NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE

Are you an educator?

We have developed a one-week pacing guide focused on cloud types. The pacing guide features NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE with additional resources you can use in your classroom or in an out-of-school setting.

Overview of Activities Included in the Pacing Guide (link to pacing guide)
Day 1: Cloud Impacts of Earth’s Energy Budget

• Watch the GLOBE Observer Cloud Science video with NASA scientist Jessica Taylor or Clouds and Earth’s Climate video with Dr. Patrick Taylor.
• Walk through the My NASA Data Cloud Sort and complete the online activity. This can be done on computers or projected on an interactive white board.

Day 2: NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE

• Scroll down the main page and select “Cloud Cover” under the “Get Started” section.
• As a group, discuss and select the total cloud cover option that best describes the photographs.
• Go back to the main page and select “What Do You See” under the “Get Started” section.
• As a group, discuss and select the cloud types you observe in the photographs.

Day 3: Observe Clouds
Students use the GLOBE Program's GLOBE Observer App or GLOBE Clouds Data Sheet to record sky observations. If they use the GLOBE Clouds Data Sheet, remember to enter the data.

Day 4: Choose one of the two activities below.

1. Create a cloudscape and properly identify the altitude of the different cloud types. Alternate tactile version of the activity Touching the Clouds: Activity Guide.

2. Make a Cloud in a Bottle as demonstrated in the video. (All grade levels)

Day 5: Earth system poster cards

Use the digital Earth System Cards for the following variables: cloud cover and precipitation. Start by looking at just cloud cover data. Compare the first two months presented in the slides (January 2019 and May 2019). Note that the whiter the map, the more cloud cover there is in that region.

1. Look in the region you are located in and compare the values between the two months.
2. Discuss how the values compare with the observations taken in Day 3.
3. Choosing one month, look for regions that have no cloud cover. Discuss similarities and differences with this and your region.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 and do the same with precipitation.
5. Discuss the following question: Do regions with the most cloud cover have the most precipitation?

Additional resources are also featured within the pacing guide. We would love to hear from you if you use the pacing guide. Use the Talk for NASA GLOBE CLOUD GAZE Educators to share your thoughts and ideas.

More information for educators or anyone else wanting to know more...

What are some basic cloud shapes?

There are 3 basic cloud types: cumulus, stratus and cirrus.

• Cumulus - puffy, thick clouds

In Latin, cumulus means heap or pile. These clouds are the ones we tend to draw when we think of clouds. They tend to look like different objects or animals.

• Stratus - flat, hazy

In Latin, stratus means layer. These clouds cover the entire skies. They also tend to be gray.

• Cirrus - wispy, thin

In Latin, cirrus means curling lock of hair. These clouds are thin and are always found high up in the sky. They sometimes produce beautiful colors known as sun dogs.

When looking at the different basic cloud types, you can see that clouds are at different levels within our atmosphere. Meteorologists often look at how high the bottom of the cloud is in the sky and divide the altitude of clouds into three main categories: low, mid-level, and high Note: All cloud types come from these three basic shapes.

LOW clouds are from ground level up to 2,000 meters (examples include: cumulus and stratus; these clouds are often times closest to us)
MID-LEVEL clouds are between 2,000 to 6,000 meters (examples include: alto; the name is in reference to music as it indicates middle or mid-level tones in music or in this case clouds)
HIGH clouds are higher than 6,000 meters (examples include: cirrus; these clouds are the highest clouds. We often times use the word ‘wispy’ to denote high clouds)

Now that we know the basic cloud types, we can begin to blend the prefixes (learned above) with shape of the clouds:

• Altocumulus cloud - a puffy cloud that is found in the mid-level of the sky.

• Cirrostratus cloud - a thin, flat cloud found high in the sky.

• Stratocumulus cloud - a flat cloud that has puffy parts to it.

But wait, what about clouds that produce weather (rain, snow, sleet or freezing rain); is there a special naming convention for these clouds? Yes, there is! If it’s a thunderstorm we often place the latin prefix to it such as nimbus or nimbo to the shape of the cloud name. An example of this would be cumulonimbus which is a thunderstorm cloud (seen below and just so you know nimbostratus is a precipitating cloud)

Sometimes in sky images you might see line looking clouds but don’t be alarmed those are just contrails! Contrails are clouds that form when water vapor condenses and freezes around small particles (aerosols) that exist in aircraft exhaust.

contrails

In fact, there are three types of contrails that you might encounter:

1. short-lived: look like short white lines following along behind the plane, disappearing almost as fast as the airplane goes across the sky, perhaps lasting only a few minutes or less.

2. persistent non-spreading: : look like long white lines that remain visible after the airplane has disappeared.

3. persistent-spreading: : look like long, broad, fuzzy white lines. This is the type most likely to affect climate because they cover a larger area and last longer than short-lived or persistent contrails.

Lastly, what if it’s hard to tell what the sky looks like? We’ll there are two situations where this is possible and that is when the sky looks OVERCAST or OBSCURED.

• Overcast is used when the sky is completely covered by clouds (cloud cover greater than 90%). This means that you will see little or no blue sky. When it’s overcast, you are looking at stratus clouds. Stratus are gray or grayish white.

Photos of Overcast Sky Conditions

• Obscured is when something is blocking your view of the sky AND the clouds. This could be dust, haze (pollution), smoke, volcanic ash, and even heavy rain or snow. Snow will appear white, but other obscurations may give the sky a brownish or orangish hue.

Photos of Obscured Conditions

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Here are some additional resources available to help you in identifying clouds when out in the field or at home:

-Cloud Identification Key

cloud identification key on The GLOBE Program's website.

-Cloud Chart

Additional information on why and how NASA studies clouds...

Why does NASA study clouds?

Not all clouds are created equal! The image of Clouds Effects on Earth’s Radiation below shows how different cloud types interact with Earth’s energy budget. Some clouds have a cooling effect and some have a warming effect. The overall impact of clouds is complicated which is why the more data you submit, the better.

Cloud observations from the ground

NASA studies clouds in multiple ways, mainly using satellites. But your view of clouds, from the ground looking up, is different. With NASA GLOBE Clouds, we combine the top-down view of satellites with your view from the bottom-up of clouds. The result is a better view of what is happening in the atmosphere.
The GLOBE Observer Cloud Science video explains why observations from the ground are important to NASA.