An urban heat island is a phenomenon that is best described when a city experiences much warmer temperatures than in nearby rural areas. The sun’s heat and light reach the city and the country in the same way. The difference in temperature between urban and less-developed rural areas has to do with how well the surfaces in each environment absorb and hold heat.

NASA visualizers take data – numbers, codes – and turn them into animations people can see and quickly understand.

Students will investigate the role of clouds and their contribution (if any) to global warming. Working in cooperative groups, students will make a claim about the future role clouds will play in Earth’s Energy Budget if temperatures continue to increase.

Learners use a compass to trace magnetic field lines of a bar magnet. They observe a CME hitting Earth’s magnetosphere and compare its shape to the magnet. They then apply their understanding of magnetic fields to those found on the Sun.

Students develop and test a hypothesis about how albedo affects temperature.

Students collect and analyze temperature data to explore what governs how much energy is reflected. 

In this activity learners examine the difference between aurora and airglow, while learning about NASA’s ICON Mission.

Students explore positive feedback effects of changing albedo from melting Arctic sea ice.

Students analyze a graph that illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures.

Students watch a video introducing the concept of albedo and answer questions.