP26 - The Washington Post)

Additionally, in our crazy weather month, a California heat wave sent temperatures over 90 degrees in November. San Bernardino, Chino and Camarillo were at 93 F. In addition, high temperatures baked southern California and the Pacific Northwest was drenched by heavy rain from an atmospheric river. With these atmospheric rivers though, there was an increase in flooding, debris flows and mudslides.

Lastly, we as a team on the NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE Team want to extend our thoughts and prayers to those effected by the Kentucky Tornadoes that hit Kentucky on December 10, 2021. This is the deadliest tornado system to ever run through Kentucky.

Coming Up:

We are having a NASA GLOBE Cloud Challenge 2022: Clouds in a Changing Climate from January 15 – February 15, 2022. You can do two things to participate. One you can submit your own cloud observations using The GLOBE Program’s GLOBE Observer app (remember to always be safe and follow local guidelines while observing). Second you can participate from the comfort of your home through NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE on Zooniverse. Using this online project, you can help us identify cloud types and other phenomena in photos taken by GLOBE participants.

Well, I want to wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year 2022!! May the crazy weather take us into a new and exciting year full of crazy weather events!

About the author:

Dr. Jason (“Jay”) Welsh (NASA Langley, SSAI) is a research scientist for NASA GLOBE Clouds and specifically works on NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE which is based out of the Science Directorate at NASA Langley Research Center with Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Jason works with these teams to insure that we are implementing science into our research projects. In addition, Jason works with students and other learners to help them learn and become more educated on scientific concepts. Lastly, he works on the Zooniverse platform to help develop meaningful connections with the scientific research community by enabling analysis of resultant datasets and providing results that are tailored to scientific research community needs.

Cloud Observation Tips: Identifying Status Clouds

2021-11-15T22:02:59Z

Stratus clouds are one of the three main types of clouds. Remember that there are many types of clouds that fall into three main categories: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus. Using hand-motions, we would stretch out our hands as far out as we could to mimic a stratus cloud. There are stratus-type clouds at all three basic altitude levels. These are: stratus clouds (low level), altostratus clouds (mid level), and cirrostratus clouds (high level). When stratus-type clouds are present, your skies will most likely be overcast or the cloud cover is 90% or more. Note, there is a difference between overcast and obscured skies.

How can you tell which one you are looking at? NASA scientist Dr. Lin Chambers came up with tips for students, teachers, and anyone in the public to use.

The main tip is to look for clues near the Sun. Caution: NEVER look directly at the Sun!

If it rained recently or is about to rain, you are most likely dealing with a low level stratus cloud. While it is possible for rain to fall from mid-level clouds, it is quite rare.
If it is raining during your observation, you have nimbostratus (or cumulonimbus - but the difference should be obvious! The latter is a thunderstorm). The terms nimbo/nimbus are from a Latin word for rain.
If a stratus cloud is so thick you can't even figure out where the sun is, most likely it is a low level stratus. The visual opacity of such a cloud is opaque.
If you can see the sun but it looks diffused (like looking through a glass bottle), most likely you have altostratus. The visual opacity would be translucent.
High-level cirrostratus will generally be thin enough that the sun is still quite distinct. If the cirrostratus is not between you and the sun, you may be able to distinguish cirrostratus as being so thin that parts of the cloud appear bluish (that is, you are seeing through to blue sky). The visual opacity is transparent.

Sometimes, you might see stratocumulus clouds, which are flat with a puffiness to them. Stratocumulus clouds form when the stratus layer is breaking up. It indicates that the weather patterns have changed! You see stratocumulus clouds near warm, cold, and occluded fronts.

Find photographs of clouds and their varieties by visiting the World Meteorological Organization’s International Cloud Atlas.

NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE: Analyzing photographs taken by GLOBE participants

2021-10-27T19:46:20Z

Have you heard there is a new clouds project? It is called NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE. It is a merger of GLOBE Clouds and The Zooniverse online citizen science platform. A one-week pacing guide is now available!

Sky photographs are one of the most requested portions of a GLOBE Clouds observation. This is because there is so much you can do with them. Photographs give scientists the opportunity to be right there with you. Details within a photograph can be used to compare with satellite data, confirm dust or haze observations, and give insight to unique cloud types like lenticular and noctilucent clouds over the polar regions.

This is how the idea for NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE came to be. The project allows you to look at cloud photographs. These photographs were submitted by GLOBE participants through the program’s GLOBE Observer app. It then asks you to identify elements such as the presence or absence of clouds, dust storms, smoke plumes and haze layers.

Want to get started? Great! Go to our NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE page on the Zooniverse online citizen science platform. You can learn more about the project and choose between the two interactives: Cloud Cover and What Do You See. In each, you will go through a quick tutorial and answer a simple question for each photograph that pops up. The Cloud Cover interactive asks to identify what is the total cloud cover observed in the photograph. The What Do You See interactive asks to identify the type of clouds you observe. For both, choose the best selection and submit. It is that easy!

Why two different interactives? The NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE team made the interactives and selections as simple as possible. We realize that the Cloud Cover interactive is simpler to do. We ask that you try both. The results from both interactives will be used to create data quality flags. As always, send in your best selection. Do not feel like you need to be perfect.

How will this information be used? The information gathered from CLOUD GAZE will be merged with GLOBE cloud observations and matched to the satellite data. It will be used to create data quality flags. Data quality flags will make the cloud data more usable for research by atmospheric scientists at NASA.

Want to see your photographs on NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE? Simple, send in your cloud observations using the GLOBE Program’s GLOBE Observer app. If possible, do it up to 15 minutes before or after a satellite flyover time. This last step will increase your chances of getting a satellite match.

Want to chat? NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE has a “talk” option. It allows you to chat with the NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE team and other citizen scientists in the project.

Are you an educator? We have developed a one-week pacing guide focused on cloud types. The pacing guide features NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE with additional resources you can use in your classroom or in an out-of-school setting.

About the author
Marilé Colón Robles is the Project Scientist for NASA GLOBE Clouds at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Marilé works to enhance GLOBE Clouds and became the Principal Investigator for NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE. Marilé is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an avid volleyball player and has two beautiful daughters.

A new look and way to submit meteorological observations with your cloud observations

2021-08-16T17:35:02Z

Many protocol-trained GLOBE members may have noticed a recent update to the GLOBE Program’s GLOBE Observer app. The change brings a new look and a new way to submit GLOBE atmospheric measurements.

If you were used to entering meteorological conditions in the Cloud Tool, you’ll see this option is no longer there. Don’t worry, you can still submit these observations through the Atmosphere Data Entry section.

You just need to do a few extra steps to get it all set up. The new update gives you the opportunity to save your favorite or go to observations as a bundle, a step you only have to do once!

So, let’s get started!

First, select the new addition, Atmosphere Data Entry, now found at the top in the main page of the app.
Select new observations and choose the protocols you would like to use. In this screen you can select clouds, temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure.
Optional: scroll to the bottom and save the selected protocols as a new custom bundle!
Select an existing GLOBE site or create a new one.
Add information about the thermometer used, and complete your cloud observation as usual. Once you finish taking photographs of sky and clouds, the app will prompt you to enter the data for the other protocols selected.
Send in your observations to The GLOBE Program!

Data Discoveries

2021-03-30T18:41:08Z

Every time you take a cloud observation, the NASA GLOBE Clouds team matches your observation to satellite data.

Why do we do this? Your view of clouds is from a different perspective than what is observed from a satellite. Satellites look down at clouds and see the top. When you make your observation, you are looking up towards the sky and seeing the bottom of the clouds. When there is a match, scientists then have a top-down view of clouds from a satellite and a bottom-up view from your spot. When you mix these two views together, you have a more complete picture of the sky. Researchers have used these two views to study different aspects of the clouds and sky. As more data become available, more ideas for how to use it are generated.

Dr. Brant Dodson is an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Brant has been working to compare satellite data to your GLOBE cloud observations. In the Clouds Research and Citizen Science video, he explains how your observations have impacted his research.

Research projects your observations can support

Solar Terminator Problem

Identifying cloud types that lay in the terminator (or the line between the daylit and dark side of the planet) is sometimes an issue when analyzing satellite data. You can take cloud observations during dusk and dawn. We ask that when you submit your photographs, you add the comment “terminator” on the caption space to at least one of the photos using the GLOBE Observer app (follow the steps below). The comment will alert the team that we have received an observation during this specific time. This short video walks you through how to take a cloud observation using the GLOBE Observer app.

Air Quality

Cloud observations are also related to air quality. For sky color, lighter shades of blue are related to more aerosols in the air. Likewise, lower visibility, or more haze, is related to more aerosols in the air. Finally, observers can indicate if the sky is obscured by haze, dust, smoke or volcanic ash. These are indicative of air quality issues. If you notice any of these issues, you can make a cloud observation. You can also use existing observations to investigate events. The Student Project Support page has project ideas and a file of smoke observations to help you get started with your own investigation. There is also a GLOBE Air Quality playlist with videos describing how to integrate data to tell an air quality story. Finally, NASA scientist Dr. Margaret Pippin has written two blogs related to air quality investigations, 1) Investigating Air Quality Using PurpleAir and 2) Investigating GLOBE Air Quality using AerosolWatch.

Dust Observations

Do you live in an area that has dust storms? We would like for you to photograph the dust event and submit your photos using the GLOBE Observer app. Your observations will be used by scientists to verify satellite observations and see if computer models have successfully predicted these dust storms. This will help alert communities to better prepare for the harmful impacts of these storms. Follow these steps to submit your dust observations.

Women Citizen Scientists Making History in the Arctic

2021-03-22T16:07:31Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team highlights cloud observers Hilde Fålun Strøm (Norway) and Sunniva Sorby (Canada), who created Hearts In The Ice to call attention to all the rapid changes occurring in the polar regions due to the changing climate. These citizen scientists made history last year by being the first women to overwinter solo in the high Arctic. They spent 12 consecutive months without running water or electricity at a remote trappers cabin called “Bamsebu” in Svalbard, Norway. While they were there, they made numerous GLOBE cloud observations as well as collecting data for many other citizen science observations including recording and observing polar bears, collecting phytoplankton samples for Fjord Phyto polar citizen science project, and observing auroras through NASA citizen science’s Aurorasaurus project, to name a few.

We were able to spend some time with these amazing women and ask this duo questions about their experience in the high Arctic.
Hilde Fålun Strøm (left) and Sunniva Sorby (right) with their dog and polar explorer Ettra.

Question: What does the name of your mission, “Hearts In The Ice” mean to you?

We started “Hearts In The Ice” based on our shared love of the polar regions. We have each spent 25 years in the Arctic and Antarctic and have experienced first hand changes. The purpose of HITI is to engage and educate people on climate change and its impacts in the polar regions and beyond. We have a passion and love for the ice that moved us to do something.

Question: What did you do for fun while you overwintered in Svalbard, Norway?

Hilde finds it really fun to throw your body in the ocean while it is really cold (-1.8C water temperature). “One time, a westerly storm pushed the ice away and we were able to swim for a few seconds. We also love to train, go skiing, take lots of photographs, and do other things like read, play music, watch movies and cook great dinners. We spent a lot of time preparing meals using spices and making it a special occasion. Taste is really important when you are in these conditions” Sunniva shared, “I haven’t been happier without tv, traffic- there is so little distraction here. Observing wildlife in all their stages of life is a privilege like Arctic fox, ducks, reindeer and polar bears. I love being present in the Arctic, immersed in all the extreme elements and both of us are so grateful for all the resources we have with us, down to the last fresh apple.

Hilde Fålun Strøm (left) and Sunniva Sorby (right) standing in front of the trapper cabin ‘Bamsebu’ in Svalbard, Norway.

Question: What advice do you have for people in general?
Be curious. It is so important to be creative and have a spirit to play. Spike and ignite your curiosity, seize your moments. Stand up for what you believe in.

The weather changes so quickly and dramatically here in the high Arctic. We must seize the moment and take that sample or collect that measurement despite the conditions or how cold it is. Time waits for no one so make like there is a sense of urgency in your life; don’t wait for tomorrow. Time is a precious gift.

Question: Why is citizen science important to you?

Citizen science is vital because it fosters a sense of understanding, connectedness and curiosity in people and children. It also provokes engagement and builds stories about species and natural places. Gaining knowledge and learning about what is happening eventually changes behavior. This in turn can promote action. We came to understand that being in the same location for consecutive months (in our case now over 16 months) was a valuable asset to the researchers studying trends over time in the ocean, on land, in the sky and under the ice. We felt it was of value to be that conduit of understanding between the science/scientists and the general public- which is what citizen science is.

Bridging the gap between citizens scientists and the scientists studying these changes is important as we endeavor to highlight the importance of the studies being conducted that in turn can help educate people globally about what is happening in the polar regions. What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic -it is a mirror for the rest of the world.

Hilde Fålun Strøm (left) and Sunniva Sorby (right) inside the trapper cabin ‘Bamsebu’ in Svalbard, Norway.

Question: You are the first women to Overwinter in the High Arctic of Svalbard, Norway. What did you learn from this experience and achievement?

Nothing is impossible regardless of gender. You need the right toolbox and experience. It was a huge challenge and we are very proud of our achievement. We have very specific skill sets that helped us survive this experience.

We did not do this alone and this project and our mission was never about “us”, it is first and foremost a rousing battle cry for every single person out there to show up and stand up for our natural spaces and protect what they love. We have an entire community of “heartbeats” out there and this is what we are most proud of.

We learned to trust each other. We learned the importance of communication and body language. We celebrated small things and gave daily acknowledgements. It was a labor of love. We have now created a movement around understanding climate change. We learned that if you dream big and go for it, the stars will align if you are in it for the right reasons.

There hasn’t been one problem we haven’t been able to solve. One important thing is saying thank you and having gratitude. It does something to you and changes the atmosphere.

We also learned to ask again or what we call ‘double clicking’. That is what you do if you didn’t understand or assumed wrong. It gives you the opportunity to say it again in a different way. It also gives you the opportunity to establish the correct meaning of what you were trying to say.

We also used a gratitude book and used it every day. It was a place where we wrote down something for that day: what did you learn, what are you grateful for. It was an opportunity to write something that someone did for you and say thank you.

Life is full of moments and we feel like we have lived fully! We have appreciated the simplicity of our existence, the joy and love that our sweet Ettra brought us. We have lived in alignment with the razor-sharp purpose of why we are here- to share our deep, profound connection to this world we live in, to protect it, to use less and do more.

The explorers are back in Svalbard for another season through May 2021. Follow Hilde and Sunniva’s adventures through their blog posts www.heartsintheice.com/blog. They’ve also started an educational movement to bring together teachers, students, and scientists. Sign up for their live video hosted calls at: www.exploringbytheseat.com/hiti/ as they aim to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers by connecting them with the science and the scientific community.

Capturing Unique Cloud or Sky Observations

2021-03-26T13:10:04Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is continuously working with scientists around the world finding ways that cloud observations from citizen scientists impact the most. As we find new ways of using the data, we want to remind you how important each part of your cloud report is to the scientific community. All cloud observations can help with big questions such as the link between clouds and climate.

Dr. Patrick Taylor is an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In the Clouds and Earth’s Climate video, Patrick discusses how he studies clouds to look at our changing climate and analyzes data from Low Earth Orbit satellites. Learn how Patrick’s passion for weather started when he was in fourth grade at Greenwood Elementary School in Millerstown, Pennsylvania.

Timing your observations

SAFETY FIRST! NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN!

REMEMBER TO FOLLOW YOUR LOCAL GUIDELINES.

Observations can be used to study even more questions when they are timed to capture specific events or phenomena. It can determine whether you get a satellite match, capture a unique event like a dust storm or a smoke plume from a nearby fire, or help out with a specific need, like the Terminator Problem (dusk & dawn cloud observations). In any of these events, we ask that you take observations following your local guidelines and only when it is safe to do so.

Satellite Match - Use the Check Satellite Flyover schedule to see when a polar orbiting satellite will be over your area. To increase the chances of getting a satellite match, take a cloud observation within 15 minutes, before or after, the time listed. This is most helpful for polar orbiting satellites with instruments such as Aqua and Terra.
Terminator Problem - Take a cloud observation when the sun is near the horizon (at about 10 degrees above the horizon or lower). You can time this by checking when sunrises and sunsets will occur in your area. Remember to add the comment “terminator” to at least one of the photographs. Use the steps listed in the The (Solar) Terminator Problem: Cloud Observations during Dusk or Dawn blog to best time your observations. You can find more information about this at Science on a Sphere Day/Night Terminator.
Dust storm, haze event, or smoke plumes present - You can use the app to report any of these unique events. All of these are obscurations or when one of these events covers your view of the sky and clouds. The GLOBE Clouds team wrote out steps on how to submit a dust event. Follow along for other events and select from the obscuration list the option that matches best your observation. For smoke plumes, you can indicate that smoke obscured the sky and take photos.
Contrail observations - Contrails are clouds formed when water vapor condenses and freezes around small particles (aerosols) that exist in aircraft exhaust. There are three types of contrails: short lived, persistent, and persistent spreading. Humans are the best at detecting and reporting these unique cloud types. Make sure to use the GLOBE Observer app to report when you see contrails and when you don’t. Contrail reports are especially helpful, including those that say zero contrails.The app allows you to report zero contrails or add the exact number you see of each contrail type.

Photographing the sky and clouds

You know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, it is also true for data. No matter what you are reporting in your cloud observation, photographs add a lot of data to your report. It helps scientists see what you saw. It’s the next best thing to being right there with you. It also allows scientists to notice other details that may help them analyze the event. So, always remember to add photographs to your cloud observation.

The GLOBE Observer app makes this pretty easy! Just line up the letter of the cardinal direction you are pointing at to the closest circle and voila, the photograph will be taken instantaneously. Remember, you can also add comments with the photos.

An Intern Story: Matching Cloud Observations to Satellite Data

2021-03-26T13:09:05Z

Each cloud observation submitted using the GLOBE Observer app or through The GLOBE Program is compared to data from multiple satellites. A satellite match is when satellite data is identified that corresponds to a cloud observation. For orbiting satellites the observation must be within 15 minutes before or after a satellite’s overpass. Geostationary satellites, like the GOES satellites, are always observing the same location. If you are in the United States, you are likely to get a satellite match to a GOES satellite. These satellites are sending data every 15 minutes. As long as the data are good, you will get a match! Geostationary satellites observing other regions of the world send data at about every 30 minutes.

SAFETY FIRST! NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN!

REMEMBER TO FOLLOW YOUR LOCAL GUIDELINES.

We are asking observers to take cloud observations during dusk and dawn to contribute data to the Terminator Problem! Add the comment “terminator” to one of your photographs. You will be contributing data that a NASA intern will use during their summer 2021 experience!

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center wants to make sure that your observations are matched correctly to satellite data. The team has used the help of interns to verify and test the computer programs that make the matches.

Kevin Ivey: From NASA Intern to Employee

Mr. Kevin Ivey joined the NASA GLOBE Clouds team in summer of 2018 when Kevin was about to start his senior year in high school. Kevin’s computer programming abilities helped the team analyze the quality of the data. Even though Kevin only spent four weeks with the team, his work impacted the GLOBE community and was presented at the 2018 Fall American Geophysical Union Meeting in Washington, DC (link to Kevin's abstract).

In 2019 the team wanted to update the computer code that does all the satellite matches, and we were able to work with Kevin once again. This time Kevin rewrote the satellite match computer program in Python and tested each portion of the code. You can read Kevin’s blog and learn more about his work testing and analyzing satellite matches. Once again, Mr. Ivey got the opportunity to present his research at the 2019 Fall American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, CA (link to Kevin’s abstract).

Now in 2021 Mr. Ivey is a casual employee with the NASA GLOBE Clouds team as the team starts to move his python code into production while he finishes his sophomore year of college.

Once live, Kevin’s code will improve the existing satellite match code and will match your observations to all possible satellite data with Terra and Aqua. As always a satellite match table will be sent in a NASA personalized email.

Do you want to learn more about satellite matches compared to your observations? The NASA GLOBE Clouds team created this video walking you through the satellite match table and how to read it. Also, remember to take observations during dusk or dawn and add the comment “terminator” to at least one of the photographs.

The (Solar) Terminator Problem: Cloud Observations during Dusk or Dawn

2021-03-02T14:48:19Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center is working with NASA scientist Dr. Bill Smith to use GLOBE Cloud observations made by people just like you to solve the Terminator Problem!

Wait, what? Well, the Solar Terminator or twilight zone is that line that separates the daylit side of a planet from the dark night side. The image on the left is an example. It was taken from the International Space Station as it crossed the terminator on April 17, 2019 as it orbits 254 miles above the Gulf of Guinea on Africa’s mid-western coast.

How can you help?

You can take cloud observations during dusk and dawn. We ask that when you submit your photographs, you add the comment “terminator” on the caption space to at least one of the photos using the GLOBE Observer app (learn how to get the app). The comment will alert the team that we have received an observation during this specific time. This short video walks you through how to take a cloud observation using the GLOBE Observer app.

GLOBE Program educators, if you are using the GLOBE Data Entry form, you can add the comment “terminator” in the comment box at the bottom of the data submission page.

When should I take the observation?

If you would like to help the team with the terminator problem, we ask that you take a cloud observation when the sun is about 10 degrees above the horizon or lower.

SAFETY FIRST! NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN!

REMEMBER TO FOLLOW YOUR LOCAL GUIDELINES.

You can measure this in different ways:

Check the sunrise or sunset times for your area (here is an example website https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/hampton). Then, go outside and take a cloud observation within an hour of that time (an hour before if observing a sunset, and up to an hour later if observing a sunrise).
The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety degrees. If you hold your fist at arm's length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be at approximately 10 degrees. If the Sun appears at approximately that height or below, you can take a “terminator” observation.
Use the photographs portion GLOBE Observer app. The app asks you to put a letter in a circle found in each cardinal direction. This circle is at about 14 degrees above the horizon. If the sun is lower than the circle found in the photographs portion of the app, then you are close to the terminator region.

