GLOBE Clouds

What is it all about?

The GLOBE Clouds project was launched in 1994 and compares cloud observations taken by citizen scientists from the ground to information retrieved from satellites.

So far, over 1 million cloud observations have been reported from all over the world, yet observations from the polar regions are still limited with only ~1,000 submissions to date.

Clouds are powerful agents of global change and play a large role in influencing local weather as well as controlling the planet's long-term climate. Even small changes in the abundance, location or type of clouds can impact Earth’s climate and weather. Despite the many satellites that are continuously monitoring clouds, it's tricky to capture the extent of these interactions with satellites alone. This is why it's crucial for researchers to have ground truth data gathered from the Earth's surface by citizen scientists. These observations give insight into how clouds are changing throughout the season and ultimately, what impact this might have on our changing climate.

Project partners: The GLOBE Program is sponsored by NASA and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Department of State.

Project website: https://observer.globe.gov/do-globe-observer/clouds