The deserts of the world today are not the deserts of the planet's past. Fossilized hippopotamus and elephant bones tell us that the Sahara, for instance, was a much moister and more hospitable environment 8,000 years ago than it is now. Each of the Earth's modern deserts are a consequence of one of the following mechanisms: air mass subsidence, rain shadows, distant moisture sources, or cold offshore ... Full description.

Visitors to this non-profit site can access introductory information about wind turbines and the generation of electricity by wind power. For kids, there is an interactive tour of a wind turbine. For older learners, there is a tutorial that covers all aspects of wind energy. The site is available in several languages, including French and Spanish. Full description.

This site Presents a MODIS (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) image of the Gulf Stream. The image is color-coded to show the variation in temperature of the ocean water. A brief description of the Gulf Stream, its direction and speed, and a link to other related imagery are included. Full description.

This archive of climatic data houses both national and global datasets as part of the National Climatic Data Center's (NCDC) mission to describe the climate of the United States and to maintain records regarding trends and anomalies of weather and climate. Users may search the archive by data type, national or global coverage, and time period; or by resource type, such as satellite, radar, models, ... Full description.

This is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Data Buoy Center website. It features text descriptions, graphs, and graphic illustrations to describe the development of land and sea breezes because of the unequal heating rates of land and water. Full description.

Users can select a variety of materials on El Nino/La Nina. Materials presented here include bibliographies, news articles, technical and research information, movies, animations, and cartoons. Full description.

Most of Earth's deserts can be found in dry areas created by global circulation patterns. The deserts of our world are not restricted by latitude, longitude, or elevation. This site, produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, uses text and pictures to describe how atmospheric circulation patterns influence the locations of deserts on Earth and possibly on other terrestrial planets as well. Full description.

Users can view imagery and read about tropical Pacific near-surface currents. The analysis is based on satellite altimeter- and scatterometer-derived sea level wind data. Materials presented here include monthly surface current maps, beginning with October 1992 and ending with the latest available satellite data (usually about one month delay). Links to related sites, a publications list, and a presentations ... Full description.

Most satellite instruments look only straight down, or toward the edge of the planet. To fully understand Earth's climate, and to determine how it may be changing, we need to know the amount of sunlight that is scattered in different directions under natural conditions. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) is a new type of instrument, which is designed to address this issue. It views Earth ... Full description.

Volcanic eruptions are thought to be responsible for the global cooling that has been observed for a few years after a major eruption. The amount and global extent of the cooling depend on the force of the eruption and, possibly, its latitude. When large masses of gases from the eruption reach the stratosphere, they can produce a large, widespread cooling effect. As a prime example, the effects of ... Full description.