How to add a comment to a photograph using the GLOBE Observer app?

Follow the steps to take the photographs using the GLOBE Observer app. Click “done” when you have finished taking all six photographs. Turn your phone vertically or up and down. As you review the photographs, notice the comment box under each photograph. Click on at least one of the comment boxes and add the word terminator.

This summer the NASA GLOBE Clouds team will select an intern through the NASA’s Internships, Fellowships, and Scholarships (or NIFS) program to analyze your observations and compare them to GOES data! Find out more about this and similar opportunities at https://intern.nasa.gov/ .

CITIZEN SCIENTIST CARMEN MANDEL ADDS MORE THAN 54,000 NEW DATA POINTS TO GLOBE CLOUDS

2021-01-05T21:45:40Z

In May 2020, citizen scientist Carmen Mandel met two major milestones: she marked her one-year anniversary of being a GLOBE Observer and she single-handedly expanded the Clouds satellite match data by 36%. Carmen uses GLOBE Observer to record clouds 2-3 times daily every time she gets a notification that a NASA satellite is overhead. She sends her data to GLOBE, but then she records her observation in her own clouds journal. When she receives an email from NASA Langley Research Center matching her observation to satellite data, she adds that to her journal as well.

On May 19, Carmen received an alert that the Terra satellite was overhead, so she took an observation, but never received the satellite match. She contacted GLOBE Observer and the GLOBE Clouds Team investigated. The team identified that the code used to match citizen science observations to GLOBE Observer ground observations was too restrictive. The team modified the code to improve match rates. The re-ran new match code identified an additional 54,000 citizen science observations that can be matched to NASA satellite data. This reprocessing expands the matched data available for research by 36 percent.

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is so thankful to observers like Carmen for their help and dedication!

NASA GLOBE Clouds Winter Update

2020-12-16T02:30:15Z

Images taken by Wilson Bentley and property of the Jericho Historical Society.

Did you know that clouds have names? As the title of the GLOBE Elementary book says, clouds do have names. Those names describe the altitude and the appearance of the cloud. Cumulus means pile in Latin, so the name is used to describe low puffy clouds in the sky. Cirrus means locks of hair, and is used to describe those thin wispy clouds found high up in the sky. Some people think that nimbus is a type of cloud, but it is not. It is an affix, or a word that works as a prefix or a suffix. The affix nimbus denotes precipitation, which is rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow as the temperatures in the northern hemisphere get colder. This makes me think of a farmer in Vermont, USA who loved snow. His name was Wilson Bentley and he was always excited by snowflakes. He was so excited that he rigged up a camera he had with a microscope and took the first pictures of snowflakes ever recorded.

His passion for snowflakes and ingenuity in collecting his images reminds us of the link between science and art. In these times as we discover how to do things in new and innovative ways, we seem to always come back to art.

Wilson, or Snowflake Bentley as he is known today, dedicated his life to photographing these beautiful snow crystals. He became a world expert on them. He had multiple publications in science journals, magazines, and newspapers. Mr. Bentley photographed 5,381 snowflakes. Each one was numbered, dated and catalogued. Wilson himself said “I have yet found no exact duplicate. In this inexhaustible storehouse of crystal treasures, what a delight is in store for all future lovers of snowflakes, and of the beautiful in nature.” Mr. Bentley’s photographs are available to look through and study.

The GLOBE Clouds team hopes that as you look up at the sky, you get inspired by the science and also the beauty of nature. We would love to showcase your clouds or sky inspired artwork and pictures. NASA has multiple opportunities and galleries for the connections between art and science. You may also enjoy the 2021 NASA Science calendar highlighting the beauty in nature.

Meet an Expert: Steffi Walthall

Illustrator and former NASA Intern: Full-time freelance illustrator that works primarily in the fields of Children's Publishing (HarperCollins, Scholastic), Education (Pearsons, Kingfisher), and Editorial illustration (NYT, New Yorker).

Question: Where are you from?

Answer: I'm from Chesapeake, Virginia but I recently relocated to Sterling, Va near Washington, D.C.

Question: How was your experience as an intern at the GLOBE Annual Meeting in 2019?

Answer: It was honestly amazing. I met so many people and so many kids and teens who were passionate about science. Everyone was so friendly and fun and hard working. It's something I think about incredibly fondly!

Question: How does your poster (the science process poster) reflect the culture of GLOBE?

Answer: This poster was a reflection of what I saw at the 2019 GLOBE Annual Meeting. There were kids and adults from all different countries and with different language barriers that came together as strangers and left with long time friendships because of science.

Question: How did you merge the science process with your artwork in the poster?

Answer: Art, like the science process, is a lot of trial and error as well as asking questions and problem solving. In creating the new poster we asked a lot of questions (what does this new poster need, how much space do we have, where will x thing go?). From there we developed a fluid plan- a sketch/hypothesis of how things could work without fully committing. We made observations of other posters/material that GLOBE and other science programs had to see what they included and get more ideas. Then we tried a lot of different things in actually designing the poster and making the illustrations, going back to our observations and research when needed. At the end of it all, the poster was submitted and shared with people everywhere!

Question: What do you think is unique about the GLOBE program?

Answer: How broadly accessible it is and how willing the coordinators are to making it available to anyone who asks, regardless of where they are from. I've never seen an education program before GLOBE so willing to reach out to people at such a massive level.

Question: What unique perspective can art offer science?

Answer: Art offers this visual component that can help people process information in a creative way that's not just data. Some people are visual learners and seeing something helps to reinforce what they've read or heard. A lot of artists make art of what they see and that counts towards observation, so maybe try drawing your observations too. It might help you remember your results!

Question: What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?

Answer: If you're doing art already, you're not aspiring- you are an artist! I'll also say to keep working hard and growing in whatever you choose. We are constantly learning all the time and are constantly getting better when we keep working. Draw from life and your imagination, and don't ever let someone stop you (unless you're drawing on a wall and you're not allowed. Don't do that)!

Cloud Observation Tip: Use Art to Expand Your Observations

Our featured expert for this update, Steffi Walthall, suggests that you draw your observations. You may not have the time to draw, but you can submit photographs with your sky observations. Both drawings and photographs help create memory, especially if it is a unique day of observations. Both can also provide additional information that is not fully captured with the observation. Just as the saying says, a picture is worth a thousand words. All six photographs give people the opportunity to be in your shoes and see your skies.

The GLOBE Clouds team would like to highlight the work that GLOBE Malta students and teachers have put into merging science and art of clouds. We invite you to view the drawings, paintings, poetry, and reflections done by GLOBE Malta participants during their cloud challenge during summer 2020.

Science Topic: Ice Halos

Ice halos are a great thing to look for as we enter the winter months in the northern hemisphere. If you are in the southern hemisphere, no worries, you can still see some incredible halos even as you enter the summer months. Halos and other types of similar optical events tend to occur when you have cirrostratus or thin cirrus present!

Tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere create halos by refracting and reflecting the light from the sun or even the Moon. Halos also give us information about the ice crystals inside the clouds. Crystals can be either thin hexagonal plates or six sided columns. The orientation of these plates or columns will result in what we see. Hexagonal plates can create sundogs, arcs, and pillars. Six-sided columns can produce other types of arcs, tangents, and pillars.

Sundogs are one of the most common types of ice halo. They occur when light rays enter the side of an ice crystal and leave through another side inclined about 60 degrees to the first. Sundogs are most easily seen when the Sun is low in the sky. In the image, the sundogs are occurring at either side of the sun at about 22 degrees. The part of a sundog closest to the Sun always forms a layer of red, while greens and blues form beyond that. Sundogs are visible all over the world and at any time of year, regardless of the temperature at the surface.

Submit your halo photographs and your cloud observations to GLOBE! You can learn more about ice halos at the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day website.

Halos in the Ore Mountains in Saxony, Germany

Investigating GLOBE Air Quality Using PurpleAir

2020-12-16T00:28:37Z

Lectures, lessons, and learning opportunities of all kinds are available online these days… luckily, air quality investigations can be, too! Publically available sources of air quality data, which can be accessed any time and anywhere, can be used in conjunction with or in lieu of the GLOBE Aerosols Protocol for students and teachers participating in the US Air Quality Student Research Campaign. This blog post will introduce a website which can be used to conduct air quality investigations with a ground-based instrument, called the PurpleAir.

The PurpleAir is a small, commercially available sensor that measures fine particulate matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10). These measurements, which are reported every 2 minutes, are communicated wirelessly to PurpleAir and published, in near real time, on an interactive map. You can access this map by going to PurpleAir.com and clicking on ‘View the Map’ , or going directly to the map’s URL here. Check out the screenshot below – PurpleAir sensors have been set up and are making measurements all over the world!

The type of data displayed on the map, the method being used to estimate the PM2.5 concentration, and the time period over which the data that is displayed on the map are averaged can be changed from the menus in the ‘Map Data Layer’ box in the lower left-hand corner of the map. (Shown in the screenshot to the left.) One thing that cannot be changed is the color scale on the map, which is based on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) color scheme.

The chart below shows the the US EPA’s Air Quality Index, which color-codes the AQI by the hourly average PM2.5 concentration (in micrograms per cubic meter).

A note on conversions: you may select different methods to estimate the concentration of PM2.5 displayed on the map, which use different conversion factors. These three conversion factors are based on studies done by different research agencies; more information is available by clicking the ‘?’ in the Map Data Layer box. Typically, the default conversion factor of ‘none’ should be used.

Data on the map can be displayed in real-time (updated every two minutes) or averaged over time periods as long as a week. (See the screenshot to the left.) PurpleAir instruments can be used to measure particulates either indoors or outdoors; the PurpleAir map displays both by default. For the GLOBE Air Quality Campaign, the focus will be on outdoor air quality, so the checkbox beside ‘Inside Sensors’ should be un-checked. (As shown in the animation below and to the left.)

Data from the PurpleAir instruments can be displayed on the map in multiple ways. The default data displayed on the map when it loads is the Air Quality Index, which is calculated automatically, based on the amount of PM2.5 in the air. You can change this to show the actual amount of PM2.5 using the drop down menu (as shown in the animation below and to the right).

One drawback of the PurpleAir map is that it updates continuously, which means that you cannot go “backwards in time” to see historical data on the map. If you’re using the PurpleAir map to investigate air quality over time, a best practice is to take screenshots at the same time every day. If you haven’t done this, data from individual PurpleAir instruments can be downloaded by clicking the download button on the lower right hand side of the map – which will be covered in-depth in a future blog post!

Another best practice when using the PurpleAir map to investigate air quality is to set up the map the way you want it: zoomed into your area of interest, with ‘Raw PM2.5’ selected as the type of data displayed on the map and only ‘Outside Sensors’ selected. Then, copy the map’s URL from your browser and save it; this will load the PurpleAir map exactly the way you want it every time, just with updated data!

One way to use the PurpleAir map to investigate air quality is to compare local particulate matter concentrations to the color and visibility of the sky. The following pictures of the New York City skyline were taken from the same location, at the same time of day; the corresponding screenshots of the PurpleAir map, zoomed into New York City, were taken at approximately same time as the pictures.

July 9, 2020, approximately 12:00PM EST

July 14, 2020, approximately 12:00PM EST

Notice the differences in the color of the sky and the visibility in the two pictures – the sky is much bluer in the July 14 picture as compared to the July 9 picture, and the buildings in the distance are much ‘fuzzier’ in the July 9 picture. The corresponding PurpleAir maps offer an explanation. PM2.5 concentrations on July 9 were much higher – in most cases, over twice as high – on July 9 than on July 14.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the GLOBE AQ team at: larc-globe-airquality@mail.nasa.gov

GLOBE Air Quality Team:

Dr. Margaret Pippin, NASA
Angie Rizzi, NASA/SSAI
Samantha Adams, Bronx Collaborative High School

Investigating GLOBE Air Quality using AerosolWatch

2020-12-15T17:36:13Z

Lectures, lessons, and learning opportunities of all kinds are available online these days… luckily, air quality investigations can be, too! Publically available sources of air quality data, which can be accessed any time and anywhere, can be used in conjunction with or in lieu of the GLOBE Aerosols Protocol for students and teachers participating in the US Air Quality Student Research Campaign. This blog post will introduce a website called AerosolWatch, an online access point for satellite-based observations of aerosols, and factors that affect air quality (such as smoke and dust).

AerosolWatch

AerosolWatch displays visible satellite images, as well as satellite-based aerosol measurements, from two Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellites and two Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments. The VIIRS instruments are currently flying on board the Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 (polar orbiting) satellites. The AerosolWatch website updates every 10 minutes! The screenshot below shows an example of the GeoColor (visible) available from the NOAA-20 satellite. The most current GeoColor image available from the GOES-16 satellite is displayed by default when the website loads.

GOES-16 and GOES-17 are NOAA weather satellites. GOES-16 has imagery of most of the United States, but the westernmost parts of California, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, aren’t “seen” by GOES-16. GOES-17 has imagery (called ‘Layers’) of the western US and Pacific Ocean. The Suomi NPP and GOES-20 are polar orbiting satellites, jointly operated by NASA and NOAA. These satellites cross the equator approximately 14 times a day. The entire continental United States is visible from both of these satellites.

The AerosolWatch website has two sets of controls: the calendar and animation buttons across the top of the screen, and the drop-down menus on the right hand side.

To begin, use the calendar button - located at the top of the screen, to the left - to select a date of interest. Use the arrows at the top of the calendar that appears to move forward or backward in time, and click on the day you’d like to investigate. (See the animation to the left.) Note that any selections you’ve made – such as a specific type of imagery - reset to default when you change the date, so it’s a good idea to select the day you’re interested in before making any other changes!

When the date is changed, the time defaults to 1001 UTC, which is 5:00AM Eastern Standard Time (or 6:00AM Eastern Daylight Time). Change the time by clicking on the blue clock button at the top of the screen.

The animation to the right shows how to select a time range of satellite images to be displayed. If you only want one image to be displayed, choose the same Start Time and End Time. Once satellite images for the selected time range load, you can use the blue buttons at the top of the page to play an animation of the images you’ve selected, or step forward or backward in time. A note on selecting dates and times: The AerosolWatch website updates every 10 minutes, but not all the satellite imagery is updated at the same rate. Imagery for GOES-16 and GOES-17 is available in near real-time. Imagery from the VIIRS instruments may not be available for up to 24 hours.

After choosing a date and time of interest, select data – called ‘layers’ – that you are interested in seeing, using the drop down menus on the right hand side of the screen. It’s a good idea to turn ‘off’ the default layer – GOES-16 GeoColor – before selecting other layers. To add borders and names to the map, click on the ‘Labels Layer’ drop-down menu and add both the ‘Boundaries Layer’ and the ‘Labels Layer’. (See the animation to the left.)

Layers that are particularly useful for investigating air quality are:

AOD: This stands for Aerosol Optical Depth, which is a similar measurement to what is measured by a Calitoo.
Smoke Dust Mask: This identifies and color codes areas of smoke and dust in the air.
Fire: Active fires, identified by VIIRS infrared instruments, appear as dots on the map.

Check out the screenshots below for examples of what the different layers look like together!

AOD over the western United States, August 25, 2020.

GeoColor satellite imagery and AOD over the western United States, August 25, 2020.

GeoColor satellite imagery and Smoke Dust Mask over the western United States, August 25, 2020.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the GLOBE AQ team at: larc-globe-airquality@mail.nasa.gov

GLOBE Air Quality Team:

Dr. Margaret Pippin, NASA
Angie Rizzi, NASA/SSAI
Samantha Adams, Bronx Collaborative High School

Noctilucent Clouds Missing Over Antarctica: Signs of Strange Weather

2020-12-03T15:16:07Z

Scientists are wondering what is happening over Antarctica and where are the noctilucent clouds. Noctilucent clouds or polar mesospheric clouds are the highest occurring cloud types (form about 50 miles or 80 Km above the Earth's surface). They form in the Mesosphere and are thin clouds made up of ice crystals that form from left over fine dust from meteors. Because they are so high up in the sky, you see them when the sun is low or almost nighttime. The form during the summer months over the north and south poles. That is when it is coldest that high up in the sky (in the mesosphere).

NASA researchers are wondering why are they not seeing them over Antarctica. They tend to see them by mid November but none have been detected. Scientists are also noticing that the ozone hole is the largest it's been in December and there are very cold temperatures at the surface being reported for this time of year (remember it Summer is starting in the Southern Hemisphere).

This article from SpaceWeather.com describes a bit more in detail what are scientists noticing.

https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2020/12/02/strange-antarctic-weather-extends-to-the-edge-of-space/

Teen Science Cafe Event: Organized by students, for students

2020-11-20T20:32:45Z

Santa Fe Indian School Café Scientifique presents Marilé Colón Robles, a NASA scientists to share how you can become a citizen scientist and help NASA

Learn how to do cloud observations with: Marilé Colón Robles, Project Scientist for NASA Globe Clouds

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Café Description:

Marilé Colón Robles, Project Scientist for NASA GLOBE Clouds Science Systems and Applications, Inc. will be presenting information about cloud and aerosol data that NASA uses and how you as a citizen scientist can help in the collection of this data.

Please register to the event using your school email address or personal email address by Tuesday December 1st at 3pm. On Tuesday afternoon we will send you an email with the link to the zoom meeting. Make sure to download zoom onto your computer or personal device. Please email Kate Sallah (ksallah@sfisonline.org) if you have any questions.

If you have a cell phone please download the free Globe Observer app onto your phone before the event. Marile will be sharing info about this awesome app. Go to google play or apple app store to download this free app.

https://observer.globe.gov/about/get-the-app

Thank you!

Novedades NASA GLOBE Nubes del Otoño

2020-10-30T20:09:51Z

septiembre/octubre/noviembre 2020

Nuevos recursos disponibles

Gracias a nuestra comunidad de nubes, el reto comunitario de nubes 2020 fue un gran éxito al mostrar cómo la ciencia es mejor juntos. Recibimos excelentes fotografías y obras de artes de los participantes, algunas de las cuales se destacaron en el video de agradecimiento.

Si no pudistes participar del reto o quieres seguir trabajando en él, visita la página de la guía para familias de nubes GLOBE para obtener los recursos. Encontrarás vídeos sobre la ciencias de nubes (inglés) y el reto para Familias sobre nubes con una tabla de opciones con actividades que se describen en la página e incluyen videos de actividades seleccionadas.

Tus observaciones en la comunidad científica

Ahora hay dos publicaciones nuevas disponibles en la comunidad científica que muestran tus observaciones de las nubes y el cielo. La publicación titulada "Clouds Around the World, How a Simple Citizen Science Data Challenge Became a Worldwide Success” trata sobre el éxito y las observaciones recolectadas durante el primer reto, el Reto Nubes de la Primavera del 2018. ¡También está disponible la publicación titulada “GLOBE Observer Data: 2016–2019” que describe todas las observaciones tomadas utilizando la aplicación GLOBE Observer desde el 2016!

Consejos de Observaciones de Nubes: Horario de Sobrevuelo de Satélites

Pregunta: ¿Qué es un sobrevuelo de satélite?

Respuesta: Un sobrevuelo de satélite es cuando un satélite, como Aqua, Terra y CALIPSO, estará sobre tu ubicación en una fecha y hora específica, lo que llamamos una correspondencia o comparación con el satélite. ¡Puede usar el horario de sobrevuelo de satélite o la aplicación móvil GLOBE Observer para encontrar estos tiempos y planificar tus observaciones de nubes para aumentar la posibilidad de obtener una correspondencia de satélite!

Entonces, ¿qué es una correspondencia o comparación con un satélite? Una correspondencia de satélite es cuando tus observaciones de las nubes y el cielo se tomaron al mismo tiempo que un sobrevuelo por un satélite. Si es seguro salir a hacer observaciones (siguiendo las directrices locales), puede tomar tus observaciones 15 minutos antes o después del horario de sobrevuelo del satélite para Terra, Aqua o CALIPSO. Por ejemplo, si el horario de sobrevuelo es 12:40 p.m., sal para tomar tus observaciones entre las 12:25 p.m. y las 12:55 p.m. Finalmente, envía tus observaciones y, si puedes, ¡asegúrate de incluir fotografías del cielo! El equipo de NASA GLOBE Nubes recibirá tus observaciones y las comparará con la información colectada por los satélites.

El equipo también compara las observaciones de nubes y cielo con satélites geoestacionarios. Dado que estos satélites están observando el mismo lugar en la Tierra todos los días durante todo el día, puedes recibir una correspondencia con estos satélites (GOES-16, GOES-17, Himawari y Meteosat) sin importar cuándo salgas a tomar tu observación de nubes. Aprende más sobre los satélites geoestacionarios con el científico de la NASA Kristopher Bedka (vídeo en inglés).

Si tu observación de las nubes y el cielo corresponden con las observaciones de satélites, recibirás un correo electrónico personalizado de la NASA con tu tabla de correspondencia de satélites. El mensaje electrónico puede tomar varios días. Usa esta guía en forma de vídeo (en inglés) sobre cómo leer los resultados de la coincidencia de satélites y ver cómo comparar tus observaciones con la información tomada por los satélites.

Tópico Científico: Humo de Incendios Forestales

Recientemente, ha habido mucho interés en la calidad del aire en el área oeste de los EE UU debido a las grandes cantidades de humo de incendios forestales. Encuentra más información sobre estos incendios históricos en el Observatorio de la Tierra de la NASA (en inglés).

