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Resource Type: Images
In this activity, students identify the location of an atmospheric river over the Pacific (also called the Pineapple Express) by analyzing water vapor data collected by COSMIC satellites.
Resource Type: Activities
Janine Aquino and Andrew Green care for science aircraft. Take a live look at aviation, atmospheric science, and more, live from NCAR’s Research Aviation Facility.
Air moves around the planet in a consistent pattern, called atmospheric circulation. Learn how convection and the spinning of the Earth create the prevailing winds.
Resource Type: Information
Fitting puzzle pieces together is analogous to how we study the Earth. By considering Earth as an integrated system, with many interlocking parts, we are able to understand the larger picture of global change.
Resource Type: Information
The climate where you live is called regional climate. Global climate is a description of the climate of a planet as a whole, with all the regional differences averaged.
Resource Type: Information
Henry Boynton can tell you what the atmosphere looks like at 51,000 feet above Earth's surface, a good 15,000 feet higher than most commercial airplanes venture. "The biggest thing you notice is that the sky is a lot bluer," he observes.
Air is a mixture of naturally occurring gases and human-made air pollutants. Learn more about these gases and the role they play in our atmosphere.
Resource Type: Information
Laura Pan describes herself as an "accidental" scientist. She never intentionally set out to pursue a science career. Rather, she began with an interest in theoretical physics and found herself drawn along as adventures unfolded, first in remote sensing and more recently in high-altitude research flights.
In this activity, students use models to observe that air is a fluid that flows due to temperature-driven density differences.
Resource Type: Activities