The motion of water vapor in the Earths atmosphere collected from the GOES series of Earth-observing satellites.

This is the second of four curriculum guides focusing on astrobiology and careers for grades 5-8. Students are confronted with the challenge of searching for and designing a planet that would be habitable to humans. Using an online, multimedia module, students change the amounts of gases in our atmosphere and draw conclusions about which factors are necessary for human survival. Students then engage in classroom activities that help them to form an understanding of atoms, elements, and molecules as the components of gases that have unique properties that makes each gas important to human survival. They further explore the process of chemical change, with a focus on some of the chemical reactions most important to human survival. In contrast, they learn how the inert gas, nitrogen, is important to human life by contributing to our surface pressure. Finally, they connect their learning to the systems they explored in Astronomy.

This site features GIFs, Java applets, MPEGs, and Flash animations that illustrate various forms of precipitation and moisture. They include an animation of air parcels and water vapor colliding with condensation nuclei which results in condensation and cloud formation, an interactive precipitation animation applet that allows the user to set wet and dry bulb temperatures to see if snow, ice, freezing rain, sleet, super cooled droplets, raindrops, or drizzle will fall, an animation of lake effect snow over the Great Lakes, and infrared satellite images of water vapor moving across the US. These resources portray a variety of environments and are suitable for use in lectures, labs, or other teaching activities.

The ability to see Earth from space has forever changed our view of the planet. We are now able to look at the Earth as a whole, and observe how its atmosphere, oceans, land masses, and life interact as global systems. Earths atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere are dynamic, changing on timescales of days, minutes, or even seconds. Monitoring the Earth in near real time allows us to get an up to date picture of conditions on our planet. More SVS visualizations for the Earth Today exhibit can be found in animation ids 328 and 1401.

The ability to see Earth from space has forever changed our view of the planet. We are now able to look at the Earth as a whole, and observe how its atmosphere, oceans, land masses, and life interact as global systems. Earths atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere are dynamic, changing on timescales of days, minutes, or even seconds. Monitoring the Earth in near real time allows us to get an up to date picture of conditions on our planet. More SVS visualizations for the Earth Today exhibit are in animation ids 1401 and 1402.

The ability to see Earth from space has forever changed our view of the planet. We are now able to look at the Earth as a whole, and observe how its atmosphere, oceans, land masses, and life interact as global systems. Earths atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere are dynamic, changing on timescales of days, minutes, or even seconds. Monitoring the Earth in near real time allows us to get an up to date picture of conditions on our planet. More SVS visualizations for the Earth Today exhibit can be found in animation ids 328 and 1402.

An animation of atmospheric water vapor over the Western Hemisphere for the period from May 5, 1995 through October 31, 1995, as measured by GOES. The animation shows the entire hemisphere, then zooms in to show the North Atlantic and the hurricanes during this period.

Diagnostic studies and discussion of their implications for the theory of the structure and general circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. Includes some discussion of the validation and use of general circulation models as atmospheric analogs.

An animation of global sea surface temperature anomaly, soil moisture, and atmospheric water vapor from June 2000 through June 2001 from the NSIPP global climate model

Sea surface temperature anomalies, atmospheric water vapor, and soil moisture forecasted in the northern Pacific and North America for December 2001 through November 2002, from the NASA Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project

Sea surface temperature anomalies and atmospheric water vapor forecasted in the northern Pacific and over North America for December 2001 through November 2002, from the NASA Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project

An animation of sea surface temperature anomaly, soil moisture, and atmospheric water vapor for North America from June 2000 through June 2001 from the NSIPP global climate model

The ocean and atmosphere continually exchange particles and gases in a kind of ongoing "dialogue" that influences regional and global climate. This site explains the chemical link between the ocean and atmosphere. Emphasis is on the ocean's ability to store and release water vapor and carbon dioxide, both of which contribute to the greenhouse effect. Features include text, a scientific illustration, and links to other relevant topics, data sets, and satellite missions.

This course introduces students to climate studies, including beginnings of the solar system, time scales, and climate in human history.

This course introduces students to climate studies, including beginnings of the solar system, time scales, and climate in human history; methods for detecting climate change, including proxies, ice cores, instrumental records, and time series analysis; physical and chemical processes in climate, including primordial atmosphere, ozone chemistry, carbon and oxygen cycles, and heat and water budgets; internal feedback mechanisms, including ice, aerosols, water vapor, clouds, and ocean circulation; climate forcing, including orbital variations, volcanism, plate tectonics, and solar variability; climate models and mechanisms of variability, including energy balance, coupled models, and global ocean and atmosphere models; and outstanding problems.

" This course introduces students to climate studies, including beginnings of the solar system, time scales, and climate in human history. It is offered to both undergraduate and graduate students with different requirements."

The water cycle is more than a diagram it has significant impacts on our daily lives, local and global ecosystems and even economic systems. The resources in this collection can help teachers take students beyond just a minimal knowledge of a simple diagram of the cycle. This collection provides real-time and historic data sources that track and measure the water in different portions of the water cycle; satellite images shows water vapor in the atmosphere, interactive maps can be searched to show precipitation, snow depths, river flows and evaporation rates. Included are also lessons, games and hands on activities that model the complexity of the cycle. The Background resources allow students and teachers to investigate the water cycle holistically and in its individual parts. These resources allow teachers to implement student-directed and place-based projects about the water cycle.

An animated graph showing HALOE measurements of the water vapor amounts in the upper stratosphere, illustrating that it takes about 5 years for CFCs to reach the upper atmosphere. Tropical water vapor changes slowly with seasonal cycles. These changes, shown here as thick bands, were found to slowly ascend. These measurements tell us how fast the CFCs and other pollutants rise into the stratosphere.

The purpose of this activity is to measure the total precipitable water vapor (column water vapor) in the atmosphere above an observer's site. Students point a GLOBE/GIFTS water vapor instrument at the sun and record the voltage readings from a digital voltmeter. They observe sky conditions near the Sun and perform the Cloud Protocols. Intended outcomes are that students understand the concept that the atmosphere prevents some of the sun's light from reaching Earth's surface, how water vapor measurements relate to the hydrologic cycle, and how greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, play an important role in weather and climate. Supporting background materials for both student and teacher are included.