Current Events

  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

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    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

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    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.

Kids' Space

Welcome to Kids' Space - a place where we have collected a variety of resources and things for you to do that we think you will enjoy. If you have suggestions of other things you'd like to see added to our collection, please let us know! The links below provide links to games and interactives, our Ask a Scientist collection where you can browse previous question and answers and post new ones, our Journal tool, our Virtual Postcard interactive that you can use to send postcards to your friends, and links to other online resources. Enjoy!
Play our <a href="/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html">Carbon Cycle game</a> and follow the path of a carbon atom as it moves between reservoirs in the Earth system. For millions of years you were underground in fossil fuels. Now, you have been released into the atmosphere as humans burn fuels. Your objective is to get to all the places that carbon is stored. Earn extra points by correctly answering the carbon challenge questions at the yellow stars.<p><small><em></em></small></p>Like the Earth's environment, the space environment is getting more and more cluttered. There are currently MILLIONS of man-made orbital ruins that make up "space junk". Play our <a href="/games/junk_intro.html">Junk in Space game</a> and find out about all the junk in space, and how it got there. Your objective is to capture all the junk you can - but be careful - don't catch a satellite, spacecraft, or an astronaut! Three strikes and you're out!<p><small><em></em></small></p>Does any planet have a stronger magnetic field than Mars? Which planets have a greater mass than Jupiter? Which are denser? Which are larger? Find out while playing the Solar System Edition of <a href="/games/order_planets_intro.html">Order It Up</a>! Measures of size and scale help us understand the magnitude of objects. Play with scales while trying to arrange planets by magnitude of mass, size, temperature, density, distance, gravity or magnetic field. Correctly order the planets and you unscramble a mystery picture!<p><small><em></em></small></p>Play our <a href="/games/sudoku/sudoku.html">Eight Planets and a Dwarf Sudoku</a>! The regular rules of Sudoku apply - each planet can only appear once in each column or row, and only once in each 3x3 box. Learn more about the planets, too! You can vary the game from very easy to challenging.<p><small><em></em></small></p>The <a href="http://www.starcount.org">Great World Wide Star Count</a> is an international Citizen Science campaign. The purpose of this event is to encourage everyone to go outside, look skywards after dark, count the stars they see in certain constellations, and report what they see online. This Windows to the Universe Citizen Science Event is designed to encourage learning in astronomy! Have fun everyone!<p><small><em></em></small></p>Explorers, both from long ago and today, use journals to record where they travel and what they discover. With this <a href="javascript:wb_onclick();">online journal</a> you can keep a record of the places you have been, the things you have seen, and what you have learned within the Windows to the Universe web site!<p><small><em></em></small></p>

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Explore Kids' Space

Ask a Scientist

Over the years our scientists have answered over 1000 questions! Browse the questions and answers ...Read more

Fun & Games

We've collected our games here for you to select from. Note: Many of the games are written ...Read more

Tools

Use the following tools to help you navigate our site, store notes, communicate with other ...Read more

Windows Journal

Use this online tool to record your thoughts and discoveries. You can even add pictures! ...Read more

Virtual Postcards

Send a friend, relative or teacher a postcard! There are lots to choose from! ...Read more

Kool Kids' Links

Visit these other cool science web sites. ...Read more

Historical Events

6/25 Hermann Oberth,a Romanian and German physicist, was born on this date in 1894 Details
6/28 Maria Mitchell, an American astronomer, died on this date in 1889 Details
6/29 George Hale, an American astronomer, was born on this date in 1869 Details

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Did you know?

Did you know that scientists have found rock eating bacteria at the bottom of the sea?

Do you know how far away the Oort cloud is?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Slickensides
xSlickensides : Slickensides are polished striated rock surfaces caused by one rock mass moving across another on a fault.

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Triggers of Volcanic Eruptions in Oregon's Mount Hood Investigated

A new study has found that a mixing of two different types of magma is the key to the historic eruptions of Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain, and that eruptions often happen in a relatively short...Read more

Shop Windows to the Universe

The Winter 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist includes a variety of educational resources, ranging from astronomy to glaciers. Check out the other publications and classroom materials in our online store.

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF