This video explains albedo - the concept that the brightness of the Earth system (atmosphere, ocean, and land surfaces) determines how much incoming solar energy is immediately reflected back to space. Reflected shortwave energy and land albedo... (View More) products demonstrate the seasonal and geographic variability of this critical climate process. 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 links). (View Less)

This brief (1:55) video describes the tropical monsoon weather pattern using global imagery of clouds, precipitation and fires visible from space. The discussion of the cycle also includes the impacts on people and on farming. ClimateBits videos are... (View More) 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)

The Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) collects rain, snow and other precipitation data worldwide every three hours. This short (4:17 minute) video introduces learners to the role of GPM and it's partner satellites in gathering precipitation data... (View More) and the role of Goddard's Precipitation Processing System (PPS) in compiling that data into unified global data sets. (View Less)

In a one minute time lapse video, viewers are shown the assembly sequence of the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite from its 2011 beginning at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland to its 2014 launch at Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission provides a global perspective on rain and snow, along with the storms, impacts, patterns, hazards, and changes associated with those precipitation events. Several such events, which occurred during a... (View More) one-week period in August 2014, have been compiled into this short video (5:42 minutes) which features narration by NASA scientists. (View Less)

This Science On a Sphere video and docent show (script and playlist), explores factors that render Earth habitable and influence Earth's energy budget. The video gives an overview of NASA's Search for "Goldilocks Planets" - planets that are not too... (View More) hot or too cold for liquid water. (View Less)

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 video explains air quality and specifically describes Earth's air pollution seen from space by satellites. As the world's largest environmental health risk, air pollution is important to understand, monitor, and reduce. Over the past 10 years,... (View More) air pollution has reached epic levels in some places in the world, even as air quality has improved in other places. 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 brief (1:46) video explains the stratospheric ozone layer and its role in absorbing harmful UV radiation from the sun. The visualization shows how the thickness of the ozone layer varies with air flow aloft and seasons, and where the biggest... (View More) changes occur. The narration also explains the benefits of the ozone layer and, when depleted, its impacts. 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 video features NASA scientist Claire Parkinson explaining atmospheric carbon dioxide levels seen in measurements collected at the Mauna Loa observatory since 1958 and recent global model output. The seasonal cycle of plants on land and in the... (View More) ocean explains the annual rise and fall of carbon dioxide. The long-term trend toward more CO2 in our atmosphere is largely due to human activity. We are putting CO2 into the air faster than nature can remove it. (View Less)