GLOBE Communities

GLOBE Communities

Collaboration Groups

A. Regional Community Collaboration Initiatives

Air Quality Campaign

Students and Scientists are working together in Europe to investigate aerosols.

European Phenology Campaign

GLOBE Europe & Eurasia will organize a phenology campaign in early spring of 2017 with a brand new app to make movies of trees that are changing during the seasons and growing over the years.

B. Satellite Partnerships

CALIPSO

CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) uses an innovative lidar and imaging system. It allows us to see natural and human-produced aerosols and thin clouds that are invisible to radar, and sometimes even to the human eye. The global 3-D perspective from CALIPSO gives us a unique chance to learn about height, amount, and type of aerosols and clouds. The satellite was launched in 2006 and is still providing scientific researchers with information to help us better understand the air we breathe, help improve our forecasts, and make predictions about changes in long-term weather patterns.

CloudSat

Since 2006, CloudSat has flown the first satellite-based millimeter-wavelength cloud radar—a radar with more than 1000 times the sensitivity of existing weather radars. Unlike ground-based weather radars that use centimeter wavelengths to detect raindrop-sized particles, CloudSat's radar allows us to detect the much smaller particles of liquid water and ice that constitute the large cloud masses that make our weather.

GOES-R

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R Series (GOES-R) is the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing systems. The advanced spacecraft and instrument technology employed by the GOES-R series will provide significant improvements in the detection and observations of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and our nation’s economic health and prosperity. The GOES-R program is a collaborative development and acquisition effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The first satellite in the GOES-R series is scheduled for launch in October 2016.

GPM

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) measures precipitation from space. GPM launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan on February 27, 2014. GPM mission data will advance our understanding of water and energy cycles and extend the use of precipitation data to directly benefit society.

NASA Support Page for GLOBE Clouds and Satellite Comparison

Enhance and extend your knowledge of the Clouds Protocol with additional information about clouds, observing, and satellite matches provided by NASA Langley Research Center. NASA, in collaboration with the GLOBE Program, invites participants to submit ground cloud observations following the updated Clouds Protocol. A team from NASA Langley Research Center will compare observations with data from satellites/instruments for validation purposes, and will also return the matched data to the participant, encouraging engagement in authentic science experiences through NASA missions. NASA comparison data is retrieved from the CERES instrument (riding on Aqua, Terra, and NPP satellites), geostationary weather satellites, CALIPSO and CloudSat.

SMAP

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission (SMAP) will measure soil moisture from space. Launching in early November 2014, SMAP will have applications in science, agriculture, and environmental management, each of them vital to Earth's health and sustainability. From understanding the processes that link the water, carbon, and energy cycles to improving weather and climate prediction models, SMAP will advance environmental knowledge.

C. Spheres

Atmosphere

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

Biosphere

The Biosphere is divided into natural and developed areas. Developed areas include urban and commercial areas, agricultural areas and transportation. Natural areas include many different natural habitats: deserts, forests, water bodies and the like. All living things––including humans––depend on their habitat for survival.

Earth as a System

The measurements of The GLOBE Program provide students with the means to begin this exploration for themselves. GLOBE students aid in the understanding of how Earth functions as a system through data collection and student research.

Hydrosphere

Water covers approximately 70 percent of the Earth's surface. Current measurement programs in many areas of the world cover only a few water bodies a few times during the year. GLOBE students provide valuable data to help fill these gaps and improve our understanding of Earth's natural waters.

Pedosphere (Soil)

Soil makes up a thin layer known as the pedosphere and an important, yet very limited, natural resource which affects every part of the ecosystem. Soils hold nutrients and water for plants and animals. Soils also filter and clean water and can change the chemistry of water. Soils store and transfer heat and affect the temperature of the atmosphere.

D. Measurement Campaigns

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

El Niño and La Niña are important climatic phenomenon that can have impacts on the climate globally causing flooding and droughts as well as causing changes in seasonal weather. These interactions around the world are called teleconnections. Considering the importance of this issue, a GLOBE ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Campaign has been formulated to engage students in determining where and how much El Niño affects local places and to put students in contact with their local environment.

Urban Heat Island - Surface Temperature Field Campaign

The University of Toledo is leading annual field campaigns focused on the impacts of urbanization on Earth's temperature. Help the scientists answer "How does surface cover of an area affect its surface temperature?" Set up research studies at your school looking at the differences of surface temperatures for different land cover.

E. NASA Education Earth Science Projects

AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network (AREN)

The AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network (AREN) introduces NASA technologies and practices in authentic, experiential learning environments. Low-cost instrumented systems for in-situ and remotely sensed Earth observations include kite-based “AEROKATS”, and remotely controlled aquatic and land-based “ROVERS”.

Arctic and Earth SIGNs

The program trains teachers, 4-H leaders, and community members on climate change concepts, culturally-responsive curriculum, and environmental observing protocols in face-to-face and online courses.

Mission Earth

GLOBE Mission EARTH is a collaborative of multiple institutions across the United States formed to increase involvement in the GLOBE Program. Our mission is to improve education and involvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by increasing participation of students and citizens in the GLOBE Program.

NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC)

The NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC) is enhancing STEM teaching and learning by creating engaging, meaningful, and authentic STEM experiences and resources that are: based on NASA Earth science; tailored to specific audiences’ needs; as a whole, reaching diverse learners throughout their lifetimes; and delivered broadly through strategic partnerships. These include GLOBE Student Research Campaigns and citizen science through GLOBE Observer.

F. Teaching and Learning Topics

Elementary GLOBE

Introduce K-4 students to the study of Earth System Science

GLOBE Across the Curriculum

Ways to include GLOBE in a variety of disciplines

G. User Support

Community Feedback Forum

We've put this community up as a place for you to let us know about things you would like to see as the website grows, which are called feature requests. This area of the site is not intended to replace a call to your normal Help Desk representative, but to allow you to comment, and see comments from others, and get a sense of what areas of trouble others are having, or features that other users are requesting.

GLOBE Alumni

The GLOBE Alumni Organization is a strong network of students who have graduated from secondary school and have the desire and commitment to participate in the activities of the GLOBE Program at a higher level. These volunteers support and assist the GLOBE Partners in their country and their region to further engage GLOBE students in inquiry-based research opportunities.

GLOBE International STEM Network

The GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN) is an international network of STEM professionals (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) that work with GLOBE students around the world conducting science. STEM professionals mentor students and teachers, present scientific ideas, and/or collaborate on scientific research. Each relationship between a STEM professional and a GLOBE school is unique, and is determined by the STEM professional and the school.

GLOBE Partners

GLOBE Partners (Country Coordinators and U.S. Partners) facilitate the implementation of GLOBE in their country or within a service area of their country. Partners recruit GLOBE schools, as well as provide training opportunities and mentoring activities for GLOBE teachers to promote the teaching and learning of science, enhance environmental literacy and stewardship, and promote scientific discovery.

GLOBE Trainers

GLOBE Trainers are certified to train teachers in various scientific protocols and educational learning activities.