How To Submit Airplane Data To GLOBE Clouds - Clouds Protocol

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How To Submit Airplane Data To GLOBE Clouds

Junior Research Teams: Contrail Investigation

Objective – Report to GLOBE Clouds airplanes above 25,000ft that ARE NOT creating contrails and ARE creating contrails. Report contrail type and general cloud observations.

Use the FlightRadar24 website or app to track airplanes that are NOT creating and those that ARE creating contrails. Submit cloud observations to GLOBE using the GLOBE website or the GLOBE Observer app. Report airplane data to NASA GLOBE Clouds using your team’s assigned google sheet.

How to Report Airplane Details to NASA GLOBE Clouds

The NASA GLOBE Clouds team will receive your airplane information through the team google sheet. The sheet mimics the junior research contrail report form. NOTE: We still need your cloud observations through GLOBE or GLOBE Observer to match your cloud observations with the airplane information.

The junior research contrail report form allows you to collect airplane information while you make cloud observations. Information is available on how to use the app to get the airplane data.

Report Form – Date and Time

We ask that you use the same date and time (or within 5 or so minutes) as the cloud observations submitted to GLOBE.

Report Form – Airplane Information

Some airplanes are better at producing contrails that others, so we ask for the type of airplane, the height, and track. NOTE: Contrails are high clouds, so please keep track of airplanes above 25,000ft even if they are NOT producing contrails.

Report Form – Contrails and Comments

Use the comment box to write down what type of contrail the airplane is producing (short, persistent or persistent spreading). If no contrail is observed, then write no. Use the comment area for any information that is unique for that day (optional).

Report Form – Minimum Requirements

The information in yellow is the minimum required information for a successful report - date, time, airplane calibrated altitude or height, and contrail information.

Google Sheet Data Reporting


The GLOBE Clouds team creates a google sheet for your team to receive your airplane information. The sheet mimics the junior researcher contrail report form.

Google Sheet Data Reporting

The sheet changes color to white as information is entered. Enter as much information as possible. NOTE: date & time is used to look for your clouds observations submitted to GLOBE.