Data Connections

1. Locate a long record of atmospheric observations from a GLOBE school near you (use http://globe.fsl.noaa.gov)

2. Advanced students can use a spread-sheet program to plot this GLOBE data set. It might look like this: Figure

3. Down-load the data to your machine and get a print-out. It should look like this:

Pueblo High School, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Atmospheric Temperature       MEASUREMENT LOCATION     TEMPERATURE     CLASS
EX    DATE        YEAR       LAT     LONG       ELE  CURR   MAX   MIN   SITE

AT 1996062619  1996.48577  32.2217 -110.9258    836  32.2  38.9  20.0       
AT 1996062518  1996.48292  32.2217 -110.9258    836  36.1  40.6  23.9       
AT 1996062420  1996.48042  32.2217 -110.9258    836  36.7  39.4  23.3       
AT 1996062319  1996.47757  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.8  40.0  20.0       
AT 1996062219  1996.47484  32.2217 -110.9258    836  36.7  40.6  21.1       
AT 1996062119  1996.47211  32.2217 -110.9258    836  38.9  42.2  26.7       
AT 1996062019  1996.46938  32.2217 -110.9258    836  38.3  40.6  22.8       
AT 1996061919  1996.46664  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.2  41.7  21.1       
AT 1996061819  1996.46391  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.8  40.0  23.3       
AT 1996061719  1996.46118  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.2  38.9  22.2       
AT 1996061619  1996.45845  32.2217 -110.9258    836  32.8  37.8  20.0       
AT 1996061519  1996.45571  32.2217 -110.9258    836  35.6  36.7  21.1       
AT 1996061419  1996.45298  32.2217 -110.9258    836  28.9  36.1  23.3       
AT 1996061320  1996.45036  32.2217 -110.9258    836  34.4  35.0  22.8       
AT 1996061220  1996.44763  32.2217 -110.9258    836  32.2  38.3  24.4       
AT 1996061119  1996.44479  32.2217 -110.9258    836  35.6  39.4  20.6       
AT 1996061019  1996.44205  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.8  39.4  22.8       
AT 1996060819  1996.43659  32.2217 -110.9258    836  38.3  38.3  22.8       
AT 1996060719  1996.43386  32.2217 -110.9258    836  38.9  40.6  22.8       
AT 1996060619  1996.43112  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.2  41.7  20.6       
AT 1996060519  1996.42839  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.8  41.1  21.1       
AT 1996060419  1996.42566  32.2217 -110.9258    836  37.8  40.6  20.6       
AT 1996060319  1996.42293  32.2217 -110.9258    836  38.9 -99.9 -99.9       
AT 1996060319  1996.42293  32.2217 -110.9258    836  38.9  39.4  20.0       
AT 1996060120  1996.41758  32.2217 -110.9258    836  34.4  37.2  16.1 

4. Now select a nearby city or airport where climate records might exist. This will be your "Area-of-interest" (AOI).

5. How do the GLOBE values compare with last years values in your AOI?
   Use NCDC's CLIMVIS and the "US Summary of the Day - Time Series" to get a plot like this: Figure

6. Down-load the data to your machine and get a print-out

6. How do the GLOBE values compare with average values in your AOI?
   Use CDS's US Climate Page to get the "Basic Climatology" for your AOI (text access works fast!). My plot looks like this: Figure

7. Just below the mean and extreme plots are some others. Here is the "Monthly Mean" plot for Tucson: Figure

8. This data is not available ftp - how would you estimate the numbers?

9. How do the local observations fit in with the global picture?
   Use PMEL's Ferret Live Access to Climate Data interface and the "NCDC data set" to plot the "Global Temperature Anomaly" for this period. Here is my plot: Figure

10. Down-load the data to your machine

12. Now ask how your climate might be affected by global "teleconnections". Study what the current "Southern Oscillation Index" (SOI) looks like and think of ways of comparing your GLOBE data with this leading indicator of long-term global climate variability. Here is their plot in case it is more convenient to get: Figure

13. Finally, consider how your climate might be different from seasonal averages over the coming year. Follow this path to the Climate Prediction Center's US advanced forecast page and select 13 seasonal outlooks.

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