The increased amounts of ultraviolet radiation that would reach the Earth's surface because of ozone depletion could increase the incidence of skin cancer and cataracts in humans, harm crops and interfere with marine life. Learn about NASA's hurricane research in this directory. Atmospheric Sciences Division Activity Plans - Simple Spectroscope, Ozone Dance, Harming the Atmosphere, Cloud Classifications, Cookies and Air Pressure, and Living in a Greenhouse are just a few of the lesson plans described here. Try these activities with your middle school students. Radar Images of Earth - Imaging Radar is a technique for obtaining images of the land and ocean surface of Earth from a satellite or aircraft.
Radar uses radio waves which can penetrate clouds and obtain images day or night.
The overall goal of the SWAS mission is to gain a greater understanding of star formation by determining the composition of interstellar clouds and establishing the means by which these clouds cool as they collapse to form stars and planets. The primary function of the Climate and Radiation Branch is to conduct basic and applied research with the goal of improving the fundamental understanding of Earth's regional and global climate . Research emphasis is on physical processes involving atmospheric radiation and dynamics, in particular processes leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation and their effects on the water and energy cycles of the Earth. Clouds and the Energy Cycle Fact Sheet - The study of clouds, where they occur, and their characteristics, may well be the key to understanding climate change. This unique observatory allows astronomical observations from anywhere on Earth with freedom from cloud cover.