In this lesson, students will select, explore, and analyze satellite imagery. They will investigate the relationship between atmospheric carbon monoxide, a harmful gaseous pollutant, and aerosols, tiny solid airborne particles such as smoke from forest fires and dust from desert wind storms. Students will use ImageJ to animate a year of monthly images of aerosol data and then compare the animation to one created for monthly images of carbon monoxide data. Using NASA's Earth Observatory Image Composite Editor (ICE), they will display, graph, analyze, and evaluate variation and covariation in carbon monoxide and aerosols in Earth's atmosphere.

Students will learn about the layers of Earth's atmosphere by launching virtual balloons to collect temperature and pressure data at various altitudes.

Students explore how variables such as temperature and pressure affect each other in the environment, using real scientific data.