GLOBE eTraining

GLOBE eTraining

To ensure data quality, GLOBE members must complete training before entering measurements into the GLOBE database. As of December 2025, eTraining requirements have changed. GLOBE members are asked to complete a training in each protocol they plan to use.

Introduction to GLOBE is now an optional training. Before you start a protocol-specific training, we encourage you to complete the Introduction to that sphere (Atmosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere, and/or Pedosphere). 

Before entering data for a protocol, you must complete one of the training options for that protocol:

  • Review the Field Guide
  • Complete a Data Collection eTraining (New! Available for some protocols only)
  • Complete a full Protocol eTraining and Protocol Self-Assessment
  • Attend an in-person or virtual GLOBE workshop

Learn more about the different training options to determine which training is the best fit for your needs.

Please enter data only if you are confident in your ability to collect and enter data. You will be prompted to indicate you are properly trained before entering data into the GLOBE database. Contact us if you have any questions.

Learn about the various ways you can be involved with the GLOBE Program, GLOBE science investigation areas, and resources and community science opportunities.
Protocol eTraining
Protocol Self-Assessment

Atmospheric conditions can have an important impact on the types of plants and animals that live in a particular area as well as on soil formation. The atmospheric measurements collected by GLOBE members are important to scientists studying weather, climate, land cover, phenology, ecology, biology, hydrology, and soil.

Students and scientists investigate the atmosphere through the collection of data using measurement protocols and instruments that meet certain specifications to ensure that data are comparable. The trainings offered in this section will introduce you to the measurement protocols for the various atmosphere measurements in GLOBE.

The biosphere comprises all living things. GLOBE’s Biosphere investigation areas are biometry (land cover) and phenology (seasonality). All living things––including humans––depend on their habitat for survival. Land cover measurements describe the vegetation that provides shelter, food, and protection. Land cover also directly affects the kinds of animals that are likely to inhabit an area.

Phenology is the study of living organisms’ responses to seasonal changes in the environment in which they live. Green-up and green-down marks the beginning and end of the growing season for plants, and seasonal animal migration is tuned to the yearly changes in habitat. Identifying trends in the timing of green-up and green-down as well as the seasonal migration of organisms promote understanding of the impacts of changes in long-term weather patterns.

Students and scientists investigate phenology and biometry using standardized measurement protocols and instruments that meet certain specifications to ensure that data are comparable. The trainings offered in this section introduce you to the measurement protocols for the various biosphere measurements in GLOBE.

The hydrosphere is the water component of our planet and includes liquid water, frozen water (ice), and water vapor. Change to any part of the Earth system, such as the amount or type of vegetation in a region or changing from natural land cover to concrete or pavement, can affect the rest of the system, and water plays a role in many of these changes: Rain and snow capture aerosols from the air; acidic water slowly dissolves rocks, placing dissolved solids in water; and dissolved or suspended impurities determine water's chemical composition.

Water is a good solvent and participates in many of the chemical reactions that take place in the Earth's system. Scientific measurement programs in many areas of the world cover only a few water bodies a few times during the year, so GLOBE members provide valuable data to help fill these gaps and improve our understanding of Earth's natural waters. Students and scientists investigate hydrology through the collection of data using measurement protocols and instruments that meet certain specifications to ensure that data are comparable. The trainings offered in this section introduce you to the measurement protocols for the various hydrosphere measurements in GLOBE.

Soil is the great integrator, storing and affecting the chemistry of water, storing and releasing heat at Earth’s surface, retaining the effects of past climate and other forces of soil formation, all while providing the medium for virtually all plant growth on land. Soil moisture and temperature can change rapidly, whereas soil characteristics typically persist for a century or longer.

The soil measurements collected by GLOBE cover a range of properties. Students and scientists investigate the pedosphere—the global layers of soil—through collection of data that are generally unavailable from any other sources and address the significant local variations in soils. The trainings offered in this section introduce you to the measurement protocols for the various pedosphere measurements in GLOBE.