NOAA Science On a Sphere

10/01/2025

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Learn more: https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/

01/15/2025

Teachers, don’t miss your chance to join us for a free virtual workshop on NOAA’s Science on a Sphere Data Lens activities.

Reminder: Only a couple more weeks left to register for the Data Lens: Exploring Earth’s Visual Stories (NOAA SOS) Workshop.

Teachers, don’t miss your chance to join us for a free virtual workshop on NOAA’s Science on a Sphere Data Lens activities.

📅 Date: January 29, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:00–5:00 PM MT
📍 Location: Virtual
🔗 Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6221411067973448792

11/22/2024

🌍 Happy Geography Awareness Week! 🌍

This week, let’s celebrate the power of geography to
help us understand our world. One of my favorite ways
to explore geography is through the SOS Explorer
platform- free on mobile devices or Windows
computers- where dynamic datasets bring our Earth to
life. https://sos.noaa.gov/sos-explorer/sosx-download/

Featured Dataset: Sea Surface Currents
Did you know that the swirling ocean currents do more
than just move water? They regulate global
temperatures, impact weather systems, and connect
ecosystems across the planet. By studying datasets
like global ocean currents, we can see how geography
influences everything from hurricanes to fishing
industries and climate change.

Geographic literacy is incredibly cool.

What’s a geographic phenomenon that inspires you?
🌊 🗺️

10/22/2024

We are excited to launch a new data literacy campaign for 5-12th grade science teachers - Data Lens: Exploring Earth’s Visual Stories

Click the link at the bottom of the newsletter to join and receive these dynamic 10-20 minute activity aimed at engaging your students frequently in slow, thoughtful observation. These activities encourage critical thinking while gradually building data literacy skills, one step at a time.

Delivered straight to your inbox every other week, these consistent activities are easy to implement and keep students engaged with new maps and extensions—while reinforcing observation and interpretation skills that are essential for understanding complex data.

Email from CIRES Center for Education, Engagement, and Evaluation Give Week 1 a try! Data Lens offers Earth data in your classroom for building visual and data literacy skills with NOAA data, VTS, and

10/08/2024

10/08/2024

10/04/2024

🌍 NOAA has updated the Climate Literacy Essential Principles guide to help us better understand and address climate change! 🌍

🌱 Both Science On a Sphere® (SOS) and SOS Explorer® are excellent tools for teaching these essential principles in the classroom or beyond.

🔍 For example, Principle 7 explores the critical role of climate models in predicting our future. In the SOS Catalog, you'll find updated Climate Models that illustrate three potential scenarios:

- Sustainable Development
- Middle of the Road
- Fossil-fueled Development

These models show how our choices today—especially efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—can shape future temperature, precipitation, and ice coverage trends.

📊 Explore these models to understand the impact of our actions on the planet's future!

https://www.climate.gov/teaching/climate/climate-literacy-essential-principles

https://sos.noaa.gov/catalog/datasets/?fullText=climate%20model%20-%20S
@.ceee

The Science On a Sphere® Dataset Catalog is comprised of datasets from NOAA, NASA, universities, science centers and other organizations. Each dataset entry includes a description of the dataset, a picture, a video, notable features, relevant links, and source information.

09/26/2024

According to the Global Forecast Model, Hurricane Helene is expected to bring widespread rain and cloud cover, with remnants impacting areas from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Washington, D.C. in the coming days. There is also potential for tornadoes further south. For residents in the northeastern Gulf of Florida, evacuation is critical as storm surges of 10-15 feet are predicted in certain areas. Our thoughts are with all those in the path of the storm, and we hope everyone stays safe.

NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center NOAA Education CIRES Center for Education, Engagement & Evaluation
https://sos.noaa.gov/catalog/datasets/gfs-forecast-model-clouds-visible-real-time/

09/26/2024

09/19/2024

This simulation captures the complexity and scale of the vast array of instruments used in comprehensive temperature analysis. While some temperature and climatology data are sourced from satellites, many additional measurements come from a network of land-based stations, ocean buoys, and instruments mounted on ships. These varied data sources are essential for accurately representing the intricate dynamics of Earth’s climate system.

This dataset was developed by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) team

https://sos.noaa.gov/catalog/datasets/temperature-observations-and-instruments/

08/28/2024

Hello science enthusiasts and educators! Real-time data animations are what make both Science On a Sphere and our free downloadable application, SOS Explorer (SOSx), amazing/different/compelling/surprising!

In this video, we explain how to get real-time animations of data (and keep them up to date!) on the Windows version of SOSx.

Head to https://sos.noaa.gov/sos-explorer/ to learn more about downloading and joining our Educator email list.

NOAA Education National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) CIRES Center for Education, Engagement & Evaluation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NOAA Satellite and Information Service

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RFanhIoFeg

With our amazing real-time data in SOS Explorer, you can experience up to date NOAA and NASA satellite and other data. This video details how to use the SOS...