Why is zero so important?  Mathematically, zero is often used in reference to calculations and measurements.  In the scientific world, we often consider mathematics as the language of science; therefore, in science it also refers to a calculation or a measurement.  In many cases, knowing the absence of something is sometimes just as important as knowing the presence of something, such as migrating animals or even rainfall.

Let’s look at two real world examples that indicate how important zero is to Earth science:

First, let’s look at the Marshall Islands: The Marshall Islands, a collection of coral atolls and low-lying islands in the North Pacific, are undergoing a unique climate shift.  These islands, which comprise about 181 square kilometers of land, are experiencing extreme drought and extreme flooding simultaneously.  The following two pictures were taken only a month apart, but on two different islands, depicting two very different conditions.

Flooding in Majuro, Marshall Islands, June 2013. Photo taken by Anole Valdez, 2013.

Drought in the northern islands from May 2013. Photo from UN.org.

To put these two extreme events in perspective, observe the following map of the Marshall Islands.

Map of the Marshall Islands, from cia.gov

If only one atmospheric station reported data in a situation like this, then one could assume that the entire country was experiencing the same weather; Additionally, if atmospheric observers didn’t value the submission of zero rainfall and only reported data when there was rainfall, those not directly connected to these islands might think that it always rains and on certain days, observers fail to report their data.  That is obviously not the case, as can be seen in the two photos.  It’s important to collect and submit all observations to understand the entire scenario.

Second, let’s look at the Great Lakes region of New York State: In September of 1996, flooding occurred north of Buffalo, New York due to a lake effect rain event.  A lake effect rain occurs when the air temperature is much colder than the water temperature of a nearby lake.  As the cold air passes over the warm lake, some of the lake’s water evaporates and precipitates out (as either rain or snow, depending on how cold the air temperature is) over areas downwind of the lake.  In this specific example from 1996, Lake Erie observed water surface temperatures of 22.8°C, while the air temperature overnight was around 8°C.  As you can see by the radar image below, there was only a small area of land that experienced this extreme weather event (within the circle).

Lake effect rain event on the northern coast of Lake Erie which occurred in 1996. Photo from NOAA.

In meteorology and climate research, it is just as important to know when rain does not occur as when it does.  Therefore, when you check your rain gauge or snow board you are collecting data on how much rain or snow fell.  Noting zero rainfall in the rain gauge is as valid and important as noting that the cloud cover is “No Clouds” (0% cloud cover) or zero Hummingbirds were observed at the feeder.

Consider this: a desert is a place with little or no rain and is indicative of a location’s climate; a drought is a time when little or no rain falls, and is indicative of a longer term weather pattern.  Knowing when and where precipitation falls is significant in understanding the environment, as it helps to distinguish between whether or not a location is a desert or is only experiencing drought.  What this means in practice is that if you observe nothing in your rain gauge you should report zero for liquid precipitation.

If you see that there is no precipitation in the rain gauge, leaving that field blank is not the same as noting that no rain was in the rain gauge.  If you report zero, others will be certain that there was no rainfall and a zero will show on the map for your site.  Having your measurement of zero included in the day’s dataset improves the contours on the visualization and helps everyone recognize the true extent of GLOBE student observations and contributions to environmental knowledge.

Suggested activity:  Ask a friend, parent or teacher to describe the importance of zero in his or her daily activities.  Does zero have value in your life?  We hope through this post that you understand how valuable an observation of zero really is.  On your next visit to your atmosphere site, please be sure to take note of your rain gauge and report your rainfall amount, even if it’s zero.

The Maldives are a great location for such an experiment because during the months of November through March, the country experiences its dry season with respect to the monsoon, and pollutant heavy air can be seen traveling from thousands of kilometers away from countries like India and Pakistan.  Furthermore, the island nation has a low elevation and is extremely sensitive to changes in sea level rise.

A map of the Maldives. From Worldatlas.com

Through the research, Ramanathan and his colleagues discovered that these pollutants are primarily composed of black carbon soot that comes from the burning of fossil fuels and biomass.  With the longevity of the research, they were able to understand that there is a strong heating effect of these pollutants.   But black carbon soot affects more than air temperature – it destroys millions of tons of crops annually and causes human health concerns.  The good news is that this type of emission is easy to reduce due to the face that its lifespan in the atmosphere is short.

Sources of black carbon emission. From AGU.org

If these types of pollutants are reduced quickly, the long-term negative effects of climate change can be reduced by nearly 50% in the next 20-30 years.  With Ramanathan’s research, The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) was established.  The CCAC is focusing on the reduction of short lived pollutants by nearly one third to protect and improve human health and agriculture.

And while the relationship between black carbon soot and warming is better understood, and has recently been presented by the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project, the affect the black carbon has on clouds and the type that form is still unknown.  Further research is necessary to understand the feedback between black carbon affected clouds and climate change.

Suggested activity: If you’re a GLOBE school in an area that sees seasonal fluctuations in air quality, you can perform your own research study to see the affect that air pollution has on your local temperature, cloud type and cloud cover.  Start by taking air temperature, cloud clover, cloud type and aerosol measurements and enter them into the GLOBE database.  Then as your database grows, start to examine the relationships that exist between the variables.  Then, be sure to tell us about it.  You can share your future research plans with us through a comment, email or on our Facebook Page.  For more information on Ramanathan’s research, watch this video.

-Jessica Mackaro