Imágenes de cenizas han aparecido en las observaciones de GLOBE. Por supuesto, sólo debes recolectar observaciones cuando sea seguro y puedas seguir las directrices locales. Cuando realizas una observación de nubes, puedes indicar si el cielo está oscurecido. Esto significa que no puedes realizar una observación de nubes porque algo bloquea más del 25% de la vista del cielo. Una de las cosas que puede oscurecer el cielo es el humo. Algunos observadores también han visto humo a la altura de nubes cirro (muy alto en el cielo) donde no oscurecen el cielo. Esto se puede indicar en los comentarios de una observación, como por ejemplo, agregar el comentario a una de las fotos tomadas mientras se usa la aplicación GLOBE Observer. Puedes utilizar la herramienta de visualización de datos GLOBE (GLOBE Viz en inglés) para encontrar observaciones que indiquen humo que oscurecen el cielo. Esto puede ayudarte a encontrar evidencia de incendios forestales. Utiliza este video (inglés) para tener más información sobre los incendios forestales y reportes de nubes en GLOBE.

Conoce a un experto: Dra. Veshell Lewis

Educadora en GLOBE: Educadora en el distrito de escuelas públicas Jackson y educadora en GLOBE desde el 2013.

Pregunta: ¿De dónde eres?

Respuesta: Yo soy residente de Jackson, Mississippi, EEUU

Pregunta: ¿Qué haces para divertirte?

Respuesta: Para divertirme, me encanta pasar tiempo con mi familia. Disfrutamos jugando juegos de mesa y competencias de cocina familiares. Además, disfrutamos viajar y ver atracciones, zoológicos y museos.

Pregunta: ¿Cómo te enterastes de GLOBE?

Respuesta: Como estudiante de posgrado, conocí el programa GLOBE durante una clase en la Universidad del Sur de Mississippi. Me intrigó mucho el programa GLOBE y cómo sus protocolos podrían mejorar la capacidad de mis estudiantes para aprender ciencias de una manera activa. Estaba decidida a aprender tanto como fuera posible sobre el programa, así que asistí a diferentes talleres para maestros mientras trabajaba con la Dra. Sherry Herron quien era mi mentora.

Pregunta: ¿Por qué utilizas el programa GLOBE?

Respuesta : Por años, he utilizado GLOBE porque le da a mis estudiantes la oportunidad no solo de leer sobre ciencia, sino de contribuir activamente en el campo. He usado GLOBE para varios grados y he sido testigo de cómo los estudiantes desarrollan una comprensión más profunda del proceso científico, además de fomentar el aprecio por el medio ambiente.

Pregunta: ¿Qué consejo te gustaría dar a los estudiantes u otros educadores?

Respuesta: Les recomendaría a los educadores que nunca dejen de desafiarse a sí mismos. Cuanto más aprendas, más podrás compartir con tus estudiantes.

Únete con Veshell Lewis en este vídeo (en inglés) mientras realizas la actividad Diversión con Nubes que es parte de la serie de libros GLOBE Escuela Primaria. Para esta actividad, necesitarás el libro de cuentos gratuito GLOBE Escuela Primaria ¿Sabes que las nubes tienen nombres?, papel, gráfico para la identificación de nubes GLOBE, periódico, papel blanco, pega, marcadores o lápices, y la hoja de actividades Diversión con Nubes.

Apoyo para proyectos de investigación para estudiantes

¿Estás interesado en realizar tu propio proyecto de investigación? ¿Tienes estudiantes que quieres que realicen proyectos de investigación sobre las nubes? Tenemos una nueva colección de recursos para ayudarte aún cuando no puedes tomar tus propias observaciones. Visite la página Student Project Support (en inglés) para ver un video e ideas sobre cómo utilizar las observaciones existentes de GLOBE sobre nubes para realizar más investigaciones.

Mirada Hacia Adelante

Esperamos ver proyectos de investigación hechos por estudiantes en el 2021. Visita la página de internet sobre el Simposio Internacional Virtual de Ciencias GLOBE (o IVSS por sus siglas en inglés) para obtener más información sobre proyectos de investigación para estudiantes a través de GLOBE.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Fall Update 2020

2020-09-30T13:34:32Z

September/October/November 2020

Cloud Challenge Resources Available

Thanks to our cloud community, the 2020 Community Cloud Challenge was a great success showing how Science is Better Together! We received some great photos and artwork from participants, some of which were highlighted in the thank you video.

If you missed the challenge or want to keep working on it, visit the GLOBE Clouds Family Guide page for the resources. You will find videos about the Science of Clouds and the Family Cloud Challenge page with a Choice Chart for activities which are described on the page and include videos of selected activities.

Your Observations in the Scientific Community

Two new publications are now available in the scientific community showcasing your observations of clouds and sky. The publication titled “Clouds Around the World, How a Simple Citizen Science Data Challenge Became a Worldwide Success” describes the success and unique observations collected during the very first challenge, the 2018 Spring Cloud Challenge. Also available is the publication titled “GLOBE Observer Data: 2016–2019” describes all the observations submitted using the GLOBE Observer app since 2016!

Cloud Observation Tip: Satellite Flyover Times

Question: What is a satellite flyover?

Answer: A satellite flyover or satellite overpass is when a satellite, like Aqua, Terra, and CALIPSO will be over your location at a specific date and time. You can use the Overpass Tool or GLOBE Observer to find these times in order to plan your cloud observations and increase your chances of getting a satellite match.

So, what is a satellite match? A satellite match is when your observations of clouds and sky were taken at the same time as a satellite flyover. If it is safe to go outside (follow your local guidelines), you can take observations anytime within 15 minutes before or after the satellite flyover time for either Terra, Aqua or CALIPSO. For example, if the flyover time is 12:40 PM, then go outside to take your observations between 12:25 PM and 12:55 PM. Finally, submit your cloud observation and if you can, be sure to include sky photographs! The NASA GLOBE Clouds team will then receive your observations and match them to any available satellite data.

The team also matches cloud and sky observations to geostationary satellites. Since these satellites are observing the same spot on the Earth every day all day long, you may receive a match to these satellites (GOES-16, GOES-17, Himawari, and Meteosat) no matter when you go and take a cloud observation. Learn more about geostationary satellites with NASA scientist Kristopher Bedka.

If your observation of clouds and sky is matched to corresponding satellite data, you will receive a NASA personalized email with your satellite match table. This may take several days. This video guide on satellite matching can be used to see how your observations compares to satellite data.

Science Topic: Smoke from Wildfires

There has recently been a lot of interest in air quality in the western part of the USA due to large amounts of smoke from wildfires. Learn more about these historic fires at NASA Earth Observatory.

Images of ash have shown up on GLOBE data as well. Of course you should only make observations when it is safe and you can follow local guidelines. When you make a cloud observation, you can indicate if the sky is obscured by something. This means you can’t make a full cloud observation because something is blocking more than 25% of the view of the sky. One of the things that can obscure the sky is smoke. Some observers have also seen smoke aloft (really high up in the sky) which did not obscure the sky. This can be indicated in the comments of an observation, like for example adding the comment to one of the photos taken while using the GLOBE Observer app. You can use the GLOBE Data Visualization tool to find observations that indicate smoke obscuring the sky. This can help you find evidence of wildfires. Watch this video to learn more about Wildfires and GLOBE Clouds.

Meet an Expert: Dr. Veshell Lewis

GLOBE Teacher: Educator at Jackson Public School District and GLOBE teacher since 2013.

Question: Where are you from?

Answer: I am a resident of Jackson, Mississippi.

Question: What do you do for fun?

Answer: For fun, I love to spend quality time with my family. We enjoy playing fun board games and having fun family cooking competitions. Furthermore, we enjoy traveling to local and distant attractions, zoos, and museums.

Question: How did you find out about GLOBE?

Answer: As a graduate student, I was introduced to the GLOBE program during a class session at the University of Southern Mississippi. I was really intrigued by the GLOBE program and how its protocols could enhance my students’ ability to actively learn science. I was determined to learn as much as possible about the program, so I attended teacher training workshops while Dr. Sherry Herron served as my mentor.

Question: Why do you use GLOBE?

Answer : For years, I have utilized GLOBE because it gives my students the opportunity to not just read about science, but to actively contribute to the field. I’ve used GLOBE for various grade levels and have witnessed students develop a deeper understanding of the scientific process, in addition to fostering an appreciation for the environment

Question: What one piece of advice would you like to give students or other teachers?

Answer: I would advise teachers to never stop challenging yourself. The more you learn, the more you can share with your students.

Join Veshell Lewis in this video as she does the Cloud Fun activity that is part of the Elementary GLOBE books series. For this activity, you will need the free Elementary GLOBE storybook Do You Know That Clouds Have Names?, paper, the GLOBE cloud chart, newspaper, white paper, glue or glue sticks, markers or pencils, and the Cloud Fun activity sheet.

Student Research Project Support

Are you interested in doing your own research project? Are you having students do research projects about clouds? We have a new collection of resources to help you even if you can’t take your own observations. Visit the Student Project Support page for a video and ideas for how to use existing GLOBE Cloud observations for further research.

Looking Ahead

We look forward to seeing some student research projects by next spring. Visit the GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium website to learn more about student research projects through GLOBE.

2020 GLOBE Cloud Challenge Builds Citizen Science Community

2020-08-24T02:00:53Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team never imagined this time last year that we'd be holding our GLOBE 2020 Community Cloud Challenge in the midst of a global pandemic. But GLOBE is about community and showing how science is better together!

In the four weeks of the challenge, we had the opportunity to learn how eight different NASA scientists study clouds to better understand our atmosphere and the important role citizen science observations play in that. You also had the chance to learn about cloud-related activities from six different amazing GLOBE educators.

And considering the circumstances, the number of cloud observations we received from you was still something to be excited about. We received more than 26,000 observations from more than 80 countries around the world. That's about half what we got during last year's fall challenge. To put it in better perspective, though: That's still almost double the amount of observations we received in July and August of 2019. These data points are incredibly useful as we measure how clouds vary globally across seasons. Learn more how your cloud observations are used in research through this video by NASA Scientist Dr. Brant Dodson.

We also wanted to commend challenge participants for all the great photos and artwork we received, some of which are highlighted in the thank you video at the top of this page.

Thanks again for all your wonderful contributions this year. Here's a breakdown of the observations we received:

Total number of cloud observations: 26,460

Total number of satellite matches: 27,269

Total photos received (or observations with photos?): 66,229

La ciencia es mejor juntos: reto comunitario de nubes 2020

2020-07-15T21:21:27Z

Audiencia: ¡Todos! (Estudiantes y maestros de todos los grados, educadores informales y el público en general)

Fechas: 15 de julio de 2020 - 15 de agosto de 2020

Cómo Participar: Disfruta del verano descubriendo las nubes desde una nueva perspectiva. Hay muchas formas de participar. Cada jueves puedes aprender más sobre las nubes con científicos y educadores de la NASA por medio de la página NASA Earth’s Facebook page. También puedes hacer actividades en casa o hacer observaciones de las nubes o el cielo a través de la herramienta Nubes en GLOBE o la aplicación GLOBE Observer app. ¡Todo depende de ti! Comparte cómo participaste en este evento por medio de las redes sociales.

Elige cómo quieres participar (3 formas diferentes)

Aprende sobre las nubes con científicos y educadores de la NASA: Todos los jueves tendrás la oportunidad de aprender más sobre las nubes con científicos de la NASA. Puedes ver el estreno del video en Facebook (@NASAEarth) y hacer preguntas. Cada semana también presentaremos un video de una actividad que pueden hacer en casa.

A continuación, puedes ver la lista de los temas de cada semana.

Haz una actividad en casa: Cada semana presentaremos una actividad relacionada con el tema discutido por el científico de la NASA. Comparte con nosotros tus resultados a través de las redes sociales usando #GLOBE o etiquetando GLOBE. También puedes completar una actividad desde el rastreador de actividad (cloud activity tracker) en la nube cada día que participas.

Visita https://observer.globe.gov/cloud-challenge-2020

para mas información sobre cada actividad enumerada en la tabla.

Selecciona la imagen para descargar la herramienta de monitoreo de actividades nubes

AHORA EN ESPAÑOL

Aprendiendo Sobre las Nubes	Únete a la Comunidad Nubes	Creando con Nubes	Observando las Nubes
Obtén más información sobre la opacidad de las nubes Conéctate el jueves 30 de julio a las 12:00 pm EST en www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Cuéntale a un amigo sobre tu tipo de nube favorita	Estima la capa de nubes Conéctate el jueves 16 de julio a las 12:00 pm EST en www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Haz observaciones de las nubes a través de GLOBE o usa la aplicación GLOBE Observer
Explora datos de nubes en el sistema de visualización GLOBE	Crea un equipo GLOBE	Crea arte inspirado en las nubes	Descarga la Aplicación GLOBE Observer
Mira el video "GLOBE Observer: Clouds - Getting Started"	Comparte una foto de tu nube favorita con un amigo/a o en las redes sociales (#CloudChallenge)	Construye una muestra de aerosol (Actividad "Arriba en el aire") Conectate el jueves, 6 de agosto a las 12:00 pm EST en www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Haz observaciones durante un sobrevuelo satelital Vídeo disponible en inglés sobre las comparaciones con satélites
Lee un artículo del Observatorio de la Tierra sobre las nubes	Cuéntanos junto con una amigo/a por qué amas la ciencia. Envíalo a las redes sociales (#CloudChallenge)	Crea una nube en un frasco Conéctate el jueves 23 de julio a las 12:00 pm EST en www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Haz 10 observaciones
Visita la página de NASA GLOBE Nubes o la página de GLOBE Observer Clouds Science	Sigue a GLOBE en las redes sociales: (haz clic en los símbolos)	Contribuye a un show para el planetario de Fiske	Comienza un diario sobre la naturaleza Conéctate el jueves 13 de agosto a las 12:00 pm EST en www.facebook.com/nasaEarth

Haz observaciones de las nubes y el cielo: ¡La seguridad es primordial! Al igual que los científicos de la NASA, te pedimos que siempre estés seguro y cumplas con las regulaciones locales. Hacer observaciones es opcional para este evento. Ayúdanos enviando tus observaciones de nubes, polvo, neblina o humo a GLOBE utilizando cualquiera de las herramientas de GLOBE, incluyendo la herramienta de nubes en la aplicación móvil GLOBE Observer. GLOBE le da la bienvenida a los ciudadanos científicos, educadores, estudiantes y profesionales de STEM. Sigue las instrucciones para crear una cuenta en: https://www.globe.gov/get-started/get-started-overview. Si NO te encuentras en un país GLOBE, puedes mandar tus observaciones de nubes a través de NASA S'COOL Errantes.

Jueves 9 de julio al mediodía ET

Tópico científico: Coincidencias satelitales con observaciones de nubes GLOBE

Científica del proyecto NASA GLOBE Nubes Marilé Colón Robles

y programadora científica Tina Rogerson

NASA Langley Research Center

Únase con Marilé Colón Robles y Tina Rogerson para compartir por qué las coincidencias de satélites con las observaciones de nubes GLOBE son importantes y cómo se hacen.

¡Conozca más sobre ellas! Marilé, nacida y criada en Puerto Rico, ama el voleibol y la música (enlace). Originaria de Poquoson, VA, a Tina le encanta ir a la playa y resolver rompecabezas (enlace).

Actividad para el hogar:

Leer una tabla de coincidencias satelitales

Educadora de la NASA Heather Mortimer

Goddard Space Flight Center

Únase con Heather Mortimer mientras recorre sus propias observaciones de nubes y coincidencias de satélites. Para realizar esta actividad, todo lo que necesitas es hacer una observación de nubes a través de GLOBE o usar la aplicación móvil GLOBE Observer durante un tiempo de sobrevuelo satelital y usar la tabla de coincidencias de satélites que recibas.

Jueves 16 de julio al mediodía ET

Tópico científico: ¿Qué es la ciencia ciudadana?

Científica atmosférica Jessica Taylor

NASA Langley Research Center

Jessica Taylor compartirá cómo comenzó en GLOBE como estudiante y su camino a la NASA. Aprenda más sobre la ciencia de ciudadanos y por qué es importante para la NASA.

A esta ex-instructora de baile latino le encanta conectarse con estudiantes de todo el mundo sobre su experiencia de vivir en Florida y en México (enlace).

Actividad para el hogar: Estimación de la cobertura de nubes

Únase con Jessica Taylor y sus dos hijas mientras realizan su propia cobertura de cielo con la actividad estimación de la cobertura de nubes (enlace). Para realizar esta actividad, todo lo que necesita es papel (blanco y azul), tijeras, pegamento o cinta adhesiva y un marcador o lápiz.

Jueves 23 de julio al mediodía ET

Tópico científico: Nubes y el clima desde

22,000 millas de distancia

Científico atmosférico Kris Bedka

NASA Langley Research Center

Kris Bedka nos enseñará cómo se relacionan las nubes al clima y cómo se utilizan los datos de los satélites geoestacionarios para estudiar las nubes.

Kris, oriundo de Chicago, disfruta de los deportes, los jardines y probar platos internacionales (enlace).

Actividad para el hogar:

La nube en un frasco

Consejera de campamento Lucy Ellisor

Camp Discovery en Blythewood, SC

Únase con la consejera de campamento de Camp Discovery Lucy Ellisor y su hermano Deon mientras hacen una nube en un frasco (enlace). Todo lo que necesitas para hacer esta actividad es agua tibia, una bandeja de metal, hielo, un recipiente transparente y una cerilla.

Jueves 30 de julio al mediodía ET

Tópico científico:

Nubes y el clima cambiante de la Tierra

Científico atmosférico Patrick Taylor

NASA Langley Research Center

Patrick Taylor discutirá cómo él estudia las nubes para ver nuestro clima cambiante y cómo utiliza observaciones de los satélites de órbita terrestre baja (o LEO por sus siglas en inglés).

Patrick comenzó su pasión por el tiempo y el clima cuando estaba en cuarto grado en la escuela primaria Greenwood

en Millerstown, Pennsylvania (enlace).

Actividad para el hogar: pistas en las nubes (opacidad)

Educadoras GLOBE Joselyn Hathaway

River Road Middle School en Elizabeth City, NC

y Wanda Hathaway

Churchland Middle School en Portsmouth, VA

Únase a este dúo de madre e hija mientras realizan la actividad de pistas de nubes de SciGirls (enlace). Todo lo que necesitas para hacer esta actividad es un elemento transparente (como celofán o una botella llena de agua), elementos translúcidos (como papel encerado o papel de seda), elementos opacos (como papel de construcción o papel de aluminio), una fuente de luz, y papel blanco.

Jueves 6 de agosto al mediodía ET

Tópico científico: aerosoles y la calidad del aire

Investigadora científica Kristina Pistone

Bay Area Environmental Research Institute en

NASA Ames Research Center

Kristina Pistone hablará sobre aerosoles, por qué la NASA los estudia y cómo se relacionan con las nubes.

Kristina habla diferentes idiomas, le encanta viajar y conocer personas nuevas tal como le encanta recolectar datos (enlace).

Actividad para el hogar:

En el aire (Aerosol Catcher)

Educadora de la NASA Angela Rizzi

y el científico atmosférico Ali Omar

NASA Langley Research Center

Únase a la educadora de la NASA Angie Rizzi mientras realiza la actividad En el Aire (enlace) que forma parte de la serie de libros de cuentos GLOBE Elementary. El científico de la NASA Ali Omar hablará sobre los tipos de aerosoles que puedes ver y que no puedes ver con tus ojos.

Todo lo que necesita para hacer esta actividad es una copia de la hoja de actividades del estudiante, papel de contacto transparente o cinta adhesiva, un pedazo de cartón, una lupa y un dado de seis lados.

Jueves 13 de agosto al mediodía ET

Tópico científico: el impacto de

tus observaciones en las ciencias

Científico atmosférico Brant Dodson

NASA Langley Research Center

Brant Dodson explicará el poder de las observaciones de ciencia de ciudadanos y cómo las observaciones de nubes GLOBE y GLOBE Observer se están utilizando en su investigación.

A este nativo de Houston, TX, le encanta mirar los cielos día y noche, ya que también es un aficionado de la astronomía (enlace).

Actividad para el hogar: diversión con nubes (Nature Journal)

Educadora GLOBE Veshell Lewis

Jackson Public Schools and

University of Southern Mississippi

Únase a la educadora de GLOBE, Veshell Lewis, mientras realiza la actividad Diversión con nubes (enlace) que forma parte de la serie de libros Elementary GLOBE. Todo lo que necesitas para hacer esta actividad es el libro de cuentos GLOBE elemental gratuito: ¿Sabe usted que las nubes tienen nombres? (enlace), papel, el gráfico de nubes GLOBE (enlace), papel de periódico, papel blanco, pegamento, marcadores o lápices, y una hoja de actividades divertidas en la nube.

NASA GLOBE Clouds 2020 Community Cloud Challenge: Science is Better Together

2020-07-13T12:58:51Z

Audience: Everyone! (Students and teachers all grade levels, informal educators, and the general public)

Dates: July 15, 2020 - August 15, 2020

How to Participate: Spend summer together by discovering clouds from a new perspective. There are many ways to participate. Learn more about clouds with NASA scientists and educators each Thursday on NASA Earth’s Facebook page, do at-home activities, or take cloud or sky observations through the Clouds tool on GLOBE or the GLOBE Observer app. It is all up to you! Show how you took part in this unique event by sharing on social media.

Choose how you want to participate (3 different ways)

Learn about clouds with NASA scientists and educators: Every Thursday you will get a chance to learn more about clouds from NASA scientists. Watch the video premier on Facebook (@NASAEarth) and ask questions. Each week will also feature a video of an activity that can be done at home. Scroll below to see the list of topics featured every week.
Do an At-Home Activity: Each week an activity will be featured related to the topic discussed by the NASA scientist. Share with us your results through social media using #GLOBE or tagging GLOBE. You can also complete an activity from the cloud activity tracker each day you participate.

