Exploring Earth: Temperature Mapping

TYPE: Short Activities
AUDIENCE: Ages 4 - Adult
TOPIC: Earth and Space Science
In this activity, learners model the way Landsat satellites use a thermal infrared sensor to measure land surface temperatures.
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DESCRIPTION

This activity models the way Landsat satellites use a thermal infrared sensor to measure land surface temperatures. IR technology, like the IR thermometer in this activity, uses the infrared light emitted by an object to measure its temperature remotely (without having to touch it!) By taking a series of measurements over an area, a scientist can create a visual representation of the surface temperatures (like a weather map for surface temperatures rather than air temperatures.)

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  • Family using thermometer to take temperature of their arm for the Heat Map activity
  • Two learners taking the temperature of a rock
  • Heat sensitive film showing the outline of the hand of a learner playing with the material
  • Family using thermometer to take temperature of their arm for the Heat Map activity
  • Two learners taking the temperature of a rock
  • Heat sensitive film showing the outline of the hand of a learner playing with the material

DESCRIPTION

This activity models the way Landsat satellites use a thermal infrared sensor to measure land surface temperatures. IR technology, like the IR thermometer in this activity, uses the infrared light emitted by an object to measure its temperature remotely (without having to touch it!) By taking a series of measurements over an area, a scientist can create a visual representation of the surface temperatures (like a weather map for surface temperatures rather than air temperatures.)

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TRAINING VIDEOS

OBJECTIVES

BIG IDEA

Earth is a constantly changing and dynamic system.

LEARNING GOALS

    • Different types of land cover on Earth absorb or reflect energy from the Sun in different ways. 
    • NASA scientists study land cover to understand and predict how Earth's climate is changing.

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TYPE:
Educational Resources
AUDIENCE:
Ages 4 - Adult
LANGUAGES:
English Spanish
ADDITIONAL TOPICS: Earth and Space Science Climate and Weather Atmosphere Earth, Moon and Sun Ecology Physical Sciences Energy Light and Optics Materials Science Societal Topics Science and Society Sustainability
KIT: Explore Science: Earth & space logo Browse kit
KEYWORDS:

Credits

YEAR CREATED
2019
PROJECT
OWNING INSTITUTION

Arizona State University

FUNDING

This material is based on work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award numbers NNX16AC67A and 80NSSC18M0061. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

PERMISSIONS

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

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