earth science

Science On a Sphere

Science On a Sphere is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Science On a Sphere rather than just read about it. In short: Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a spherical projection system created by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It displays high-resolution video on a suspended globe with the aim of better representing global phenomena.

Key takeaways

Science On a Sphere belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Science On a Sphere to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Science On a Sphere from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a spherical projection system created by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It displays high-resolution video on a suspended globe with the aim of better representing global phenomena. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be displayed on the sphere to display environmental processes. SOS systems are most frequently installed in science museums, universities, zoos, and research institutions.

History SOS was invented by Alexander E. MacDonald, the former director of the Earth System Research Laboratories. MacDonald devised the original idea for SOS in 1995. A team of NOAA staff wrote the SOS software and developed the SOS hardware and system architecture. A patent was awarded to NOAA for Science On a Sphere in August 2005.

Configuration SOS uses many off-the-shelf hardware and software components. A spherical screen covered in ordinary latex paint hangs suspended in the center of the projection space. The screen is inert; it neither moves nor has any electronic parts. Surrounding the screen are four video projectors, with each projector responsible for one quadrant of screen space. One CPU is used to control the system. The SOS software runs on Linux.

The sphere The carbon fiber sphere is 68 inches (1.7 m) in diameter and weighs under 50 pounds (23 kg). The sphere is attached to the ceiling or suspension structure with a three-point suspension system to hold the sphere in place and reduce lateral movement and blurring.

Projectors The system requires high quality, bright, long-duty cycle projectors, rather than smaller portable and consumer models to endure the requirements of 8–10 hours per day, 7 days per week of most public displays.

Computer hardware The newest configuration uses one Ubuntu Linux computer with NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards, and an iPad app to control the system.

SOS data details

The majority of SOS assets are so-called "datasets". Originally conceived as a video system for showing space-based collections of Earth data, the SOS has grown in its utility. The majority of data that traditionally appears on the SOS screens concerns the Earth, either from near-real-time data acquisition systems, or from processed remote sensing platforms, but recent interest and growth in different kinds of media have started to broaden that library. There are currently over 500 datasets that can be shown on the sphere, including real-time infrared satellite images, Mars, real-time earthquakes, an ocean acidification model, and others, including a number of movies. The data format for SOS datasets is the equirectangular projection, as shown by the map to the right.

SOS User's Collaborative Network A collaborative network has been established by institutions with access to SOS, as well as partners who are developing educational programming and content for these systems. The SOS Users Collaborative Network is backed by the NOAA Office of Education (OEd) and the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Science On a Sphere

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Science On a Sphere claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Science On a Sphere before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Science On a Sphere ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Science On a Sphere

In research: Science On a Sphere appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Science On a Sphere in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Science On a Sphere is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Display technology, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Science and technology in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Science On a Sphere outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Science On a Sphere in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Science On a Sphere means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Science On a Sphere out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Science On a Sphere in simple terms?

Why does Science On a Sphere matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Science On a Sphere?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Science On a Sphere.