Visit https://observer.globe.gov/cloud-challenge-2020 for more information

about each activity listed in the table.

Click on the image to download the Cloud Activity Tracker

Learning about clouds	Engage with the community	Creating with clouds	Observing clouds
Learn more about cloud opacity Tune in on Thursday, July 30th at noon EST on www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Tell a friend about your favorite type of cloud	Estimate Cloud Cover Tune in on Thursday, July 16th at noon EST on www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Take a Clouds observation through GLOBE or using the GLOBE Observer app
Explore clouds data in the GLOBE Visualization System	Create a GLOBE team	Make cloud art	Download the GLOBE Observer app
Watch the "GLOBE Observer: Clouds - Getting Started" video	Share your favorite cloud photo with a friend or on social media (#CloudChallenge)	Construct an Aerosol Sampler (“Up in the Air” Activity) Tune in on Thursday, August 6th at noon EST on www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Take an observation during a satellite flyover Video available on how to read a satellite match table
Read an Earth Observatory article about clouds	Tell us why you love science with a friend or on social media (#CloudChallenge)	Create a Cloud in a Jar Tune in on Thursday, July 23rd at noon EST on www.facebook.com/nasaEarth	Take 10 observations
Check out the NASA GLOBE Clouds page or the GLOBE Observer Clouds Science page	Follow GLOBE on social media: (click on the symbols)	Contribute to a show for the Fiske Planetarium	Start a nature journal Tune in on Thursday, August 13th at noon EST on www.facebook.com/nasaEarth

Take Cloud and Sky Observations: Safety first! Just like NASA scientists, we ask that you always be safe and follow your local regulations. Taking observations is optional for this event. Help by submitting clouds, dust, haze or smoke observations to GLOBE using any of GLOBE’s data entry tools including the clouds tool on the GLOBE Observer mobile app. GLOBE welcomes citizen scientists, educators, students and STEM professionals. Follow the directions for creating an account at: https://www.globe.gov/get-started/get-started-overview . If you are NOT in a GLOBE country, you may enter your cloud observations through NASA S'COOL rover.

Thursday, July 9th @ Noon ET

Science Topic: Satellite Matches to GLOBE Cloud Observations

NASA GLOBE Clouds

Project Scientist Marilé Colón Robles

and Scientific Programmer Tina Rogerson

NASA Langley Research Center

Join Marilé Colón Robles and Tina Rogerson as they share why satellite matches to GLOBE cloud observations are important and how they are done.

Get to know more about them! Marilé, born and raised in Puerto Rico, loves volleyball and music (link). A Poquoson, VA native, Tina loves going to the beach and solving puzzles (link).

At-Home Activity:

Reading a Satellite Match Table

NASA Educator Heather Mortimer

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Join NASA Educator and graphic designer Heather Mortimer as she walks through her own cloud observations and satellite matches. To do this activity all you need is to make a cloud observation through GLOBE or using the GLOBE Observer app during a satellite flyover time and use the satellite match table you receive.

Thursday, July 16th @ Noon ET

Science Topic: What is Citizen Science?

Atmospheric Scientist Jessica Taylor

NASA Langley Research Center

Jessica Taylor will share how she started in GLOBE as a student and her path to NASA. Learn more about citizen science and why is it important for NASA. This former Latin dance instructor loves reaching out to students all around the world as she grew up in Florida and in Mexico (link).

At-Home Activity: Cloud Cover Estimation

Join Jessica Taylor and her two daughters as they try out the Cloud Cover Estimation activity. To do this activity all you need is paper (white and blue), scissors, glue or tape, and a marker or pencil.

Thursday, July 23rd @ Noon ET

Science Topic: Clouds and Weather

from 22,000 miles away

Atmospheric Scientist Kris Bedka

NASA Langley Research Center

Kris Bedka will teach us how clouds relate to weather and how data from geostationary satellites are used to study clouds.

Kris, a Chicago native, enjoys sports, gardening and landscaping, and eating ethnic foods (link).

At-Home Activity: Cloud Cookery

Camp Counselor Lucy Ellisor

Camp Discovery in Blythewood, SC

Join Camp Discovery Camp Counselor Lucy Ellisor and her brother Deon as they do the cloud cookery activity. All you need to do this activity is warm water, a metal tray or cookie sheet, ice, a see-through jar, and a match.

Thursday, July 30th @ Noon ET

Science Topic: Clouds and Earth’s Climate

Atmospheric Scientist Patrick Taylor

NASA Langley Research Center

Patrick Taylor will discuss how he studies clouds to look at our changing climate and analyzes data from Low Earth Orbit satellites.

Patrick started his passion for weather when he was in fourth grade at Greenwood Elementary School in Millerstown, Pennsylvania (link).

At-Home Activity: Cloud Clues (Opacity)

GLOBE Educators Joselyn Hathaway

River Road Middle School in Elizabeth City, NC

and Wanda Hathaway

Churchland Middle School in Portsmouth, VA

Join this mother and daughter duo as they do the SciGirls’ cloud clues activity. All you need to do this activity is a transparent item (like cellophane or a bottle full of water), translucent items (like wax paper or tissue paper), opaque items (like construction paper or aluminum foil), a light source and white paper.

Thursday, August 6th @ Noon ET

Science Topic: Aerosols and Air Quality

Research Scientist Kristina Pistone

Bay Area Environmental Research Institute at

NASA Ames Research Center

Kristina Pistone will talk about aerosols, why NASA studies them, and how they are related to clouds.

Kristina speaks different languages, loves to travel and meet new people as much as she loves collecting data (link).

At-Home Activity:

Up In The Air (Aerosol Catcher)

NASA Educator Angela Rizzi

and Atmospheric Scientist Ali Omar

NASA Langley Research Center

Join NASA Educator Angie Rizzi as she does the Up In The Air activity that is part of the Elementary GLOBE storybooks series. NASA Scientist Ali Omar will talk about the types of aerosols you can see and cannot see with your eyes.

All you need to do this activity is a copy of the student activity sheet, clear contact paper or tape, a piece of cardboard, a magnifying glass, and a six-sided dice.

Thursday, August 13th @ Noon ET

Science Topic: The Impact of

Your Observations in Research

Atmospheric Scientist J. Brant Dodson

NASA Langley Research Center

Brant Dodson will explain the power of citizen science observations and how GLOBE and GLOBE Observer cloud observations are being used in his research.

This Houston, TX native loves looking up at the skies day and night as he is also a backyard astronomer (link)

At-Home Activity: Cloud Fun (Nature Journal)

GLOBE Educator Veshell Lewis

Jackson Public Schools and

University of Southern Mississippi

Join GLOBE educator Veshell Lewis as she does the Cloud Fun activity that is part of the Elementary GLOBE books series. All you need to do this activity is the free Elementary GLOBE storybook: Do You Know That Clouds Have Names?, paper, the GLOBE cloud chart, newspaper, white paper, glue or glue sticks, markers or pencils, and cloud fun activity sheet.

Living Through a Dust Event: Chat with a GLOBE Participant

2020-05-20T14:18:24Z

The EPA is celebrating Air Quality Week (May 4-8) and the GLOBE Clouds team would like to ask everyone again for your photographs of dust events! We got a chance to chat with Anne Semrau, a biology teacher at New Mexico State University, who sent in some amazing photographs of a dust event.

Question: Where are you from? Where do you live now?

Answer: I am mostly from Texas (different parts: Dallas, Houston, Austin, rural northeast Texas) but I have lived in several other places (Navajo Nation, California, Montana, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Missouri, Washington DC).

Question: In your words, what is a dust storm? Are there stories from the community or elders about dust storms and how they form?

Answer: A dust storm is like a dense fog made of dust. It’s a windy storm that blows dust all around and high up into the air. A Navajo elder told me that the storms are a warning. The storms come because people are doing something wrong and you need to stay away from the storm. The USGS has a video about dust and dune migration that has some elders talking: A Record of Change: Science and Elder Observations on the Navajo Nation. https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/a-record-change-science-and-elder-observations-navajo-n.

Question: Can you describe what happens when a dust storm starts to form? Are there any sounds or smells?

Answer: I haven’t been there when they start. We sometimes have strong winds here (20-30 mph sustained, with gusts of up to 50mph) and the combination of wind and limited vegetation (desert lands) creates the conditions for a dust storm. The area where I witnessed the storm has a sign, “Use extreme caution, zero visibility possible.” Typically, the visibility is fine through there, but now that I have seen this storm, I know that the sign is real. There was another sign in a nearby town, “Take 5 to stay alive” which was about taking five minutes off the road when there’s a dust storm – don’t try to keep driving through it.

Question: How many dust storms have you seen? Do you have memories of a particular storm?

Answer: I see small dust devils pretty often – the conditions here make them possible. Sometimes they look like small tornadoes, a funnel cloud with debris in it. I was in a dust storm in the Sahara once. It came up so fast, we were sitting around after dinner, just relaxing and then we had to jump up and run into the tent. The sand was blowing hard and stinging my skin and eyes. Our Berber guide wrapped up in a blanket and huddled near the tent; he said that it was his tradition to stay outside in it. They had stories of camels and tents being buried by the sand. The storm cleared in a few hours and then the night was beautiful, clear skies full of stars.

Question: What tips do you have to someone that comes face to face with a dust storm?

Answer: Take cover if possible. Try to protect your breathing (wet bandana, dust mask).

Question: What is one thing you’ve learned (important lesson) that you would like to share?

Answer: Reading about the health effects of dust is really sobering. Dust pneumonia, valley fever – these are problems that are likely going to get worse with the climate change that we are seeing here (hotter, drier). The Navajo elder who said that dust storms are a warning – he’s right about that

Learn more about dust storms at NASA GLOBE Clouds Dust Observations site and see how you can contribute to research!

NASA GLOBE Clouds Family Guide / NASA GLOBE Nubes Guía para Familias

2022-05-17T19:05:09Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team has put together a family guide filled with activities and resources great to do as a family from your home.

El equipo NASA GLOBE nubes ha preparado una guía para familias llena de actividades y recursos tremendas para realizar haceren family en tu hogar.

Guide in English (Link). Guía en español (Enlace).

Conoce a un experto de la NASA: Tina Rogerson

2020-04-08T12:29:57Z

La Sra. Tina Rogerson es la programadora científica y analista para el equipo NASA GLOBE nubes en el Centro de Investigaciones Langley de la NASA en Hampton, Virginia con la compañía SSAI. Tina analiza tus observaciones de nubes y del cielo y escribe código de computadoras para realizar la correspondencia con data de satélites. Ella también está encargada de manejar todos los mensajes electrónicos de la NASA y se asegura que te lleguen por cada observación de nubes.

Pregunta: ¿De dónde eres?

Respuesta: Yo soy de Poquoson, Virginia un pueblo pequeño en la costa este de los E.E.U.U.

Pregunta: ¿Qué haces para divertirte?

Respuesta: Me divierto cuando estoy con mi familia. Mi lugar favorito es la playa. Hay muchas playas cerca de mí y voy a menudo. Mi perro, un dachshund o perro salchicha ama caminar en la playa conmigo y le encanta correr detrás de las gaviotas. Mi pasatiempo favorito es trabajar con vidrio de color.

Pregunta: ¿Cuál fue tu primer trabajo?

Respuesta: Mi primer trabajo fue en un restaurante de comida rápida llamado Hardees. Yo tenía 16 años, en escuela superior cuando conseguí el trabajo. Yo llegaba bien temprano y cocinaba panecillos en los fines de semana.

Pregunta: ¿Qué te inspiró a trabajar en este sector?

Respuesta: Luego de la escuela superior, mi padres me dijeron que yo tenía la opción de pagarles renta o pagar para tomar clases en la universidad. Las clases en la universidad eran más baratas así que escogí estudiar. Siempre me ha encantado jugar y resolver rompecabezas. Eso fue perfecto con las clases de computadora que comencé a coger. Es como un juego para mi, ver si puedo hacer que la computadora haga lo que yo quiero que haga. Yo soy también un poco perezosa, yo veo como hacer las cosas manualmente y luego programo las computadoras que hagan el trabajo para mi. Un ejemplo son las coincidencias de observaciones de nubes GLOBE con data de satélites. Este proceso era un proceso largo y tedioso cuando primero comencé las comparaciones. Ahora es mucho más fácil y rápido ya que las computadoras hacen la mayoría del trabajo. La clase que me odiaba más en la universidad fue diseño de bases de datos. Esta clase era dura y yo casi pasé. Yo nunca hubiera pensado que yo sería la gerente de data para NASA GLOBE nubes y que trabajaría con bases de datos todo el tiempo. Si mi profesor de universidad me viera ahora, él estaría muy sorprendido y orgulloso.

Pregunta: ¿Qué consejo le darías a la nueva generación?

Respuesta: ¡Cree en ti mismo! Tu sabes más de lo que piensas y eres capaz de hacer cualquier cosa que te propongas.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Spring Update

2020-03-25T18:03:44Z

March/April/May 2020

What is NASA GLOBE Clouds? Cloud observations through The GLOBE Program are led by the NASA GLOBE Clouds Team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Every sky and cloud observation submitted through GLOBE Clouds, including through the GLOBE Observer app, is analyzed by the team to determine if it matches satellite data. If there is a match, a personalized NASA email is sent to you comparing your observations with satellites. Your observations and photographs help researchers better understand our atmosphere and how to make satellite data better.

Happy Birthday to GLOBE! The program is celebrating 25 years. Did you know that GLOBE’s birthday is Earth Day? GLOBE was founded on the 25th anniversary of Earth Day. https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-events/earth-day/earth-day-2020

You are helping NASA learn more about Earth’s atmosphere with your cloud observations.

What is GLOBE Observer? The GLOBE Observer app launched in 2016 providing you a new way to make cloud observations using a mobile device. Now, you can also map out Mosquito Habitats, photograph your Land Cover and take Tree height measurements.

Meet an Expert: Tina Rogerson

Mrs. Tina Rogerson is the scientific programmer and analyst for the NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA with SSAI. Tina analyzes your cloud observations and writes the code that matches them to satellite data. She is also in charge of making sure a personalized email from NASA is sent your way!

Question: Where are you from?
Answer: I am from Poquoson, Virginia a small town located on the east coast of the USA.

Question: What do you do for fun?
Answer: My fun time is when I’m hanging out with my family. My favorite place to do this is at the beach. There are a lot of beaches near me and I go as often as I can. My dog, who is a dachshund loves walking on the beach with me and enjoys chasing the sea gulls. My favorite hobby is stained glass and anything related to working with colored glass.

Question: What was your first job?
Answer: My first job was working at a fast food restaurant called Hardees. I was 16 years old, in high school when I got this job. I would come in very early on the weekends and bake biscuits.

Question: What inspired you to work in this field?
Answer: After high school my parents told me that I had a choice to either pay them rent or pay for college classes. College classes were cheaper so I chose to go to school. I’ve always loved to play games and to solve puzzles. This fit perfectly with the computer classes I started taking. It’s like a game to me to see if I can make the computer do what I want it to. I’m also a bit lazy, I figure out how to do things manually and then program computers to do the work for me. Matching GLOBE cloud observations to satellite data is an example of this. This used to be a long tedious process when I first started doing the matches. Now is so much easier and faster since computers do most of the work. The class I hated the most in college was database design. This class was hard and I barely passed the class. I would never have thought I’d be a data manager for NASA GLOBE Clouds and work with databases all the time. If my college professor saw me now he’d be surprised and proud.

Question: What one piece of advice would you like to pass on to the next generation?
Answer: Believe in yourself! You know more than you think you do and you’re capable of anything you put your mind to.

Cloud Observation Tip

Question: Is there a difference between an overcast sky and an obscured sky?

Answer: Overcast means that you can see the clouds, but the sky is at least 90% covered by clouds. This makes it difficult to see the sky color.

An obscured sky means that you can’t see some or all of the clouds for some reason. These reasons would be rain, snow, dust, fog, smoke, haze, volcanic ash, ocean spray or blowing sand. Any of these can make it hard to get a clear view of the clouds. This also includes fog even though it is actually a low level cloud.

For a more detailed explanation see Overcast vs. Obscured: What’s the Difference?

Science Topic: Dust

Desert and Cold Climate Dust Observations: We are asking for photographs of dust storms and dust events in cold climates (or high latitude areas), southwest United States and Northern Mexico, and desert (or arid and semi arid) areas. Follow these steps on how to take photographs of the horizon, not the sky in the direction of the dust event. As always, please stay safe. Stay indoors or inside a vehicle if an event is approaching your area. Different flyers are now available to print or share that you can use to spread the word!

GLOBE Clouds Offers Encouraging Videos for Your Students

2020-03-31T13:47:06Z

Hello GLOBE community,

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is offering virtually connections or personalized videos (previously recorded) for your students. It can be in a variety of topics including:

Career Connections (Path to NASA)
The Impact of Your Observations
Clouds and Cloud Types
Earth's Atmosphere and Climate
Clouds and Atmospheres on Earth and Other Planets
Cloud Types in Masterpieces/Landscape Paintings
Any topic of Your Choice

If you are interested, comment below or contact NASA GLOBE Clouds Project Scientist Marilé Colón Robles.

Desert and Cold Climate Dust Observations

2020-03-05T21:55:26Z

We are asking for photographs of dust storms and dust events in cold climates (or high latitude areas), southwest United States and Northern Mexico, and desert (or arid and semi arid) areas. Follow these steps on how to take photographs of the horizon, not the sky in the direction of the dust event. Different flyers are now available to print or share that you can use to spread the word!

Analysis-ready GLOBE datasets on the GLOBE Observer website

2020-02-21T14:15:20Z

Hello GISN community,

Did you know that there are now curated, analysis-ready GLOBE datasets posted on the website? These are subsets of GLOBE data that have been post-processed by a scientist on the GLOBE team and are being made available for broader use by the community. Check them out:

Clouds data, https://observer.globe.gov/get-data/clouds-data
Dust data, https://observer.globe.gov/get-data/dust-data
Eclipse data, https://observer.globe.gov/get-data/eclipse-data

Your data in the research community: GLOBE Clouds Contrail Investigations Data at 2019 AGU Fall Meeting

2020-01-03T20:23:30Z

Special observations of airplanes and contrails are being collected by a select few as part of a pilot project the GLOBE Clouds team has been working on for a year. The project asks students to use an app that tracks aircrafts, then note if the airplane is or is not creating a contrail. The airplane tracker app suggested notes the height of the airplanes, giving the opportunity to note the altitude of the contrails if present.

The GLOBE Clouds team was able to present a first look at the data collected by students at Alpena Elementary/Middle School (Mr. Roger Rose teacher), Treadway Elementary (Dr. Caryn Smith-Long teacher), Lexington School for the Deaf (Jillian Anderson teacher), University of Toledo (Dr. Kevin Czajkowski professor), and Montverde Academy (Dr. Caryn Smith-Long teacher). Below is the poster presented at the 2019 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, CA. Huge thank you to Dr. Helen Amos for representing the Contrail Investigations Pilot project for everyone.

If you and your students would like to participate of the pilot project, just comment below or reach out to NASA GLOBE Clouds project scientist Marilé Colón Robles by email through GLOBE or to Marile.ColonRobles at nasa.gov (substitute the words at with the @ symbol).

Fall Clouds Challenge Results

2019-11-22T17:06:19Z

The GLOBE Fall Cloud Observation Challenge brought in more than 45,000 observations from citizen scientists in more than 17,000 locations in 93 countries on every continent — including Antarctica. This influx of cloud observations is super helpful to NASA scientists who work with geostationary satellites and the suite of satellite instruments known as the Clouds and the Earth's Energy Radiant System (CERES). By comparing geostationary and CERES observations from a particular area to data submitted by citizen scientists, scientists can differentiate between wispy cirrus clouds and cold, bright features on the ground such as snow.

But it wasn't just cloud observations you shared with us. We also got reports of purple skies, haboobs and other types of dust storms, and smoke plumes from fires. These measurements are of interest to atmospheric scientists, too, as they work to improve their understanding of dust storms.

A big thank you to all who participated this year!

Here's a breakdown of what you sent us:

Total number of cloud observations: 45,300+

Total number of satellite matches: 25,100+

Total number of dust observations reported: 90+

Total observations with photos: 21,500+

Total photos received: 57,200+

And here are our top observers by global region:

NEW NSTA Article: Making Cloud Observations with GLOBE Observer app In The Classroom

2019-11-06T18:06:51Z

A new article is now available on the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Science Scope journal geared for middle school teachers on ways to integrate using the GLOBE Observer app in the classroom and take cloud observations. The article titled "Making Science Come Alive with Clouds" features GLOBE superstar educators Mr. Jeffrey Bouwman (Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, Michigan, USA) and Dr. Caryn Smith-Long (Montverde Academy, Montverde, Florida, USA) as they share their classroom technology expertise and how they use the app with their students.

The authors also worked on tips and tricks to facilitate student environmental observations using technology in the classroom that is useful for clouds and beyond!

Download the article and congratulate the amazing GLOBE teachers Mr. Jeffrey Bouwman and Dr. Caryn Smith-Long in their hard work and success of doing GLOBE Clouds with the GLOBE Observer app in their classrooms.

The Power of Observations: Photograph of A Gigantic Jet From a Thunderstorm

2019-10-31T02:00:20Z

Story published on https://spaceweather.com/ on 10/29/2019. A sharable version of this story is available here. You can also look at Realtime Sprite Photo Gallery.

Image Credit - Chris Holmes.

