GloVis - USGS Global Visualization Viewer

Since artificial satellites first orbited Earth in 1956, scientists, both amateur and professional, have collected and studied the vast amounts of observations made by, and transmitted to us from, those satellites. Most of those data are archived in databases utilized only by expert investigators trained in the use of specialized retrieval techniques and analysis tools.

More recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), among others, have developed online tools for easy retrieval of archived data in various forms that serve the needs of every level of scientific research including middle and high school grade levels.

This hands-on tutorial guide is an introduction to GloVis, the USGS Global Visualization Viewer (GloVis), a quick and easy online search tool for selected satellite and aerial data. GloVis provides access to imagery from aerial surveys, EO-1, and Landsat satellites among others. Following the tutorial steps, learners will experience the value and utility of GloVis for themselves while becoming familiar with its "look and feel" as they investigate changes in Greenland's Jacobshavn Glacier.

Next Generation Science Standards addressed in this lesson:
Science and Engineering Practices for all NGSS.