The Earth is a complex system, with myriad processes interacting to create a changing landscape across space and time. The Dynamic Earth: You Have to See It to Believe It is a set of exhibits and programs using NASA images of our home planet to engage visitors in learning about the forces that shape, heat, and cool the earth.
Exhibits range from a slide show of beautiful NASA imagery from its fleet of Earth observing satellites to hands-on pieces which allow visitors to make beautiful sand dune formations. The center piece of the exhibition is the Dynamic Globe - a 30” globe that shows real time weather moving across the planet, or a yearʼs worth of ocean currents and sea temperature changes, or the 2005 hurricane season. From the abstract to the concrete, the exhibition shows the large scale Earth processes which constantly change over time, creating the biotic and abiotic environments at the global, and local level.
Programs developed for this project include workshops and courses for children, families, and adults at the Museum. A new set of school programs and teacher workshops in the geosciences is also being developed that are aimed at the middle school audience. The programs are designed to augment The Dynamic Earth exhibit cluster. Programs include hands-on investigation at the Science Discovery Lab on glaciers, turbulence, and erosion. Investigating Earth from Above is a new adult course on using NASA and NOAA satellite imagery, and a series of presentations for our museum visitors have been developed on weather, plate tectonics, and other areas of earth science.
Funding: Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums award, NASA.