This is the picture that captured everyone's attention! It is a photograph of a gigantic jet as observed by pilot Chris Holmes as he traveled at 35,000 ft over the Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatan Peninsula. He noticed the big thunderstorm (or cumulonimbus cloud) producing lots of lightning with sprites and jets.

Gigantic jets, sometimes called Earth's tallest lightning, are a rare form of lightning recognized formally not that long ago. They reach all the way to the ionosphere.

So what are sprites and jets and giants? They are all names of types of lightning, but a type of lightning (electrical discharge) that happens in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere, mesosphere, and sometimes, into the ionosphere). They are all generated by thunderstorms, but not from every thunderstorm.

Researchers have noticed these from space and astronauts onboard the International Space Station have taken photographs of them as well. The following video shows blue jets and other electrical discharges as recorded by an astronaut.

This image shows you all the different types of lightning of electrical discharges observed in the upper atmosphere.

Sprites are major electrical discharges, but they are not lightning in the usual sense. Instead, they are a cold plasma phenomenon without the extremely hot temperatures of lightning that we see underneath thunderstorms.
Blue jets are lightning discharges reaching upwards through the stratosphere.
Elves are concentric rings of emissions caused by an electromagnetic pulse at the bottom edge of the ionosphere.
Giants are large discharges that create and electrical breakdown of the atmosphere from the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the ionosphere.

Image Credit: NASA

Remember, there is still time to participate of the Fall Clouds Challenge going on now until November 15th! Learn more at https://www.globe.gov/web/s-cool.

Classroom Activity (K-5): NASA GLOBE Clouds Purple Sunsets in Our Sky

2019-10-30T18:21:57Z

Purple Skies observed Dallas, TX on October 27, 2019.

Purple skies during sunsets and sunrises (blog explaining science) have been observed by our GLOBE participants! Thank you to all those sending in their observations and participating of the Fall Clouds Challenge!

Educator Angie Rizzi, part of the Science Education team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, created this lesson for teachers who want to use this event to talk about aerosols and sky color. The activity incorporates the Elementary GLOBE Sky Observers activity with photographs of the observed purple skies.

The activity is available as a Word document or as a PDF file. Below is a short description of the activity:

Purpose

To engage students in active observation and recording skills.
To help students observe sky color, recognize that sky color changes.

Overview

This is an extension of the Elementary GLOBE Sky Observers learning activity. The full learning activity can be found on the GLOBE website under the Elementary GLOBE Air Quality module.

This extension allows students to practice recording observations and comparing their observations to discuss the differences between them. They will make an observation of their own to compare it with these images as well.

In September and October of 2019, there have been sightings of purple sunsets. This activity uses the Sky Observers Sunset Sky Report from the Elementary GLOBE Sky Observers activity with images of these sunsets to practice their observation and recording skills.

Student Outcomes

Students will make observations of the sky, record their findings and share their observation reports with their peers.
Students will also record observations of photographic images of the sky and share their observation recordings with their peers.
Students will discuss the differences in sky color and the conditions that can lead to the colors in the photos.

Fall Cloud Challenge: Observations of Volcanic Plume Causing Purple Sunsets Around the World

2019-10-08T16:24:18Z

Picture by Jan Curtin @ Vail, AZ (https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=156718)

Raikoke Volcanic Eruption

Have you noticed purple sunrises or sunsets where you live? Submit your photographs to GLOBE or GLOBE Observer, especially as we get ready to start the Fall Cloud Challenge: What's Up in Your Sky (Oct 15 - Nov 15, 2019)!

People around the world have been noticing purple skies at dawn and at dusk, calling it the Raikoke Sunsets (see photographs submitted). The purple color is because of sulfurous gas that was launched into the stratosphere when the Raikoke volcano, located in Russia's Kirul Islands, erupted on June 22nd. Fine volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere, formed from this gas, scatter blue light, and when mixed with the orange colors you expect at sunrise or sunset, you get that purple hue.

If the volcano erupted in June, why is this plume still around? When particles like those from the Raikoke volcano go into the stratosphere, they can stay in the atmosphere for a long time causing things like purple sunsets.

Our atmosphere has many layers. Starting from the surface of the Earth, the layers of Earth's atmosphere are troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. If you look closely, the temperature in these layers (red line in the graph) either gets colder or hotter as you move higher in altitude. Notice that in between these drastic changes in temperature, are sections where the temperature doesn't change at all with altitude. These sections are named by the layer below it with the word "pause" because it is a pause in the change of temperature with height (example tropopause). Those "pauses" keep things in that layer. Think of it as a lid that prevents things from one layer to easily move into the other layer.

Rainfall can "wash" all types of aerosols, including volcanic aerosols, but rain only happens in the troposphere, the layer of the Earth where all the weather happens. If these aerosols are lofted into the stratosphere, there is no process, like rainfall, to "wash" them out of that layer of the atmosphere.

Very strong volcanic eruptions or even thunderstorms, can break through the tropopause. That is what happened with the Raikoke volcano. Because layers don't mix together, those volcanic aerosols are still in the stratosphere causing purple sunsets and sunrises as the plume goes around the world.

The Fall Cloud Challenge is all about what is up in your sky! If you see purple sunrises or sunsets, send in your photographs and observations to GLOBE or GLOBE Observer app! You can also read and do activities associated with “What’s Up in the Atmosphere? Exploring Colors in the Sky” GLOBE Elementary book (free print and eBook) to learn more about the different colors in the sky.

Blog post adapted from Raikoke Sunrise: https://spaceweather.com/

Reto NASA GLOBE nubes del otoño: ¿Qué ves en Tu cielo?

2019-10-03T14:15:34Z

NASA está solicitando tu ayuda para determinar “¿Qué ves en tu cielo?” El equipo NASA GLOBE nube quiere estudiar diferencias en nubes y aerosoles. La data colectada durante este reto del otoño en el hemisferio norte o primavera en el hemisferio sur será comparada con los resultados obtenidos durante el reto de primavera del 2018.

Puedes ayudar sometiendo observaciones de nubes, polvo atmosférico, calina, o humo (límite 10 por día) a GLOBE usando cualquiera de las opciones de entrada de datos, incluyendo la aplicación móvil GLOBE Observer.

Los participantes GLOBE y GLOBE Observer con las más observaciones (límite 10 por día) serán felicitados por científicos de la NASA a través de grabarán un video. El video será publicado en el sitio web NASA GLOBE nubes. Sólo observaciones de nubes sometidas a través del sitio web de datos GLOBE, la aplicación móvil de entrada de datos GLOBE ó la aplicación móvil GLOBE Observer serán consideradas.

¿Quién puede participar? ¡Todos! (estudiantes y maestros de todos los niveles escolares, educadores de museos y otros centros educativos, y el público en general). Observadores voluntarios, educadores, estudiantes y profesionales en STEM pueden ser parte de GLOBE. Utiliza las siguientes instrucciones para crear tu cuenta: https://www.globe.gov/es/get-started/get-started-overview .

Fechas: 15 de octubre al 15 de noviembre, 2019.

Tipos de Observaciones: Observaciones de nubes y aerosoles (tormentas de polvo atmosférico, calina, o humo). Límite de 10 observaciones por día. Utiliza estos pasos para realizar observaciones de nubes (enlace en inglés). ¿Ves una tormenta de polvo atmosférico, calina, o humo? Queremos tus fotografías. Utiliza estos pasos recomendados para observaciones de polvo atmosférico. Ejemplos de fotografías tomadas por observadores te ayudarán a identificar lo que estas observando. Es importante notar un día con un cielo gris puede ser un cielo que está completamente cubierto por nubes. ¿Quiéres aprender más sobre tormentas de polvo atmosférico? Usa nuestra sección de observaciones de polvo atmosférico en nuestro sitio web NASA GLOBE de nubes y aprende más sobre tu impacto y recursos educativos disponibles sobre el tópico.

La NASA conecta tus observaciones con data de satélites desde el espacio

¡La NASA conecta tus observaciones de nubes sometidas a través de GLOBE, a data de varios satélites! Para mejorar tu oportunidad de obtener una comparación, usa la comprobación de satélites a través de la aplicación GLOBE Observer. Si realizas tus observaciones entre 15 minutes (antes o después) de la hora indicada del sobrevuelo satelital para tu área (enalce), aumentarás la posibilidad de recibir un mensaje electrónico personalizado de la NASA. ¡El mensaje contendrá tus observaciones comparadas con data de satélites!

Otros eventos que te pueden interesar:

Reporta el tipo de cobertura del suelo en tu área – Lo que encuentras en el suelo en tu área puede tener un efecto en lo que observas en el celo. Aprende más sobre los diferentes tipos de cobertura del suelo y reporta tus observaciones con la aplicación de la NASA GLOBE Observer.

Campañas de Calidad del Aire GLOBE – Estas oportunidades están disponibles para aquellos que son maestros GLOBE.

Campaña E.E.U.U. de Calidad del Aire – contacta a la Dra. Margaret Pippin para más información.
Campaña Europea de Calidad del Aire - https://www.globe.gov/es/web/air-quality-campaign

Campaña Isla de Calor Urbano (UHIE por sus siglas en inglés) – Toma medidas de la temperatura de los suelos en tu área y de la temperatura de tu vecindario.

Esperamos que participes de este reto de data. Tus observaciones ayudan a mejor entender información de nuestra atmósfera obtenida a través de satélites. Lea el reciente NASA Earth Observatory para niños sobre la aplicación de la NASA GLOBE Observer (enlace en inglés).

Recursos para identificar nubes

Cubierto u Obscurecido: ¿Cuál es la diferencia?

2019-09-18T16:08:18Z

Tú puedes reportar el cielo como 100% cubierto u obscurecido usando el protocolo de nubes en GLOBE y en la aplicación GLOBE Observer. ¿Cuál es la diferencia? Este blog tiene consejos para ayudarte. Todas las fotografías en este blog fueron colectadas por observadores como tú. ¡Gracias!

Al principio encontré la diferencia entre cubierto y obscurecido algo confuso, pero cuando entendí el significado de ambas, pude mejorar mis observaciones. Empecemos con definir ambos términos:

Cubierto – Noventa por ciento o más del cielo está cubierto por nubes. En esta situación vez bien poco o nada de azul en el cielo. Cuando el porcentaje de nubes es cubierto, lo más probable que estás viendo una nube estrato. Las nubes estrato son grises o grises con un poco blanco.

Obscurecido – Algo en el cielo está obstruyendo el cielo Y las nubes. Esto puede ser polvo atmosférico, calina (contaminación), humo provocado por incendios, cenizas volcánicas, o inclusivo nevadas o lluvias fuertes. Nieve como una obscuración hace que el cielo se vea blanca, pero los otros obscurecimientos la dan al cielo un tono marrón o inclusive anaranjado.

Cómo tomar las fotografías del cielo

Cubierto – inclina tu cámara hacia al cielo en un ángulo de 14 grados. La aplicación GLOBE Observer automáticamente toma la foto cuando alcanzas el ángulo correcto.

Obscurecido – mira directamente hacia el horizonte. La misma manera que haces cuando estás haciendo reportes de visibilidad. Si estás usando la aplicación GLOBE Observer, sigue éstos pasos sugeridos para polvo atmosférico para someter fotografías del horizonte para todo tipo de obscurecimiento. Asegúrate de seleccionar la obscuración correcta (por ejemplo humo, calina).

Qué hago si veo ambos

Las obscuraciones pueden estar mezcladas con nubes. Si la obscuración cubre 30% o más del cielo, sólo reporta la obscuración que estás observando. Usa los pasos de cómo tomar fotografías del cielo obscurecido en la sección anterior.

Imagen tomada de:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Haboob_Ransom_Canyon_Texas_2009.jpg/1200px-Haboob_Ransom_Canyon_Texas_2009.jpg

Dónde encuentro consejos para identificar diferentes tipos de nubes

Utiliza estos consejos de cómo hacer observaciones de nubes.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Fall Data Challenge: What’s Up in YOUR Sky?

2019-10-02T15:14:25Z

Audience: Everyone! (Students and teachers all grade levels, informal educators, and the general public)

Dates: October 15, 2019 - November 15, 2019

Observations: Clouds and aerosols (dust storms, haze, smoke). Limit 10 per day.

NASA is requesting your help to determine “What’s up in your Sky”. The GLOBE Clouds team wants to study differences in clouds and aerosols. The data collected during this fall challenge will be compared to results from the 2018 Spring Clouds Challenge. Help by submitting clouds, dust, haze or smoke observations (limit of 10 per day) to GLOBE using any of GLOBE’s data entry tools including the clouds tool on the GLOBE Observer mobile app.

GLOBE and GLOBE Observer participants submitting the most observations (limit of 10 per day) will be congratulated by NASA scientists with a video posted on the NASA GLOBE Clouds website. Only cloud observation entries using the GLOBE Online Data Entry website, GLOBE Data Entry app, or the GLOBE Observer app will be considered. GLOBE welcomes citizen scientists, educators, students and STEM professionals. Follow the directions for creating an account at: https://www.globe.gov/get-started/get-started-overview .

Tell us what you see in your sky. Tips are available to help you distinguish between clouds and obscurations.

Do you see clouds? Use these steps to make the observation. Find tips and resources are available at the bottom.

Do you see a dust storm, haze, or smoke? We want your photographs! Use the steps recommended to capture a dust storms. Example images are available to guide you to identify what you are looking at. Please note that a gray looking day might be a sky that is completely covered by clouds. Want to learn more about dust storms? Use our Dust Observations section on our NASA GLOBE Clouds website to learn more about your impact and review educator resources on the topic.

NASA Will Match Your Observation to Satellite Data from Space

NASA matches GLOBE Cloud observations submitted to various satellite data! To increase your chances of getting a satellite match to your observations by using the satellite notification option on the GLOBE Observer app or use the satellite overpass website to see the schedule when satellites will be right over your location. If your observation is made within 15 minutes (either before or after) the time a satellite will be over your area, you have increased the chances of getting a personalized email from NASA comparing your observations to satellites! Satellites that you could match to include geostationary satellites, Terra, Aqua, and CALIPSO.

Other events you may like to learn more:

Make Land Cover Observations - What is in the ground can impact what you may see in the sky. Learn more about the land cover and collect your observations using the GLOBE Observer app!

GLOBE Air Quality Campaigns – If you are a GLOBE teacher, you may want to learn more and even participate of different air quality campaigns available.

U.S. Air Quality Campaign – Contact Dr. Margaret Pippin https://www.globe.gov/web/m.pippin/home
Europe Air Quality Campaign - https://www.globe.gov/web/air-quality-campaign

Urban Heat Island Effect - Surface Temperature Field Campaign (UHIE) - If you are interested in keeping track of your neighborhood's temperature, then you might enjoy the UHIE campaign. Webinars start September 24, 2019!

We hope you participate in this data challenge. Your observations help scientists better understand satellite data of our atmosphere. Below are some resources and helpful links to help you make your observations. Check out the recent NASA Earth Observer Kids featuring the GLOBE Observer app.

Cloud Identification Resources and Tips

Data collection and data entry help

Cloud Data Sheet (print form) - You can use this form to gather data. Please remember that you need to enter the data into GLOBE or GLOBE Observer to be considered for the data challenge.
Tips and tricks for using the GLOBE Observer app for cloud observations
GLOBE Web Tutorials on how to use the GLOBE website

Highlights of NASA GLOBE Clouds Teachers with classroom tips and ideas

Mr. Gary Popiolkowski, a middle school science teacher with 44 years of teaching experience.
Read about how he does daily cloud observations with his students, from going outside, analyzing the data, and entering the data into GLOBE.
Mr. Jeff Bouwman, 6th & 7th grade teacher at Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, MI.
Read about how Mr. Bouwman led a group of students through a research project looking at the most prevalent cloud types in their area.

Overcast versus Obscured: What’s the difference?

2019-09-13T20:38:43Z

In the GLOBE Clouds protocol and GLOBE Observer app, you can report if your sky is “overcast” or “obscured”. But what’s the difference? Below are some tips to help! All the photographs featured were collected by observers just like you - Thank you!

I found “obscured” and “overcast” very confusing at first, but when I understood what they meant, things made much more sense. Let’s start by defining them:

Overcast – The sky is completely covered by clouds (cloud cover greater than 90%). This means that you will see little or no blue sky. When it’s overcast, you are looking at stratus clouds. Stratus are gray or grayish white.

Obscured – Something is blocking your view of the sky AND the clouds. This could be dust, haze (pollution), smoke, volcanic ash, and even heavy rain or snow. Snow will appear white, but other obscurations may give the sky a brownish or orangish hue.

Tip from Dr. Brant Dodson (NASA/SSAI) - smoke and dust often change the color of the sun, while clouds (thin enough to not cover the sun) do not. This might be helpful in situations where it is difficult to distinguish between clouds, smoke, and dust. REMEMBER - NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN.

How to take photographs

Overcast – tilt your camera at 14 degree angle up at the sky. If you are using the GLOBE Observer app, the app assists you and automatically takes the photo when your device is titled at the right angle.

Obscured - look straight ahead at the horizon. The same way as when making visibility reports. If you are using the GLOBE Observer app, follow these steps to submit a photograph of the horizon. The example in these steps is for dust. Make sure to select the obscuration that you actually see (e.g., smoke, haze).

What if I see both?

An obscuration can be mixed with clouds. If the obscuration covers 30% or more of your view of the sky, then only report the obscuration observed. Use the steps above to take your photographs.

Image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Haboob_Ransom_Canyon_Texas_2009.jpg/1200px-Haboob_Ransom_Canyon_Texas_2009.jpg

Where can I find tips on identifying cloud types?

Use these tips to make cloud observations.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Student Highlights: Kevin Ivey

2019-09-03T18:21:27Z

NASA GLOBE Clouds team with summer intern (from left to right: Tina Rogerson, Kevin Ivey, Marilé Colón Robles.

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team has been delighted to have recent high school graduate Kevin Ivey this summer as our intern through NASA's Internships and Fellowships program [link]. Read about his experience this summer as he tackled big data!

I’m Kevin Ivey and I’ve been interning with NASA GLOBE Clouds at NASA Langley Research Center this summer. I graduated high school in June and I’ll be a first-year at the University of Virginia this fall where I plan to study computer science.

My work this summer involved the GLOBE Clouds satellite matching. When a clouds observation is made, it can be matched to a variety of satellites if certain conditions are met. I investigated observations that matched to two or more satellites where the total cloud cover reported by the satellites differed by more than 10%, a “satellite mismatch”. Through my investigation, I discovered some bugs in our current match code, leading me to redevelop the code. In addition, I found various weather patterns and conditions that are difficult for satellites to handle, both causing the mismatch and showing the need for ground observations, especially ground-based images. For a concrete example, consider the observation below.

In this observation, GEO reports a cloud cover of 87.79% while Aqua reports 25.11%, an astounding 62.68% difference and a clear mismatch.

GEO Visual Image.

Terra Visual Image.

Looking at the associated satellite images, it doesn’t look to be overly cloudy. In fact, it looks to just be icy outside. However, looking at the observer’s images, we do actually see clouds.

From these images, GEO seems to be overestimating the cloud cover, Terra seems to be underestimating, and our observer seems to be a good compromise between the two, providing the best estimate.

My advice to younger students and future interns would be to learn outside of school. A large amount of my work involved coding. I have taken a computer science class in high school, but it was my own independent study class. Otherwise, all of my programming skills have been developed outside of school. Without these skills, I would have been overwhelmed by my work.

While 10 weeks may seem like a long time, I can say that it truly isn’t enough time. Working at NASA has been a wonderful experience and I encourage other students to pursue internships here. It may seem daunting to apply, but NASA needs a variety of talents and backgrounds.

¿Ves una tormenta de polvo atmosférico? Envía tus fotos con GLOBE Observer

2019-08-21T14:14:22Z

¿Vives en un área que tiene tormentas de polvo atmosférico? Nos gustaría que fotografíes el evento y envíes tus fotos usando el app GLOBE Observer. ¿Ya has estado enviando datos sobre tormentas de polvo atmosférico? ¡MUCHAS GRACIAS! Ahora queremos que todos sepan que pueden enviar datos sobre estas tormentas con GLOBE Observer usando los siguientes pasos.

Conoce a los científicos

Daniel Tong es un pronosticador de polvo atmosférico con el Programa Nacional de Capacidades de Pronóstico de Calidad del Aire de la NOAA y el Equipo de Ciencias Aplicadas de Salud y Calidad del Aire de la NASA. Su investigación se centra en predecir los contaminantes del aire y sus impactos en la salud humana.

Kerstin Schepanski investiga el polvo en la atmósfera en el Instituto Leibniz de Investigación Troposférica (TROPOS) en Leipzig, Alemania. En su trabajo, ella combina datos de satélite y modelos numéricos para examinar las fuentes de polvo y el ciclo de vida del polvo.

¿Por qué es importante?

Las observaciones de polvo suspendido en la atmósfera, proporcionadas por GLOBE, pueden ayudar a los científicos de varias maneras. Las observaciones aportan evidencia directa de una tormenta de polvo atmosférico en tu área. Los científicos pueden usar TUS OBSERVACIONES para verificar si los modelos han hecho un buen trabajo en predecir estas tormentas. Además, tus datos se utilizarán para verificar observaciones satelitales. Los productos de polvo atmosférico de los satélites a menudo se comparan con otras fuentes de datos independientes, como monitores en diferentes partes del mundo y mediciones a través de aviones. Tus observaciones GLOBE pueden ser parte del conjunto de datos de "verificación fundamental".

