The GLOBE Fall Cloud Observation Challenge brought in more than 45,000 observations from citizen scientists in more than 17,000 locations in 93 countries on every continent — including Antarctica. This influx of cloud observations is super helpful to NASA scientists who work with geostationary satellites and the suite of satellite instruments known as the Clouds and the Earth's Energy Radiant System (CERES). By comparing geostationary and CERES observations from a particular area to data submitted by citizen scientists, scientists can differentiate between wispy cirrus clouds and cold, bright features on the ground such as snow.
But it wasn't just cloud observations you shared with us. We also got reports of purple skies, haboobs and other types of dust storms, and smoke plumes from fires. These measurements are of interest to atmospheric scientists, too, as they work to improve their understanding of dust storms.
A big thank you to all who participated this year!
Here's a breakdown of what you sent us:
Total number of cloud observations: 45,300+
Total number of satellite matches: 25,100+
Total number of dust observations reported: 90+
Total observations with photos: 21,500+
Total photos received: 57,200+
