Researchers such as paleoclimatologists or dendrochronologists use tree ring analyses as one tool to reconstruct climate information about the past. They will often reference data from other sources such as historical weather records, and ice core or ocean core samples to support their findings. In this lesson students will utilize monthly average precipitation data to strengthen conclusions about ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will use NASA satellite measurements of atmospheric pressure to learn that pressure decreases with height in the atmosphere. Full description.

Solar radiation (light) strikes Earth's surface throughout the daylight hours. Radiation (heat or infrared) also leaves the Earth during daylight and at night. Averaged over time and space, these downward and upward energy fluxes are equal. If they were not, our planet would gradually heat up or gradually cool down. But the surface of our planet is not simply a mirror for radiation. Some of the incoming ... Full description.

Climate is the long-term weather conditions for a region, generally determined by 30 or more years of records. Climate zones can be defined using parameters such as temperature and rainfall. In this lesson, students will make climatic diagrams called climographs which will relate weather and climate for a particular location. Monthly average values of weather data such as temperature and precipitation ... Full description.

In developing models for climate change and weather prediction, the measurements of surface and near-surface temperature are an important factor in the modeling process. As the Sun heats the Earth's surface, the atmosphere is warmed from below by the processes of conduction and convection from the surface. However, near-surface air temperature (approximately 10 meters above the surface) is often different ... Full description.

Weather involves the daily fluctuations in temperature, humidity, clouds, winds, etc. By contrast, climate is the long term weather patterns in a region. Therefore, to assess changes in climate, one has to look at average changes over long periods of time. Students will use long wave radiation data to determine whether the climate has changed in Portland, Oregon over a 20 year time span. They will ... Full description.

Clouds are a collection of water droplets and small ice crystals that are suspended in an atmosphere. Clouds form when moisture rises, cools, and changes to water or ice. It is important to take into consideration exactly how clouds affect the world around us. Clouds are an important determining factor in climate in any region around the globe. In this lesson, students will plot and analyze data for ... Full description.

Earth's albedo is the fraction of incoming radiation (sunlight) that is reflected into space. The Earth has an average albedo, which describes how much sunlight is reflected on average for the whole planet and the whole year. The Earth also has a local albedo, which determines how much of the Sun's light is reflected from a particular place at a particular time. The local albedo depends on the particular ... Full description.

There are various local and regional climates on the Earth's surface. While the overall climate of the Earth is often the focus of research and discussion, individual local climates are important to consider when thinking of indigenous plants and animals. In this lesson, students will choose two locations, preferably in different climate zones, and compare real NASA satellite data for those two locations. ... Full description.

Phytoplankton, microscopic floating plant-like marine organisms (plankton means wanderer) are at the bottom of the marine food chain. They perform photosynthesis using water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to produce glucose for their own use, as well as oxygen. Humans and all land animals and sea creatures are dependent on phytoplankton. The chlorophyll in phytoplankton can be observed by remote sensing ... Full description.