Esto es MUY IMPORTANTE para ayudar a las comunidades a prepararse y evitar los efectos nocivos de las tormentas de polvo atmosférico. Tus observaciones, junto con los científicos, ayudarán a alertar a varias comunidades. Por ejemplo, alertas para personas con asma se podrían mandar en momentos que sería mejor permanecer dentro de sus hogares o incluso informar a los agricultores y ganaderos qué días serían mejores para cultivar sus tierras. Tus observaciones también pueden alertar trabajadores de la construcción cuando hay alto riesgos de contraer enfermedades que se transportan a través de las tormentas de polvo atmosférico. Por ejemplo, en la parte sudoeste de los Estados Unidos la fiebre del valle de San Joaquín [enlace] es causada por el hongo Coccidioides cuando se inhalan las esporas en el aire. Los conductores de camiones pueden planificar sus viajes para evitar cortes de carreteras y desvíos costosos. Incluso conciertos de música, juegos deportivos, bodas y cualquier evento al aire libre podrá ser mejor planificado.

¿Cómo enviar tus observaciones de polvo atmosférico usando el GLOBE Observer app?

Paso 1. Descarga la aplicación GLOBE Observer

Descarga a través de Google Play para Android [enlace]

Descarga a través del Apple App Store para iPhone [enlace]

Utiliza tu información de registración GLOBE para sincronizar tus observaciones con la entrada de datos GLOBE.

Paso 2. Abre la aplicación y selecciona GLOBE Clouds

Luego selecciona Nueva observación de nubes

Paso 3. Hora y localización

¡Tu latitud, longitud y hora del día se completarán automáticamente a través de la aplicación! Simplemente desplaza la pantalla hasta la parte inferior y haz clic en Siguiente.

Paso 4. Selecciona Obscurecido

Paso 5. Selecciona polvo atmosférico

La aplicación te preguntará cuál de las opciones te está impidiendo ver las nubes y el cielo. Desplaza la pantalla hacia abajo y selecciona la casilla de polvo.

Paso 6: ¿El suelo está reseco?

La aplicación te pedirá que envíes los datos sobre las condiciones de la superficie. Responde "Sí" o "No" a cada categoría. Selecciona “Sí” bajo suelo seco si la tierra debajo de tus pies está polvorienta, seca o reseca. Si el suelo está enfangado, húmedo, blando o hay agua estancada, entonces selecciona “No”.

Paso 7: Selecciona Añadir imágenes manualmente

Paso 8: ¡Toma fotos de la tormenta de polvo atmosférico!

Estima lo mejor posible la dirección en la cual se encuentra la tormenta de polvo atmosférico. En este ejemplo, la tormenta de polvo estaba hacia el norte. Haz clic en el icono gris de la cámara debajo de Norte. Haz clic en Tomar foto. Apunta tu cámara hacia el horizonte y toma una foto de la tormenta de polvo.

Paso 9: ¡Envía tu observación a GLOBE!

Haz clic en Enviar observaciones ahora. Marca la casilla junto a la observación que acabas de hacer. Haz clic en "Send 1 Observation to GLOBE". ¡Ya terminaste! ¡Gracias!

¡Puedes ver tus fotos de la tormenta de polvo en vis.globe.gov después de enviarlas a GLOBE!

Esta observación de polvo fue hecha por Marilé Colón Robles, la científica del proyecto de la NASA GLOBE Clouds, reportada el 21 de junio del 2019. ¡Estaba en una reunión de la NASA sobre ciencias hecha por voluntarios, o conocida en inglés como ‘citizen science’, en Tucson, Arizona y vio una tormenta de polvo atmosférico que se acercaba!

Actividades para el salón de clase, museos o para bibliotecas

Actividad Elementary GLOBE: En el aire

Los estudiantes trabajarán en grupos con el fin de tomar muestras de aerosoles, una herramienta adhesiva sencilla que les permitirá reunir datos y calcular la cantidad de aerosoles que contiene el aire que rodea la escuela.

https://www.globe.gov/documents/348830/55888557/SP04_EGaerosolsactivity_FINAL_06June2018.pdf/ca0f8237-c46e-418d-8821-9baf567c9123

Actividad Elementary GLOBE: Conociendo los suelos

Los estudiantes harán predicciones sobre las propiedades de diversas muestras de suelo. Los estudiantes también examinarán varios tipos de suelos y aprenderán sobre perfiles y horizontes de suelos.

https://www.globe.gov/documents/348830/351088/EGLOBE_SoilActivity1_SP.pdf

Videos y visualizaciones

Video: Sand and Dust Storms (en español hecho por WMO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUFuO28jq8s

Visualización de la NASA: Polvo en el viento (inglés)

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12983

Libros y lecturas

Elementary GLOBE: Calidad del Aire
- Libro, pdf [enlace]
- eBook [enlace]

Elementary GLOBE: Muestras de suelos
- Libro, pdf [enlace]
- eBook [enlace]

Organización Meteorológica Mundial: Tormentas de arena y polvo - https://public.wmo.int/es/nuestro-mandato/esferas-de-inter%C3%A9s/medio-ambiente/tormentas-de-arena-y-polvo

How to Download Dust Observations Reported through GLOBE

2019-10-28T13:39:21Z

#19 August 2019

Prepared by Helen Amos, helen.m.amos@nasa.gov

How to Download Dust Observations Reported through GLOBE

Dust event on 10 July 2019. Photo credit: GLOBE

Citizen scientists from around the world have been reporting dust events using the NASA GLOBE Observer app. You can learn about how to get involved here.

This blog offers step-by-step instructions on how to download GLOBE dust observations. There are two options. Option 1 is to download the data to a spreadsheet. Option 2 is to download the data to a JSON or GeoJSON file. For both options, you need to download clouds data first because dust data are part of the clouds data set, and then filter for dust observations.

Also available is a python script (see attachment at the bottom of this page), courtesy of Dr. Helen Amos, to download GLOBE clouds data from the GLOBE API between given start and end dates, and extract observations reporting dust. Dust observations are plotted on a map and as a timeseries. Find tips for the script at the very bottom of this blog.

Tip: ADAT is best if you want smaller batches of data (i.e., less than 50,000 measurements). If you want to download a large batch of data (e.g., more than 50,000), go to Option 2. On the order of 5,000 to 10,000 cloud observations are submitted per month.

Let’s get started!

Option 1. Download dust observations from GLOBE’s Advanced Data Access Tool (ADAT)

This is a great option if you want to download the data to a spreadsheet.

GLOBE’s Advanced Data Access Tool (ADAT; pronounced aye-dat) allows you to search for data by date, geographic region, school or organization, and protocol type. ADAT returns data in a comma separated value (CSV) file.

To access ADAT, go to globe.gov.

Click on GLOBE Data > Retrieve Data (ADAT)

Tip: Looking for documentation about GLOBE data? It’s in the menu on the left. Click on GLOBE Data User Guide.

On the ADAT landing page, click on Enter the Data Access Tool

Click on Data Filters > Select Protocols

Check the box next to Clouds and click Add to Filter

Click on Data Range and enter your desired date range. In this example, we are going to download data from 1 July 2019 to 1 August 2019. Click Add to Filter.

If you want to refine your data search further, you can search for specific sites, schools, countries, or geographic regions. In this example, we want all the data, so these search options are left blank.

Click Apply Filter

Click Obtain Measurement Data

Click Download Measurement Data

ADAT may return the data directly as CSV file or as a compressed (“zipped”) file depending on your computer’s operating system. If ADAT returns a CSV file, you can skip the next two steps. Follow the next two steps if ADAT returns the data as a zip file.

Save the zip file to your desired location.

Navigate to the folder finder on your desktop. Double click on the saved zip file to unzip it.

Double click on the CSV file to open it in Excel.

A spreadsheet like this will open in Excel. This contains all GLOBE clouds observations submitted between 1 July 2019 and 1 August 2019.

Now we are going to filter for just the GLOBE clouds observations reporting dust. Start by deleting the second row, so we can apply Excel’s filter function.

Select the first row. Then click on Sort & Filter in the top right corner. Select Filter from the dropdown menu.

Scroll over to column AD sky conditions:dust. Click on the down arrow on the header name. A pop-up window will appear. Uncheck the box next to (Blanks). Then close the pop-up window. What now appears in the spreadsheet are all the dust events reported to GLOBE between 1 July 2019 to 1 August 2019.

Citizen scientists are encouraged to submit photographs of the dust events when they use the GLOBE Observer app. Each photo has a unique URL link. URL photo links are in columns AZ (north photo), BB (east), BD (south), BF (west), BH (up), and BJ (down).

If you click on a link in the CSV spreadsheet, the photo will open in an internet browser window.

Option 2. Download dust observations from GLOBE’s Application Programming Interface (API)

GLOBE’s Application Programming Interface (API) allows end users to query data by date, location, protocol type, and much more. The API is intended for users with computer programming skills.

The API is a great option if you

want to download a large batch of data (more than 50,000 data points)
want the data as a JSON or GeoJSON file
want to write a script to automatically retrieve the latest data

To access the API, go to globe.gov.

Click on GLOBE Data > GLOBE API

Click on Go to GLOBE API Interface

Tip: Looking for more documentation about GLOBE data? Click on the GLOBE Data User Guide in the menu bar on the left.

We want all clouds data from 01 July 2019 to 01 August 2019. For this, click on GET /v1/measurement/protocol/measureddate/.

Click Try it out

Scroll down in the Protocols for search menu and select sky_conditions. Enter 2019-07-01 as the Start d0ate. Enter 2019-08-01 as the End date. Note dates must be entered as YYYY-MM-DD. The default file format is GeoJSON. In this example, I want the data returned as a JSON file. Select FALSE from the geojson dropdown menu. Click Execute.

Executing this call returns the Curl, request URL, and a sample of 10 observations is displayed in the Response body. Take moment to spot check the sample of data returned in the Response body. If the data looks okay, you can retrieve the full dataset.

To retrieve the full desired dataset, copy-past the Request URL into a new window in your web browser. After pasting the URL, edit sample=TRUE to sample=FALSE. Hit return on your keyboard to execute the search.

All GLOBE clouds data from 01 July 2019 to 01 August 2019 will be returned in JSON format to your web browser window. In this example, I am using Firefox because it displays JSON data nicely. Selecting Raw Data > Pretty Print makes it easier to read the data on the screen.

If you search (ctrl-f) the term “dust”, you see GLOBE clouds observations reporting dust.

To download the data, click Save.

Name your file and save to your desired location.

Now you can work with the JSON (or GeoJSON) data in the analysis or plotting software your normally use.

Python Script to download GLOBE clouds data from GLOBE API

Here is a python script to download GLOBE clouds data from the GLOBE API between given start and end dates, and extract observations reporting dust. Dust observations are plotted on a map and as a timeseries.

Tip: You’ll need the Anaconda distribution installed for the script to work. You can download it here.

When the script runs successfully, you’ll see the following output:

-- Downloading from API...

-- https://api.globe.gov/search/v1/measurement/protocol/measureddate/?protocols=sky_conditions&startdate=2019-07-01&enddate=2019-08-19&geojson=TRUE&sample=FALSE

-- Download successful. Saved to:

-- sky_conditions_20190701_20190819.json

-- Reading JSON from sky_conditions_20190701_20190819.json...

-- Interpreting file as JSON...

-- Parsing JSON as observations: 100% 11354/11354 [00:00<00:00, 541523.61it/s]

-- Preparing observations: 100% 97/97 [00:00<00:00, 265739.70it/s]

GLOBE OBSERVER AND DUST STORMS: RECORDED WEBINAR AND RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE

2019-08-07T19:56:21Z

Do you live in an area that has dust storms? The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program (GLOBE) team would like you to photograph dust events in your area and submit your photos using the GLOBE Observer app.

Join NASA GLOBE Clouds Project Scientist, Marilé Colón Robles, to learn more about how to collect your observations and educational resources you can use with formal and informal audiences. Your observations will be used by scientists to verify satellite observations and see if their models have successfully predicted these dust storms and help scientists alert communities to better prepare for the harmful impacts of these storms. Read more about the scientists involved and walk through the steps to make these observations (link here).

Press play on the video below to watch the webinar!

Your browser doesn't support video.
Please download the file: video/mp4

Slides used in the webinar - (click to download)

List of resources related to dust (activities, articles, visualizations, & books)

I. Activities and Lessons:

GLOBE’s Up in the Air (collector) (grades 1-5)

Students will collect data, analyze, and interpret data as they explore the amount of aerosols present in the air.

https://www.globe.gov/documents/348830/55942059/Activity4_UpInTheAir-PKG.pdf/c6543c25-b4ea-4ec2-af28-8300031613f4

Teach Engineering: I breathe WHAT? (grades 6-8)

Students capture and examine air particles to gain an appreciation of how much dust, pollen and other particulate matter is present in the air around them.

https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_enveng_lesson07_activity1

GLOBE’s Soil Makers (Weathering and erosion) (grades 3-8)

This activity will focus on the geologic processes of weathering and erosion. https://www.globe.gov/documents/352961/c801c8d8-e4a8-4b0d-ae83-4b650349dae6

Elementary GLOBE Learning Activity (Getting to Know Soil) (grades K-4)

Students make predictions about the properties of various soil samples and examine several types of soils, recording their observations. In Part 2 of the activity, they will examine a soil sample in a jar.

https://www.globe.gov/documents/348830/55942071/GettingToKnow_27July2018_FINAL.pdf/0d12ae67-fcb1-4e59-a4cc-7c5699a06a0a

GLOBE’s Just Passing Through (Beginner)

Students time the flow of water through different soils and observe the amount of water held in these soils.

https://www.globe.gov/documents/352961/c5712e79-6e0b-4f71-9aa8-5b9a075775ef

NASA EO Kids - Air Pollution: Seeing small specks from space (grade 3-9)

Discover how satellites sense air quality from high above the ground. You can also create your very own air quality sensor with our “DIY Science” activity.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/eokids/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2018/09/AQ-PM25-09-10pm2_508.pdf

NASA EO Kids - From School to NASA Earth Science (grade 3-9)

What do you want to be when you grow up? Find out what three NASA scientists wanted to be when they were young and discover what they do now. Then, be a scientist yourself! Learn how to use the GLOBE Observer app to collect your own scientific observations.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/eokids/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/06/19_2019_JuneJuly_EarthScientists508.pdf

My NASA Data - Energy and Matter: Dust Crossing (grades 4-12)

Mini lesson on how dust travels around the world.

https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/maps-data-and-models/energy-and-matter-dust-crossing-2015

My NASA Data - Revised: Tropical Atlantic Aerosols and Clouds (grades 9-12)

Students will use NASA satellite data to determine the location of the greatest concentrations of aerosols during the course of a year in the tropical Atlantic region and their relationship to cloud coverage.

https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/lesson-plans/revised-tropical-atlantic-aerosols-clouds

II. Articles/Readings:

Weather WizKids - Sandstorm questions & answers

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/?page_id=1333

The gardener remembers: The Dust Bowl Grasshopper plague

https://www.hayspost.com/2017/04/09/the-gardener-remembers-the-dust-bowl-grasshopper-plague/

NASA Understanding Earth: The Journey of Dust

https://eospso.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/TheJourneyofDust_508.pdf

NASA Explains the Dust Bowl Drought

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2004/0319dustbowl.html

NASA Modeling the Dust Bowl Climate Forcing

https://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/cook_01/

United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) Fact Sheet: Sand and Dust Storms

https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/7608/sand.pdf?sequence=3&amp%3BisAllowed=

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Global Assessment of Sand and Dust Storms

http://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/7681/Global_Assessment_of_sand_and_dust_storms_2016.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

III. Visualizations & NASA Data:

Video: Protecting People from Sand and Dust Storms (World Meteorological Organization - WMO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYXcpYYlm8I&feature=youtu.be

Video: Sand and Dust Storms (English - WMO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VwnONbc1gc

Video: Sand and Dust Storms (Spanish - WMO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUFuO28jq8s

Video: Sand and Dust Storms (Arabic - WMO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LAmq9_UuzA

Dust in the wind visualization

The Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center created this visualization using the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) computer model.

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12983

NASA visualizations related to dust

List of multiple visualizations made by NASA related to dust.

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/search.cgi?value=dust&expanded=filters

NASA Worldview: Dust observations

Use NASA Worldview to look at NASA satellite data. This link pull up data used to track dust around the world.

https://go.nasa.gov/2IGoFJt

ArcGIS The Dust Bowl - US History GeoInquiries™

A geoinquiry map exploring the Dust Bowl and population change 1920 - 1950 https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=b1bc9ebb7fbb4cfcb03f7dac38c721bc

NASA Earth Observatory: Dust and Haze

Images and stories related to dust and haze using NASA satellite observations.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/topic/dust-and-haze

NASA Storm Watch on Mars

Discover images from the surface of Mars and track the weather and possible dust storms on The Red Planet.

https://mars.nasa.gov/weather/storm-watch-2018/

IV. Books:

Elementary GLOBE: Air Quality book (print and eBook)

In this storybook, the GLOBE Kids investigate colors in the sky and learn how air pollution affects sky color and our health.

https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe/overview/air-quality

Elementary GLOBE: The Scoop on Soils (print and eBook)

In this storybook, the GLOBE Kids are on the trail of Scoop, an eager dog who loves to dig holes in the soil. At each hole Scoop has dug, the Kids use their journals to record characteristics of the soil.

https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe/overview/soils

Recommended List of Kid Books about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression (United States History)

https://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/about-the-dust-bowl.html

Check your local library for these and more books for adults related to the Dust Bowl (United States)

Non-Fiction

Burns, Ken and Duncan, Dayton (2012) The Dust Bowl [videorecording]:

A film and accompanying book by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History.

Egan, Timothy (2006) The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (2006).

The Worst Hard Time draws upon first-hand oral accounts of Dust Bowl/Depression-era survivors for a moving history of life on the Great Plains before and after the devastation of those events.

Gregory, James (1989) American exodus: the Dust Bowl migration and Okie culture in California.
Sandler, Martin (2009) The Dust Bowl Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Helped Remedy a National Disaster

Fiction

Meadows, Rae (2016) I will send rain: a novel.
Steinbeck, John (1938) The Grapes of Wrath.
Loewenstein, Laurie (2018) Death of a rainmaker: a Dust Bowl mystery.

Special thanks to Angie Rizzi for her help putting together this list of resources!

See a dust storm? Submit your photos with the GLOBE Observer app

2019-08-19T21:18:06Z

Do you live in an area that has dust storms? We would like for you to photograph the dust event and submit your photos using the GLOBE Observer app. Have you already been reporting dust storms? We noticed and what to say THANK YOU! Now we want to get the word out that anyone can report dust storms with the app following the steps below.

Watch the recorded webinar on how to submit your observations using the NASA GLOBE Observer app and learn about educational resources you can use in your classroom or in an informal setting [link]!

Interested in the data? Follow the step-by-step instructions on how to download dust observations [link]

Meet the Scientists

Daniel Tong is a dust forecaster with the NOAA National Air Quality Forecast Capability Program (https://airquality.weather.gov), and the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Science Team (https://haqast.org). His research focuses on predicting air pollutants and their impacts on human health.

Kerstin Schepanski is a researcher on dust based at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS, https://www.tropos.de/en/) in Leipzig, Germany. In her work, she combines satellite data and computer models to examine dust sources and the dust life cycle.

Why is it Important?

Dust observations made by GLOBE can help scientists in several ways. Your observations provide direct evidence of a dust storm in your area. Scientists can use YOUR OBSERVATIONS to check if their models have done a good job to predict these dust storms. In addition, your data will be used to verify satellite observations. Dust products from satellites are often compared to other independent data sources, such as ground monitors and aircraft measurements. Your GLOBE observations can be part of the “ground truth” data set.

This is VERY IMPORTANT to help communities prepare and avoid harmful impacts of dust storms. Your observations with scientists help alert or tell students or people with asthma when to stay indoors or even let farmers and ranchers know which days would be better to till their land. Your observations also help warn construction workers when to wear protective equipment to reduce risks of Valley fever infection. Truck drivers can plan their trips to avoid roadblocks and costly detours. Even music concerts, sports teams, and weddings can best plan their outdoor events.

How to Report Your Dust Observations Using the GLOBE Observer App?

Step 1. Download the GLOBE Observer app

Download from the Google Play Store for Android [link]

Download from the Apple App Store for iPhone [link]

Use your GLOBE sign-in information to sync your observations with your GLOBE data entry.

Step 2. Open the app and select GLOBE Clouds

Then select New Cloud Observation

Step 3. Time and place

Your latitude, longitude, and time of day with be filled in automatically by the app! Just scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Next

Step 4: Select Obscured

Step 5: Check the box for Dust

The app will prompt you to record the Type of Obscuration. Scroll down. Check the box for Dust.

Step 6: Is the ground parched?

The app will prompt you to record the surface conditions. You are required to answer “Yes” or “No” for each category. For Dry Ground, answer “Yes” if the ground under your feet is dusty, dry, or parched. Answer “No” if the ground under your feet is muddy, moist, squishy, or there’s standing water.

Step 7: Select Add Pictures Manually

Step 8: Take pictures of the dust storm!

Make your best guess at the direction of the dust storm. In this example, the dust storm is to the north. Click on the grey camera icon under North. Click on Take Photo. Point your camera at the horizon and take a photo of the dust storm.

Step 9: Submit your observation to GLOBE!

Click Send Observations Now. Check the box next to your observation. Click “Send 1 Observation to GLOBE”. You’re done! Thank you!

You can check out your dust storm photos on vis.globe.gov after you submit!

This dust observation is from Marilé Colón Robles, Project Scientist for NASA GLOBE Clouds, on 21 June 2019. She was at a NASA citizen science meeting in Tucson, Arizona and saw a dust storm approaching in the distance!

NASA GLOBE Clouds: Documentation on How Satellite Data is Collocated to Ground Cloud Observations Now Available

2019-04-01T14:48:01Z

Have you wondered how the GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley matches your cloud observations to satellite data? A new release titled "NASA GLOBE Clouds: Documentation on How Satellite Data is Collocated to Ground Cloud Observations" is now available from our satellite comparison page.

