Earth observations are critical to inform agricultural practices, manage forests and prevent wildfires, forecast insect-borne diseases, and more. The GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program is a science and education program that focuses on advancing Earth systems science through data collection and analysis.
The GLOBE Program’s three primary goals are to contribute to increased scientific understanding of Earth; collect hydrological, atmospheric, soil, and biospheric data globally over time; and engage educators, students, and citizen scientists in hands-on scientific inquiry.
GLOBE participants
actively collect surface-based environmental observations from around the world using methodology developed by research scientists with GLOBE’s education emphasis in mind. These data are uploaded to GLOBE’s open-source database and made freely available to everyone. GLOBE’s database offers more than a quarter billion data points collected worldwide over three decades. These surface-based observations have been used to better understand fundamental Earth system processes and applications by students and scientists at local, regional, and global scale.
GLOBE is a community of students, educators, STEM professionals, and citizen scientists that connect and share knowledge through collaborative activities, events, measurement campaigns, and research. GLOBE participants can investigate and study Earth system science through their own research projects and those led by scientists and researchers worldwide. This research can focus on specific GLOBE measurement protocols to examine community-based or global questions. GLOBE students can present their research at regional research symposia or the
International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS), where they discuss their research and receive feedback from each other, scientists, and educators.
With the support of NASA and the federal agencies that sponsor GLOBE, namely the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of State (DoS), GLOBE engages everyone in purposeful data collection, building STEM skills and tomorrow’s STEM workforce.
