Google Earth and Global Warming Science Projects
Studying Earth’s Ever Changing Conditions Using Satellite Imagery
Aug 17, 2008
Global warming is a scientific issue today and regardless of which side of the debate a person is on, the earth’s climatic conditions are changing. This is an excellent topic for a class or a student to study as a science project. Is the climate changing due to rapid global warming caused by humans or is it natural phenomena? These are the two main questions that need answered.
Students can get in on the debate and possibly even discover the answer or answers to this change in climatic conditions. The use of multimedia technology, the Internet, satellite imagery, and aircraft imagery are used to explore earth’s features which are being affected or contributing to changing conditions.
Google Earth Download for Free
What is Google Earth? Google Earth is provided by Google and provides a seamless view of the earth through the use of satellite and aircraft imagery. A student or group of students can view any portion of the earth using:
- High resolution detail in heavily populated areas: buildings, vegetation, and more (similar to a view about 100 feet above the earth).
- Medium resolution in less populated areas: geologic features and towns (similar to an airplane view from about 1500 feet above the earth).
- A zoom view beginning in outer space down to a specific spot on the earth.
- A three dimensional view of buildings and other earth features through tilting and rotating the object being displayed on the computer screen.
- A flyby view of specific objects or features of interest.
The basic Google Earth is downloaded free at earth.google.com. This software works with Windows XP and Vista, along with Mac OS 10.4 or 10.5 operating systems. Google earth also works best with a cable or DSL high speed Internet service.
Science Projects Using Google Earth
Google Earth can be used to study the effects of global warming and the known factors causing the earth’s climate change. The features of Google Earth make it ideal for long term studies or quick snap shots of areas. Students can download pictures related to their study and embed them in PowerPoint presentations and/or word processing programs.
For example students can select a specific area of interest and study it over several months for an in class science project or for a science fair project. Here are a few examples students can study using Google Earth:
- A specific glacier to determine its rate of shrinking or melting
- A specific rain forest to determine if it is shrinking or not, due to human actions
- The rise of sea levels as the glaciers continue to shrink
- The Sargasso Sea seaweed to determine if the amount of this floating seaweed is shrinking or not
- Changes in a specific river system to determine if rising sea levels are affecting the river basin
- Human development on a specific section of the earth to determine if it’s contributing to global warming or not
- Volcanoes to determine if they are contributing to global warming
- The deserts to determine if they are expanding or contracting
- Visible air pollution in major metropolitan areas of the world
The possibilities are unlimited with this free software program by Google. Google Earth provides real time perspective of everything affecting the earth’s environment. Using this program, students have access to data which was only available to scientists a few short years ago.
Additional resources to support students in completing global warming projects include 20 Questions to Ask Children in Science Projects and Understanding Scientific Inquiry.