This document is written by the GLOBE Clouds team with support by various NASA scientists involved in the program or involved in the multitude satellites collocated or matched to your cloud observations.

Where to find the documentation?

Visit our NASA GLOBE Cloud Protocol Page on GLOBE, and select "Satellite Comparison" from the top left options. Once at the "Satellite Comparison" page, the documentation is the last option on the left-hand-side navigation (see below).

Cirrius-ly Cool Science at NASA Langley: Highlights of the GLOBE North American Regional Meeting

2019-03-13T16:35:41Z

Check out NASA Langley's newly released story about the recent GLOBE North American Regional Meeting, hosted at NASA Langley, that included a day of training in clouds and aerosols.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/cirrius-ly-cool-science-at-nasa-langley

GLOBE Participants practice using sun photometers at the GLOBE NARM at NASA Langley. Credits: NASA.

Data Data Everywhere! #1 - Another Method to Take the 'T' out of Date/Time

2019-02-08T19:14:11Z

Data Data Everywhere! #1: How to get the 'T' out!

You may have noticed that the time format when you retrieve data from the GLOBE web site recently changed. The new format is YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.

We would like to show a quick and easy way to go back to the time format MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS.

1) Select the column that has the time format you want to change.

2) Copy the column to a new location on your spreadsheet; you do not want to manipulate the original column directly, to avoid losing data.

3) Make sure there is a blank column next to the column that you just copied.

4) While your data is still selected, go to Data> Text to Columns and the Text Wizard will open.

5) On Step 1 of 3 of the Text Wizard, keep the option “Delimited” selected and click Next.

5) On Step 2 of 3 of the Text Wizard, uncheck the option “Tab”, check the option “Other” and enter a capital T on the space next to “Other”.

6) On Step 3 of 3 of the Text Wizard, make sure that the data format for Date is “MDY” and click “Finish”.

Your data should now appear in two columns with the format MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS.

Now add a column to the right of the HH:MM:SS column and enter an equal sign “=”. Then select the first cell of the M/D/YYYY column followed by a plus sign “+” and select the first cell of the HH:MM:SS column:

Once you hit <Enter>, the M/D/YYYY and the HH:MM:SS will appear together in your new column:

Tip: If after adding the M/D/YYYY and the HH:MM:SS columns on a third column, you don’t have the format M/D/YYYY HH:MM:SS, you can select the cell, go to Format > Format Cell… and type the format yourself: “m/d/yyyy h:mm:ss”.

Congratulations!!

You have successfully removed the 'T' from Date/Time and can now move on to the fun of analyzing the data!

GLOBE Students: How to take the "T" out of date and time

2019-02-04T19:56:04Z

GLOBE Students!

The GLOBE Clouds team is hoping you are all collecting observations or downloading and analyzing clouds data for the upcoming U.S. Student Research Symposia or the International Virtual Science Symposium. If you are using data downloaded from the GLOBE site, you will see a T between the date and time of the observations (example - 2018-10-01T14:00:00).

We got together with Dr. Helen Amos, who put together steps on how to take the "T" out using Excel and Google sheets. The result is having a date and time that looks like 2018-04-13T16:27:00 UTC to looking like 13/4/2018 11:27:00 local time.

Use this blog post to help you come up with a research question!

////////////////////////////////////////// Using Excel //////////////////////////////////////////

STEP 1

Use the SUBSTITUTE function to replace the "T" with a space " ". Then adjust for the timezone you want. I want New York time. New York is 5 hours behind UTC, so it's -(5/24). Tokyo is 9 hours ahead of UTC and would be +(9/24). The result of Step 1 is a decimal number that won't make sense. Go to Step 2.

STEP 2

Select the cell with the decimal number (here it's B2) and customize the format.

Click "OK" and you're good to go. Here is what the final result looks like:

///////////////////////////////////// Using Google Sheets /////////////////////////////////////

Step 1 in Google Sheets: Same as Step 1 in Excel

Step 2 in Google Sheets: Customize the date time format to what you want.

and you are done!

Reach out to the GLOBE Clouds team my adding a comment or sending your questions to https://scool.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/contact/ .

Don't forget to review the tips on how to come up with a good research question - https://www.globe.gov/web/marile.colonrobles/home/blog/-/blogs/how-to-come-up-with-a-good-research-question-globe-clouds-edition

Colón Robles, Marilé

GLOBE Clouds Lead

GISN Members: Call for collaborators

2018-12-31T19:58:17Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is looking for members of the GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) or any researcher that would be interested in publishing research (as lead or co-author) using the GLOBE Clouds data.

We are looking for researchers that are interested in:

Cryosphere that would be willing to use cloud observations over the Arctic/Antarctica.
Satellite validation studies with collocated observations, particularly those collected during GLOBE Clouds Data Challenge (March 15-April 15, 2018).
Natural hazards to explore possibilities of using the data.
Gaming/machine learning or ways to engage citizen scientists in data quality checks.
Having a conversation with the NASA GLOBE Clouds team about your research ideas.

Features of collaborating with the NASA GLOBE Clouds team:

Receive clouds data directly from the GLOBE Clouds team.
Co-authorship opportunities in research papers.
Direct connection to the team for ideas, suggestions, and opportunities.

If you are interested, comment below or contact me directly for more information.

Thank you SO much and Happy New Year!

Marilé

Colón Robles, Marilé, GLOBE Clouds Lead

Science Systems and Applications, Inc.

NOTE: This is a call for collaboration and not job announcement. The collaboration is based on your own time and will not include any compensation.

Cloud Observations for the 2019 GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium

2018-11-26T19:27:12Z

The 2019 GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium important dates and rubrics are now available! The GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center would love to see you use cloud observations in your research!

Do you need some ideas? Here are a few. Also, don't forget about the blog on how to come up with a good research question.

K-2nd grade:

- What is the cloud type observed the most during Fall/Spring/Summer (choose one or a different period of time)?

- Which cloud type, nimbostratus or cumulonimbus, produces the most rain at our school? (choose a period of time for the observations. It can be one month, a season, etc)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd - 5th grade:

- What is the cloud cover percentage most observed during Fall/Spring/Summer (choose one or a different period of time)?

- Which contrail type (short lived, persistent, or persistent spreading) is most observed in our area?

6th - 8th grade:

- Are high and thin clouds or low and thick clouds most observed in our area and the how these clouds may affect the Earth's radiation budget (cooling or warming)?

- Do different cloud types affect differently the temperature of the ground? You can change this to be how clouds affect the temperature of different parts of the school or playground like playground mulch, swings or slides. You can also state it as - do cloud shadows change the temperature of the ground?

9th - 16th grades:

- How often did ground observations match satellite observations and implications on satellite observations? This goes into using the satellite matches. Focus on just one variable like total cloud cover or presence at a particular cloud level (please note that satellites cannot determine cloud types, but can detect clouds at different altitudes).

- satellite comparisons: is there a satellite that matches most to ground observations and the implications of satellite observations?

- How does the opacity of clouds affect surface temperature? You can substitute the surface for a particular object around the school. Learn more about cloud opacity as well as tips and tricks of making cloud observations with this brand new page - Making Cloud Observations: Tips and Tricks Using the GLOBE Observer App.

Reach out to the GLOBE Clouds team my adding a comment or sending your questions to https://scool.larc.nasa.gov/GLOBE/contact/ . Don't forget to review the tips on how to come up with a good research question - https://www.globe.gov/web/marile.colonrobles/home/blog/-/blogs/how-to-come-up-with-a-good-research-question-globe-clouds-edition

Learn more about the 2019 GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium:

- General information: https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-events/virtual-conferences/2019-international-virtual-science-symposium

- Rubrics and badges: https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-events/virtual-conferences/2019-international-virtual-science-symposium/rubrics-and-badges

CALIPSO and CloudSat - Sister Satellites, Briefly Separated, Working Together Again

2018-11-21T19:47:29Z

CloudSat and CALIPSO were designed to complement each other in the 1990s. They launched together on the same rocket in 2006. Then they spent more than 10 years orbiting Earth in formation with a coterie of other satellites in what's known as the A-Train, or afternoon constellation.

Flying together enables the A Train satellites to gather diverse measurements of the Earth below at nearly the same time as they circle the globe pole-to-pole, crossing the equator around 1:30 p.m. local time every day. The nearly simultaneous observations allow scientists to build a more sophisticated understanding of the Earth system than would be possible if the measurements were separated. Other members of the A Train include NASA's Aqua, Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and Aura spacecraft, along with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Global Change Observation Mission - Water (GCOM-W1) satellite.

In the A-Train, measurements from CloudSat's radar and CALIPSO's lidar were combined to revolutionize the way scientists see clouds and the tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere collectively known as aerosols. Scientists have long known that there are important interrelationships between clouds and aerosols, but prior to the launch of CALIPSO and CloudSat, did not have the tools to understand how they interact.

The scene above shows two tropical cyclones from September 20, 2017 — Hurricane Maria near the Caribbean Sea and Tropical Storm José off the northeast U.S. coast. Data from the CALIPSO lidar and CloudSat radar appear as vertical slices in the atmosphere. CALIPSO lidar data is visualized as a bluish slice, with red and yellow colors denoting more scattering off of clouds and aerosols. CloudSat radar data is superimposed on the CALIPSO slice in brighter colors. Areas of heavier precipitation, found in each storm’s spiral bands, appear in red and pink. Credits: NASA/Roman Kowch

It was a beautiful partnership forged in labs around the world: At NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, which provided the aerosol-measuring lidar carried by CALIPSO; at the Centre National d'études Spatiales, or CNES, in Toulouse, France, which provided the CALIPSO spacecraft; at the Canadian Space Agency, or CSA, in Montreal, Canada and the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California, which built the radar on CloudSat; and at the labs of Ball Aerospace Corporation in Boulder, Colorado, which build the CloudSat spacecraft.

CloudSat and CALIPSO orbited and took measurements together for almost 12 years in the A-Train. Then, in February 2018, facing a mechanical challenge, CloudSat had to exit the A-Train, moving to a lower orbit — leaving

CALIPSO behind and the future of their partnership uncertain.

Read more about how CloudSat and CALIPSO are working together again!

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/sister-satellites-briefly-separated-working-together-again

GLOBE Clouds: New Satellite Match Table

2018-11-02T20:13:38Z

Whenever you submit a cloud observations, the GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center looks for satellites that were over your area at about the same time. The team then gathers the information from these satellites and compares them to your own observations. The result is a satellite match table that you receive through an email!

The table allows you to compare what you saw and what the satellite noted. You also have the actual satellite image at the bottom of the table! A new "How to Read a Satellite Match" page is available for you to learn more about the new design.

Researchers are excited to have observations from you, the ground observer, with images of clouds, that are "matched" or taken about the same time as a satellite over your area. While observations are useful at any time, your ground reports can help verify satellite measurements if you take your observations during a satellite overpass. You may be able to match to Aqua, Terra, CALIPSO, or Geostationary satellites. Use the satellite overpass tool to see when a satellite will be over your area.

Also, seeing how satellites compare to your observations is a great way to do your own research. Find more tips from the GLOBE Clouds team on how to come up with a good research question. If you are working on research that uses clouds, be sure to contact the GLOBE Clouds team!

Marilé Colón Robles

GLOBE Clouds Team Lead

How to Come Up with a Good Research Question: GLOBE Clouds Edition

2018-09-13T19:16:51Z

Clouds are amazing to observe and always seem to capture the attention of all, from little ones to the young at heart. The GLOBE Clouds team would like to help all of those that would be interested in doing research with clouds. A good research question is always tricky so here are some tips and ideas to get you started!

What is a good research question?

It is not always easy to come up with a research question, but GLOBE has a good checklist to help you out! You can even assign points and see how many points does your question total as a good research question. A lot of times scientists look at the data and then form research questions based on what they see (or not see)! Find more information at GLOBE’s Characteristics of a Good Research Question.

Example research questions with GLOBE Clouds

Below are some example research questions related to clouds. Feel free to use these as research questions for your teams or as starting points. In-service and pre-service educators contributed to the list below:

Do different cloud types affect differently the temperature of the ground? You can change this to be how clouds affect the temperature of different parts of the school or playground like playground mulch, swings or slides. You can also state it as - do cloud shadows change the temperature of the ground?
How does the opacity of clouds affect surface temperature? You can substitute the surface for a particular object around the school. Learn more about cloud opacity as well as tips and tricks of making cloud observations with this brand new page - Making Cloud Observations: Tips and Tricks Using the GLOBE Observer App.
Do different parts of the world have a cloud type that is most observed? This is an interesting question that can link to the different climate zones and to the type of land cover in those regions.
Do different storms affect bodies of water differently? This is a great research for students that love to do water studies. You can test alkalinity, dissolved oxygen or even pH or collected water or nearby bodies of water.

The GLOBE Clouds team would like to hear from teams that would like to submit a research question related to clouds to a GLOBE U.S. Regional Student Research Symposia, GLOBE’s International Virtual Science Symposium, or local events. Let us know how we can help and contact the NASA Science Team.

Making Cloud Observations: Tips and Tricks Using the GLOBE Observer App

2018-07-13T14:10:21Z

The GLOBE Observer app (available for iPhones and Android devices) is a new, step-by-step way to submit cloud observations to NASA. Use your GLOBE sign-in information to sync your observations with your GLOBE data entry.

Here are some simple tips and tricks on how to better identify clouds while using the app. Your latitude, longitude, and time of day with be filled in automatically by the app!

1. What does your sky look like?

Is your sky completely clear with no contrails? Are there clouds or is the sky obscured that it makes it difficult to make any observation? This is the first question you will encounter in the app.

Tip: Be sure to be in an area that doesn't have buildings to obscure your view. Also, be sure to look at clouds slightly above the horizon! You may see clouds really far away in the horizon, but they will be hard to distinguish. Focus on those in your area.

Trick: Scan the sky for contrails. Some are short lived and can last for a very short amount of time. Explore pictures of different types of contrails.

What is an obscured sky? This question is asking if there is rain, snow, dust, fog, smoke, haze, volcanic ash, ocean spray, or blowing sand that is making it hard to get a clear view of the clouds. NOTE: fog is a low-level cloud, AND an obscuration!

2. What is your sky color and visibility? Presence of aerosols or particles in the sky

Sky color and visibility are indicators of the amount of aerosols or particles in the sky. CAUTION: NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!!!!

Sky color is best when there are no clouds present. It is easy to confuse a white-ish sky with really thin high clouds.

Tip: Report sky color when the sky is clear of clouds (0-10% cloud cover).

Trick: Look for the bluest part of the sky and report that color!

Sky visibility is looking at how many aerosols or particles in the sky are near the ground.

Tip: Visibility is hard at dusk or at night. Only report it during the day.

Trick: Find a landmark in the distance and estimate the visibility.

3. What cloud types do you see?

Identifying cloud types comes easier with practice. Cloud images like those in the app help. Below are some simple descriptions taken from the Elementary GLOBE book about clouds.

Teachers: Check out a suggested lesson plan about cloud types identification.

Tip: You can use the size of the puffy cumulus clouds compared to your fist to figure out height. See Dr. Lin Chambers tips to distinguish between cloud types. NOTE: fog is a low-level cloud, AND an obscuration!

Trick: A dichotomous key (or simple yes/no questions) is really helpful. Check out Dr. Tina Cartwright's foldable dichotomous key pictured below.

4. How much of the sky is covered by clouds?

First, the app will ask you to estimate total cloud cover or how much of the sky is covered by clouds no matter the type of cloud. Then, the app will ask you to estimate how many clouds are at each level (low, medium, high).

Not all clouds are created equal, and knowing how many there are at each level is important.

Tip: First, look at all clouds together and report the best percentage based on the example pictures. Be sure to include contrails in this first look. Then, look at the estimated level and make your best guess at the amounts.

Trick: Look at the amount of clouds in each cardinal direction (North, South, East, West) and then make your total estimate.

5. What is opacity?

Not all clouds are created equal, and that includes how they interact with energy. Do all clouds cast shadows? No, each cloud type interacts differently with the energy coming from the Sun. Opacity, or how the cloud looks, gives us an idea of how they are interacting with the Sun's light.

Tip: Use the description below to estimate opacity. Estimate a general appearance instead of each individual cloud.

Opacity	General Appearance
Opaque	Gray
Translucent	Bright white
Transparent	Milky bluish white

Trick: Look at the middle of the clouds. The edges of clouds might look slightly different.

6. What are the surface conditions?

Surface conditions are very important since satellites looking at Earth can have a hard time seeing the difference between clouds and snow, for example.

Tips and tricks: Some of these can be tricky, especially if you have trees with leaves and others without leaves. Always report the average.

NOTE: a pond is an example of standing water.

Surface measurements are for people that have instrumentation at hand to make those measurements. Feel free to skip these if needed. Learn more how to properly measure this information using GLOBE's Atmosphere E-Training options.

7. Taking pictures of the sky.

The app will ask you if you would like to take pictures of the sky. The app will help you take the images at the right spot at each cardinal direction, up and down. Just move the phone until the letter or word is inside the circle. The app will automatically take the picture!

Tip: It is easier, at least for me, to hold my phone with both hands.

Trick: Pictures of the "Up" direction can be tricky if the sun is right above you. If your phone is unmuted, you can move your phone while facing up until you hear the picture being taken.

NOTE: this is not a good picture of the sky since I'm inside my office :)

8. Would you like to receive satellite match email?

UPDATE: The team at NASA Langley Research Center is now sending satellite matches to GLOBE Observer app users! Anyone who submits a cloud observation will receive a personalized email from NASA comparing their cloud observations with data from satellites studying the Earth (as long as the observation times match - find out by using the satellite overpass calculator). The app already enables you to receive emails from NASA to participate.

We hope to receive your cloud/sky observations! Reach out to the GLOBE Clouds team at any time through our contact page.

****Happy New Year from the GLOBE Clouds team****

Students from the Lexington School for the Deaf are busy observing the sky!

2018-05-01T20:25:35Z

This week we are very excited to highlight the work of Ms. Jillian Anderson and her high school students at the Lexington School for the Deaf, in Queens, NY.

Ever since they joined the U.S. GLOBE Air Quality Student Research Campaign, they have been going outside to make observations of the atmosphere every day! The students have been submitting both Clouds and Aerosol Optical Thickness observations and we want to thank them for their valuable contribution to science.

We encourage them to keep up their great work and we invite other schools to continue submitting their observations to the GLOBE website as well!

Calitoo Corner #3: Taking care of your instrument!

2018-04-19T16:08:32Z

We would like to share with you some tips on how to keep your Calitoo instrument up and running:

Keep your instrument indoors until the time of measurement. The instrument detector is sensitive to temperature and performs best near room temperature (~70F or ~21C).
Don’t let your instrument overheat. Also don’t make measurements in extreme cold unless instrument is insulated from cold.
Don’t forget to TURN OFF your instrument after you’re done measuring! To turn off, press the button for a few seconds until the screen reads: “Stop in progress”.
When batteries start going low, the instrument stops functioning properly; replace batteries with a voltage smaller than 1.5 V.

If you have any tips that you would like to share with other participants, do not hesitate to contact us at m.pippin@nasa.gov!

Eighth-grade student from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (Newport News, VA) visits NASA Langley

2018-04-11T18:52:13Z

Eight-grade students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School have been very active during our GLOBE 2017-18 U.S. Air Quality Student Research Campaign. In fact, they recently submitted their team projects to the GLOBE 2018 International Virtual Science Symposium. All students have done remarkable work and one of the most important skills they have developed is collaboration. Among these students, one of them stood out for becoming a Calitoo expert user and for helping not only the members of her own team, but also the members of all other teams, with her accurate AOT measurements.

This student’s performance during our campaign has been so impressive, that we decided to invite her to spend a day at NASA Langley! The student had the opportunity to meet with several atmospheric scientists, who gave her a tour of the labs they work in, and an overview of the instruments they use every day. One of the highlights for the student was to take a close look at the AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) instrument. She and her classmates have used AERONET data for their research projects at school.

In addition to spending some time at the Atmospheric Science building, the student also visited the Autonomy Incubator facility, where computer scientists and mechanical engineers talked to her about how they use drones to take measurements.

We were delighted to have this young scientist with us for the day and we expect to keep hearing about her contributions to the science community!

World Meteorological Day Celebration

2018-04-02T08:00:14Z

The GLOBE Clouds team got to celebrate World Meteorological Day with the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, Dr. Petteri Taalas through a Facebook live filmed live from NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA.

Join the celebration by watching the recorded Facebook live below.

View event on Facebook at - https://www.facebook.com/nasaearth/videos/10156418942207139/

Calitoo Corner #2: "What do the values on the Calitoo screen mean?"

2018-03-29T20:37:29Z

Today we will get a closer at look at the values displayed on our Calitoo screen.

When you first turn on your Calitoo, you will get a screen like the following: note the serial number of your instrument will be displayed.

After the initial screen, your instrument will display basic information as shown on the following picture (Source: http://www.calitoo.fr/uploads/documents/en/usermanual_2016_en.pdf)

TIP: The temperature displayed by your Calitoo is actually the temperature inside the instrument.

When you report data back to GLOBE, you will use the Barometric Pressure and Temperature from your atmospheric site. You may use the values reported by your local weather station. Avoid entering the temperature read by a smart phone.

After pressing the button, your instrument will display the “Maximum Measurements” screen. The photometer measures a voltage value that is proportional to the sunlight intensity sensed by its LEDs. You will see a maximum value for each wavelength (Blue, Green and Red) on the right, and the raw values fluctuating on the left, as you point the instrument to maximize such values.

