The GMAO Opens a New Season of the Sunday Experiment
09.18.2018
On September 16, members of the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) interacted with the public for the kick-off to this season’s Sunday Experiment events, held monthly at the Goddard Visitors Center.
During this event, titled How Global Modeling Colors Our World, activities showed how important color is in the creation of models to represent Earth science processes. The GMAO is a unique organization within NASA that uses computer models to enhance how NASA sees the Earth.
In one activity, kids and adults picked their own colors to show different surface temperatures in the Pacific during an El Niño event and using crayons put them on a canvas map. All were very creative! In another demonstration, water, salt and food coloring were used to illustrate how fluids move depending on their densities by pouring fresh water on top of salt water in a tube. In the third activity, visitors were mesmerized by watching real NASA models displayed on the Science on a Sphere visualization system, using beautiful color combinations to show the various moving parts of the Earth system.
It was a successful Sunday Experiment for the over 100 enthusiastic attendees, the Goddard Visitors’ Center, and the GMAO, resulting in educational and fun interactions throughout the afternoon. Staff members who led and supported the activities included Sterling Spangler, Gary Partyka, Mahendra Karki, and Austin Conaty of the GMAO and Trena Ferrell of the Earth Science Division. Thank you to everyone for the great job!
