This video is narrated by NASA scientist Peter Griffith who explains fast and slow carbon cycling on Earth. A banana is an example of fast, young carbon. A chunk of coal is an example of old, slow carbon. Carbon dioxide and vegetation on land seen... (View More) from space by satellites show the annual cycle: as plants grow during spring and summer they draw carbon dioxide out of the air during photosynthesis. When they die or go dormant during winter, carbon dioxide levels rise in the atmosphere. Burning fast or slow carbon to generate power or heat releases black carbon, also called soot which can be seen from space. ClimateBits videos are designed for Science On a Sphere (SOS) and also available on YouTube. Links are provided to more information for this topic from the main ClimateBits website (see related & supplemental resources). (View Less)

This set of three videos illustrates how math is used in satellite data analysis. NASA climate scientist Claire Parkinson explains how the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice covers are measured from satellite data and how math is used to determine trends... (View More) in the data. In the first video, she leads viewers from satellite data collection through obtaining a time series of monthly Arctic and Antarctic average sea ice extents for November 1978-December 2016. In the second video, she begins with the time series from the first video, removes the seasonal cycle by calculating yearly averages, and proceeds to calculate the slopes of the lines to get trends in the data, revealing decreasing sea ice coverage in the Arctic and increasing sea ice coverage in the Antarctic. In the third video, she uses a more advanced technique to remove the seasonal cycle and shows that the trends are close to the same, whichever method is used. She emphasizes the power of math and that the techniques shown for satellite sea ice data can also be applied to a wide range of data sets. Note: See Related & Supplemental Resources for the maps and data files (1978-2016) that will allow you to do the calculations shown in the video. These also include data for different regions of the Arctic and Antarctic, enabling learners to do additional calculations beyond those shown in the videos. (View Less)

This video provides a glimpse into the snowfall research planned as part of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. GPM Deputy Project Scientist, Gail Skofronick-Jackson, reveals the capabilities of the satellite's new sensors, which,... (View More) through increased sensitivity, will help to overcome the challenges associated with measuring snowfall from space. (View Less)

This short video (2:01) uses an engaging approach to emphasize the importance of tracking and studying precipitation. The video cast explains how the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission will use a constellation of satellites to achieve... (View More) global coverage, thereby providing scientists with accurate precipitation data from around the world. In addition to the video, the site contains supplemental text which provides background information on the GPM mission. (View Less)

This short video (4:06) provides an overview of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. This mission will set a new standard for precipitation measurements from space by joining forces with countries around the world, to provide... (View More) precipitation data from nine different satellites, creating the GPM Constellation. NASA has partnered with the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA), space agencies in France and India, and the operators of meteorological satellites in Europe and the United States to make this multi-nation mission possible. (View Less)

Research physical scientist, Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, is featured in this short (~3 min.) video. Dr. Kirschbaum explains how the integration of her initial interest in math and her subsequent interest in the science of natural disasters lead to her... (View More) career focus of landslide modeling. Now part of the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) team, she communicates about the GPM mission and data to the public and to others who use it in their work and/or research. (View Less)

This short video (4:44) helps audiences understand and appreciate the importance of measuring precipitation globally. The role of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to better understand, model and predict where and when too much... (View More) rainfall will occur (resulting in floods and landslides) and where too little rain will fall (resulting in droughts) is examined. (View Less)

This twelve-minute YouTube video incorporates NASA imagery and visualizations as it traces the history of air quality research.