The voltage value for each wavelength will then be converted to an Aerosol Optical Thickness value; the higher the voltage, the more sunlight is getting to our instrument = fewer aerosol particles scattering sunlight, expressed as a smaller AOT value.

If you are curious about the math behind converting voltage values to AOT values, please refer to Appendix 4.1 “Optical Thickness Calculation” on the Calitoo User Manual, at:

http://www.calitoo.fr/uploads/documents/en/usermanual_2016_en.pdf

The final screen when you are on Measuring Mode, shown on the following picture, (Source: http://www.calitoo.fr/uploads/documents/en/usermanual_2016_en.pdf), refers to how large or small the aerosol particles are.

You will see an Angstrom coefficient, this number is inversely related to the average particle size of the aerosol particles: the higher the Angstrom coefficient, the smaller the particles.

If you are interested in the math behind calculating the Armstrong coefficient, please refer to Appendix 4.2 “Particle characterization” on the Calitoo User Manual, at:

http://www.calitoo.fr/uploads/documents/en/usermanual_2016_en.pdf

Please stay tuned for our next Calitoo Corner post! And remember, if you have a question or a tip to share, contact Dr. Pippin at m.pippin@nasa.gov!

NASA News: How Cloud Data Is Improving Weather Forecasts

2018-03-26T08:00:38Z

Bill Smith, left, along with Kris Bedka.

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is excited to share with you this recent news article about two NASA scientists that help match your observations with satellite data - Bill Smith and Kris Bedka. They, along with Louis Nguyen lead SatCORPS, at team at NASA Langley Research Center that use expertise in clouds to make better weather predictions.

Cloud Types and Weather: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge

2018-03-19T18:42:56Z

We are excited to have such a response to the NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge. Remember, top observers will be congratulated by a NASA scientist! Click here to learn more about the challenge.

Are you wondering about the clouds you are reporting and the type of weather you might experience in your area? Here is a guide to how cloud types are related to weather!

The information below was taken from the NOAA's SciJinks webpage - https://scijinks.gov/clouds/

Going On Now - NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge

2018-03-15T17:06:15Z

It’s almost spring, the time of year when the looming change in seasons could lead to some pretty fascinating cloud activity in the sky. NASA and the GLOBE Program are asking for your help by taking part in a citizen science cloud observation challenge.

From March 15 through April 15, citizen scientists of all ages can make up to 10 cloud observations per day using the GLOBE Observer app or one of the other data entry options (for trained GLOBE members). Challenge participants with the most observations will be congratulated by a NASA scientist in a video posted on the GLOBE Program’s website and on social media.

Read more about the challenge here.
Find tips for making good cloud observations here.

Calitoo Corner #1: Measuring and Recording!

2018-03-14T19:16:21Z

Today we start a series of posts devoted to providing information, tips, tricks and answers to frequently asked questions by Calitoo users!

So, how do you measure Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) with a Calitoo?

First and foremost: NEVER look directly at the sun!

And…ONLY take measurements when the sun is not obstructed by clouds.

TIP: Use your hand(s) to cover the sun; if you see any clouds on either side of your hand(s), do NOT take any measurements. Wait until the sun is not obstructed by clouds.

Now, the Calitoo sun photometer measures AOT values at 465 nm, 540 nm and 619 nm. Are you ready to take some measurements? Follow the next steps:

Turn on the instrument by pressing and holding down the button for two seconds.
Wait until a GPS signal is found for your location. Screen will show “>> or <<” when searching and “3D” when GPS is locked on:

NOTE: Once your instrument is on, holding down the button again for two seconds will switch between Measuring Mode and Reading Mode. In order to take your measurements, make sure you are on Measuring Mode!

The Measuring Mode displays:

Real time Red, Blue and Green wavelength data

UTC time

Barometric pressure

Temperature

GPS location

3. Point the Calitoo photometer at the sun. Remember, do NOT look directly at the sun! Find the sun dot. Align the sun dot with the center of the target.

4. Press the button once. The raw signal numbers on the screen will fluctuate.

5. Keeping the photometer steady with the sun dot centered on target, press the button again when the raw signal is maximized.

6. This screen displays the AOT values you just collected.

OK, you took your AOT measurements so you should write them down on your journal. But also, you can record them on your Calitoo! Here’s how:

Press the button again. The next screen will say “Recording”, the number specific to the data point you just collected, and “Ok?”

To store the data, press and hold the button, until the bottom of the screen says “Recorded!”

When you let go of the button, the photometer will go back to measuring mode for more data collection.

TIP: Holding down the button too long while trying to store data will NOT store the data, only switch from the Measuring Mode to Reading Mode.

TRICK: Also, if you don’t hold down the button long enough while trying to store data, the data will NOT be stored and you will go back to the first screen. Only hold down the button to store data until the screen says “Recorded!” Then the data will be stored on the photometer.

Once you have recorded your first set of AOT measurements, you’re ready to start all over! Make a total of three measurement trials each time you go out.

For more information, go to:

http://www.calitoo.fr/uploads/documents/en/sheets/en_quick_start.pdf

To watch a video about taking measurements with a Calitoo, go to:

Stay tuned and read our next Calitoo Corner post!

NASA GLOBE Clouds Teacher Highlight: Gary Popiolkowski

2018-03-13T08:00:14Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is excited to highlight Mr. Gary Popiolkowski, a middle school science teacher at Chartiers-Houston Jr./Sr. High School in Houston, PA, USA. Mr. Popiolkowski has been teaching for 44 years and has been a GLOBE teacher since 1995. He has had his students doing cloud observations for the past 18 years, submitting over 15,000 observations! He has also been doing virtual connections with Patumwan Demonstration School in Thailand each year for the past four years.

We ask Mr. Popiolkowski how he does it! Here is what he shared:

Each period of the day the students take cloud observations. At lunch they upload their observations. At the end of the day in study hall they look at the return emails from NASA to see how close they were in their observations.

Why do you submit cloud observations to NASA?

Three reasons:

It gives the students a sense of “Our observations are important and they need us to do this."
The students get practice at observing, critical thinking as to what kind of clouds, the heights, the opacity, you can have many types of clouds at the same time.
It gets the student to take responsibility and be serious. As an example, I overheard them years ago saying, “We can’t mess this up cause the scientists are depending on us!”

What you think is most interesting about cloud observations?

You don’t need fancy equipment to participate. Gets them to use a dichotomous key at the beginning. They begin to notice patterns of clouds and the weather associated with them or what kind of clouds to expect or predict.

What is one of your most memorable moments about doing cloud observations?

We were outside taking cloud observations and ground temperature with an infrared thermometer. After identifying the types of clouds, some students noticed snow on the sidewalk and grass but not on our artificial turf. So we took measurements of the turf and found out it was warmer by around 6-8 degrees. At the same time a student pointed the infrared thermometer towards the clouds. He said he had a really cold temperature reading.

We decided for the rest of the year we would take cloud temperature measurements and found low cloud [had warmer] temperatures and higher clouds were colder. Several days later, the assistant principal said he saw us outside and asked what we were doing. I told him what we found out. He told me he just read an article about our new turf and that they would have to spray the turf with a chemical to control the growth of bacteria because the field was going to be warmer. Two cool things occurring because we were out there observing clouds.

Mr. Popiolkowski was a 2016 GLOBE Distinguished Educator Fello. He has presented at NSTA conferences on project based learning for over 10 years. He has 5 grandchildren and has coached boys and girls Varsity baseball, golf, and cross country.

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team congratulates

Mr. Popiolkowski for his amazing work and dedication.

Top 10 Cloud Observers for February 2018

2018-03-08T14:33:16Z

The GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA would like to highlight the top observers for the month of February! Thank you to all observers for submitting your observations and using the satellite matching of data.

Also, remember that on March 15, 2018 we will start our NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge! The top observers will be congratulated by a NASA scientist with a video posted on the NASA GLOBE Clouds website. Click here for more information.

Top 10 cloud observers for February 2018

Observer	School or Entity	Country	Total Observations
Arkadiusz Bielecki	Boleslaw Prus Primary School No. 1 in Gora	Poland	780
Ebtisam Nahhas	19th Secondary Girls School at Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah	Saudi Arabia	242
Majedah Aljohani	20th Secondary Girls School at Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah	Saudi Arabia	161
Helio Cabral	Independent Observer	Brazil	134
Zaifah Bahry	Al-Matan Intermediate and Secondary Girls School at Sabya	Saudi Arabia	107
Valentina Langiene	Zemynos pro-gimnazium	Lithuania	104
Gary Popiolkowski	Chartiers-Houston Jr./S. High School	US	90
James Archbold	GLOBE Observer User	US	90
Ahmad Alhefzi	As-Siddiq Secondary School at Rejal Alma'a	Saudi Arabia	78
Jeff Bouwman	Shumate Middle School	US	60

Congratulations to all! Be sure to check out all past NASA GLOBE Cloud News posts.

Fourth Grade Student Collects and Analyzes Aerosol Data at NASA Langley

2018-03-07T19:31:26Z

A fourth grade student from Public School 122 (Queens, NY), recently visited NASA Langley for a week. During his visit, he studied the GLOBE Aerosol Protocol. He went outside the Atmospheric Sciences building and collected aerosol data using a Calitoo sun photometer, which measures Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) at three wavelengths: 465nm (blue), 540nm (green) and 619nm (red).

After downloading the data measured with the Calitoo to his laptop, the student learned how to access AERONET data. The AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) project is a federation of ground-based remote sensing aerosol networks that provides long-term, continuous and readily accessible public domain aerosol research data.

The student then had AOT values obtained with the Calitoo, plus AOT values obtained from the AERONET instrument located at NASA Langley, and his mission was to compare both sets of values. However, AERONET provides AOT values at wavelengths different to the ones measured by the Calitoo. The question then was: how to compare apples to oranges? The young citizen scientist learned how to use the angstrom exponent and a formula to convert the AOT values measured by AERONET to match the wavelengths measured by the Calitoo sun photometer. The student then was able to plot the values using Excel and Igor Pro.

This comparison can help beginner Calitoo users determine how proficient they are becoming at using the Calitoo, since their values are expected to be comparable to the ones obtained from AERONET; and also, it can help experienced Calitoo users determine whether a specific Calitoo device may need to be recalibrated if the values seems to have considerable discrepancies.

After comparing both sets of values, now the student would like to know how we calibrate Calitoos! Stay tuned for an upcoming post about calibration.

Meanwhile, this fourth grade student is now ready to share his aerosol science adventure with his classmates back in NY!

NASA GLOBE Clouds Highlight: How Cloud Observations are Matched to Satellite Data

2018-03-05T19:14:09Z

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team recently presented a webinar the details of how your cloud observations are matched to satellite data. The webinar, recording found below, also focuses on the importance and quality of the observations, ways that the data can be used by scientists, and current work being done by the team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. The webinar also highlights newly processed data from the temperature and cloud observations reported for the Great North American Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017.

See how your data is collected and matched to satellite data every single day! Don't forget, the NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge starts March 15th. Be sure to check out all past NASA GLOBE Cloud News posts.

As always, the NASA GLOBE Clouds Team thanks you for submitting your cloud observations!

OLMC 8th Graders Present Research to NASA Scientists for 2017-18 GLOBE US AQ Student Research Campaign

2018-03-01T17:17:06Z

This past week was a very exciting one for the Science Education Team at NASA Langley Research Center! Four members visited one of the schools participating in the GLOBE Air Quality Student Research Campaign: Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, in Newport News, VA., where twenty middle school students, led by their science teacher Ms. Angie Rizzi, presented their team research projects and posters about aerosols.

After students started taking aerosol measurements and once they had selected their research project questions, Dr. Pippin, -lead scientist for the GLOBE Air Quality Student Research Campaign-, spent some time mentoring them at their school.

Two teams investigated whether the amount of aerosols increase throughout the day; another team did research related to the influence that wind direction may have on levels of Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT); another team compared AOT data collected by two other schools (Crestwood High school, in Dearborn, MI and Mountain View, in Mendham, NJ) to their own AOT data to prove their hypothesis that AOT levels are higher in urban areas when compared to suburban or rural areas; and last but not least, another team presented their findings after collecting data at the carpool area in their school, an area in which they expected to see increased AOT levels.

All students did an amazing job at presenting their posters, explaining how they collected, visualized, analyzed and interpreted their aerosols data, and answering questions from the NASA Team. They also showed how they learned to use and interpret data from other resources, such as Weather Underground and HYSPLIT, an atmospheric transport and dispersion model extensively used in the atmospheric sciences community, developed by NOAA. Students also highlighted the importance of collaborating with each other, and how they used technology tools such as Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides to work on their projects as a team.

The journey of these students is not over: they are preparing to submit their research reports to the GLOBE 2018 International Virtual Science Symposium!

We congratulate Ms. Angie Rizzi and her students for their extraordinary accomplishment, and we look forward to highlighting the work performed by other schools in the very near future.

NASA GLOBE Clouds Teacher Highlight: Jeff Bouwman

2018-02-20T20:31:48Z

Mr. Jeff Bouwman

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team is excited to highlight Mr. Jeff Bouwman, a 6th and 7th grade teacher at Shumate Middle School (Gibraltar School District) in Gibraltar, MI. Mr. Bouwman was one of the top 10 GLOBE Cloud observers for 2017 and we are very excited for the research his students are doing with the data.

We invite you to read his most recent post - "It's Cool to Have Your Head in the Clouds" - and read the research his students are doing with 2-years of cloud observations!

If you would like to be highlighted as a NASA GLOBE Clouds teacher or know of someone who should be highlighted, please let us know.

Don't forget, the NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge starts March 15th. Be sure to check out all past NASA GLOBE Cloud News posts.

2017-2018 GLOBE U.S. Air Quality Student Research Campaign

2018-02-15T21:49:13Z

The 2017-18 GLOBE U.S. Air Quality Student Research Campaign is well underway in the United States! There are 34 school participating with more joining as the weeks go by:

Broadalbin Perth High School (Alicia Dobyns)

Cassadaga Middle School (Sandi Askin)

Crestwood High School (Diana Johns) *

Elizabeth City Middle School (Wanda Hathaway)

Fredonia Middle School (Amy Lauer)

Hamburg High School (Kaci Nowadly)

Kipp Intrepid Prep School (Robert Bujosa)

Life Academy (Sarah Pipping) *

Main Street Intermediate School (Marcy Burns)

Met Sacramento High School (Christopher Chu)

Mountain View School (Denise Magrini) *

Muncy Jr/Sr High School (Edie Shull)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Angie Rizzi) *

Pacific Collegiate School (Chris Marentette)

Pan American International at Monroe (Samantha Adams)

Ramey School (Richard Roettger)

Richards Middle School (Melissa Niemi)

Saint Mary Star of the Sea (Sister Mary Therese Brooks)

Skyline High School (Anna Gomberg) *

Skyridge Elementary School (Juliet Hamilton) *

Smithfield High School (Margaret Challand) *

Stamford High School (Sue Doughtery)

State University of New York at Fredonia (Mike Jabot)

Stoney Creek High School (Eric Thuma)

Sunridge Middle School (Jodie Harnden) *

The Galloway School (Roy Lander)

Toledo Natural Science Technology Center (Laura Kubiak)

University of Toledo (Kevin Czajkowski) *

Waldorf School of Baltimore (Kathleen Breen) *

Williamsport Area High School (Tara Yokitis, Kevin Harris)

Wauhatchie School (Rebecca Westbrook Toker)

WT Woodson High School (Ellen Babcock)

York High School (Melissa Wade)

^*KUDOS to the schools who have already started submitting their data!

We welcome Diane de Sequera from La Jolla Country Day School who is just joining our campaign!

We encourage all other participating schools to start posting their observations - the sooner the better so that we can troubleshoot any issues that may arise and help with data analysis.

We are also looking forward to welcoming new schools into our Air Quality campaign and to assist those schools who wish to collaborate with other schools, so they can connect and share their ideas, experiences and data!

If you are a U.S. school and interested in participating please contact Dr. Margaret Pippin at m.pippin@nasa.gov

NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge

2018-03-20T00:51:26Z

NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge

Audience: Students and teachers all grade levels, informal educators, and the general public

Dates: March 15, 2018 - April 15, 2018

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA is excited to announce the NASA GLOBE Clouds: Spring Cloud Observations Data Challenge. Participants are invited to enter up to 10 cloud observations per day from March 15, 2018 to April 15, 2018 using the GLOBE Program’s data entry options or using GLOBE Observer app. GLOBE and GLOBE Observer participants with the most observations will be congratulated by NASA scientists with a video posted on the NASA GLOBE Clouds website. Follow the steps on the GLOBE Clouds: How to participate website to learn more about submitting your cloud observations. Only those that enter their cloud observations using the GLOBE Online Data Entry website, GLOBE Data Entry app, or the GLOBE Observer app will be considered.

PLEASE NOTE: Your observations are important and may be used in a research project about clouds. Please be sure to only enter an observation for a particular timestamp once. We recommend that you wait about 10 to 15 minutes between observations to notice changes in the atmosphere. You can target your observations to be when satellites will be over your area.

Cloud Identification Resources and Tips

Data collection and data entry help

Cloud Data Sheet (print form) - You can use this form to gather data. Please remember that you need to enter the data into GLOBE or GLOBE Observer to be considered for the data challenge.
Tips and tricks for using the GLOBE Observer app for cloud observations
GLOBE Web Tutorials on how to use the GLOBE website

Highlights of NASA GLOBE Clouds Teachers with classroom tips and ideas

Mr. Gary Popiolkowski, a middle school science teacher with 44 years of teaching experience.
Read about how he does daily cloud observations with his students, from going outside, analyzing the data, and entering the data into GLOBE.
Mr. Jeff Bouwman, 6th & 7th grade teacher at Shumate Middle School in Gibraltar, MI.
Read about how Mr. Bouwman led a group of students through a research project looking at the most prevalent cloud types in their area.

Top 10 Cloud Observers for January 2018

2018-02-06T20:27:12Z

The GLOBE Clouds team at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA would like to highlight the top observers for the month of January! Thank you to all observers for submitting your observations and using the satellite matching of data.

Top 10 cloud observers for January 2018

Observer	School	Country	Total Observations
Ebtisam Nahhas	19th Secondary Girls School at Al-Madinah Al-Monawarah	Saudi Arabia	121
Helio Cabral	Independent Observer	Brazil	119
Valentina Langiene	Zemynos pro-gimnazium	Lithuania	101
James Archbold	Independent Observer	-	99
Ahmad Alhefzi	As-Siddiq Secondary School at Rejal Alma'a	Saudi Arabia	90
Virgil Lorenzo	PEACE Schools Network	Japan	64
Lidija Tivanovac	OS Ivana Kukuljevica	Croatia	60
Christoph Goldstein	Alexander von Humboldt Gymnasium	Germany	60
Nai--Ching Liu	Chia-Yi Girls Senior High School	Taiwan	59
Marinela Labas	Skola Za Medicinske Sestre Vrapce	Croatia	55

Congratulations to all! Be sure to check out all past NASA GLOBE Cloud News posts.

Celebrate Groundhog Day Using Cloud Data

2018-01-31T14:17:12Z

Friday, February 2nd is Groundhog Day and some of us will be waiting to see if Punxsutawney Phil saw a shadow or not! Punxsutawney Phil and other groundhogs have been predicting the arrival of Spring for many years and has intrigued us all.

NASA Education Specialist
Dr. Anne Weiss

NASA Education specialist at NASA Langley Research Center, Dr. Anne Weiss, was gathering cloud and temperature data while visiting her nephews (3rd, 5th, and 8th grade) when they got talking about Punxsutawney Phil. Her nephews were questioning if Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast would affect ‘Aunt Anne’ since she lives in Virginia.

This conversation started a research question, does Punxsutawney Phil see the same clouds as Aunt Anne around the time of year Phil makes his forecasts. The team came up with the following research question and hypothesis:

Research Question: Is there a relationship between latitude and cloud cover?
Hypothesis: There is a relationship between latitude and cloud cover.

They went into the GLOBE and used the GLOBE Visualization Tool to collect data on percentage cloud cover in Punxsutawney, PA and compared it with a town in Virginia with comparable longitude.

Punxsutawney, PA: 40.94 degrees N, 78.97 degrees W

Waynesboro, VA: 38.07 degrees N, 78.89 degrees W

Their results:

The students saw a possible relationship (i.e., Punxsutawney Phil might see different clouds than ‘Aunt Anne’), but also saw that if you remove that one point on the top right, it would change the graph. Students also noticed that they would need more data.

I love this idea so much because it starts with an event that everyone will be talking about. It also get students developing their own questions and looking at data. So, I hope you go outside and take cloud observations at your location and compare it to Punxsutawney Phil or any other groundhog that will be making a forecast this Friday!

Share what you come up with and be sure to check out all past NASA GLOBE Cloud News posts.

Not everything that is white a cloud - Data from GOES 16 satellite

2018-01-18T16:34:33Z

Satellites can detect and collect a lot of observations in very short amount of time. It is simple to think that anything that is white in an image is a cloud. Well, not always.

Look at these beautiful images taken by the GOES 16 satellite of the recent "Winter Weather Bomb" that left a blanket of snow from South Georgia to New England on January 4, 2018. Click here and watch a loop of images from the GOES 16 satellite for January 4, 2018.

GOES 16 Image taken on January 4, 2018 at 171720Z

GOES 16 Image taken on January 4, 2018 at 201720Z

Can you tell what is cloud, snow, and ice? In some areas, it is not until the end of the loop at nighttime that you can really tell the difference. The best way to notice difference is looking at structure in the snow created by mountains, trees, or rivers.

Thanks to those who submitted observations during the storm. Keep submitting your observations as more storms develop! Who knows, you might be the next NASA scientist. Learn how NASA scientist Dr. Yolanda Shea was inspired by watching storms like these on TV.