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Visualize Earth's atmosphere in AR — wind, temperature, and lightning.
Atmosphere AR is an educational augmented reality app that brings atmospheric science to life. Use your iPhone or iPad with a printed world-map tracker or compatible globe to explore atmospheric circulation, temperature, and lightning in an interactive augmented reality environment. WIND CIRCULATION MODELS Explore two foundational models of global atmospheric circulation using animated particles and streamlines: • Single-Cell Model — A simplified model showing one continuous loop of rising and sinking air in each hemisphere. • Three-Cell Model — A more realistic conceptual model featuring the Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells, along with Coriolis-deflected trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies. • ERA5 Reanalysis — Compare theoretical circulation models with atmospheric wind data from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis, updated monthly. TEMPERATURE OVERLAY Explore surface and upper-atmospheric temperatures using ERA5 reanalysis data. Use the pressure-level slider to move from near the surface at 1000 hPa to the upper troposphere at 100 hPa, approximately 16 kilometers above Earth. LIGHTNING OVERLAY View lightning flash frequency derived from GOES-18 Geostationary Lightning Mapper observations. Explore how lightning activity relates to tropical convection, the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and large-scale atmospheric circulation. VIRTUAL GLOBE Scan a globe tracker to place an interactive 3D Earth in your surroundings. Drag with one finger to rotate the globe and pinch with two fingers to resize it. Wind, temperature, and lightning overlays can be displayed on both the flat world map and the virtual globe. EDUCATIONAL DESIGN Designed for students, educators, and anyone curious about Earth’s atmosphere, Atmosphere AR connects conceptual circulation models with real atmospheric datasets. The information panel explains the Coriolis effect, atmospheric circulation cells, pressure levels, and relationships among winds, temperature, and lightning. Download the tracker images and view instructions at: https://xr.cisess.umd.edu/atmosphere-ar DATA SOURCES AND CREDITS • Wind and temperature data: ERA5, ECMWF/Copernicus Climate Change Service • Lightning data: GOES-19 Geostationary Lightning Mapper, NOAA • Map tracker: Blue Marble, NASA • Globe tracker: © EUMETSAT DEVELOPMENT TEAM Guangyang Fang — Project Lead, Scientific Content, and Application Design Abdur-Rahman Shakir — Application Development Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS) University of Maryland/ESSIC ACKNOWLEDGMENT This study was supported by NOAA grant NA24NESX432C0001 (Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies - CISESS) at the University of Maryland/ESSIC.