Collecting Real World Data Activity Source: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Adapted with permission. Scientists collect data to understand Earth and how it changes. Quantitative data involves taking measurements, while qualitative data are observations and descriptions of phenomena. When it comes to climate, scientists try to collect as much and as many types of data as possible to be able to analyze how climate is changing and what effects it is having. [Read More]

Latitude and Longitude Activity Source: Geological Society of America, Adapted with permission. You may have seen or used Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in cars or on camping trips. These devices use data from satellites orbiting the Earth to locate places on our planet. GPS devices describe the locations to us in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates. Citizen scientists involved in the Geological Society of America’s EarthCaching project (http://www. [Read More]

Monitoring Sustainability: Land Cover Data Activity Source: Earth Science Information Partners, Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals Background Almost every aspect of life — ​our homes, food and water sources, and outdoor activities — ​is connected to the land on which we live.. Landsat satellites collect images of Earth’s surface but cannot zoom in enough to monitor small-scale changes. The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program has created an app so you can help fill in the gaps in the global dataset. [Read More]