The GLOBE Science Team responsible for the Aerosols Protocol is now responsible for the water vapor monitoring project and development of the GLOBE water vapor instrument. This new measurement, sponsored by NASA Langley Research Center in support of the GIFTS project (which was cancelled in the Spring of 2004), was added in the fall of 2002. During the spring of 2003, we wrote a new protocol for the water vapor measurement, which will appear in the 2003 printed version of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide and in the CD version of the protocols when that becomes available. For more information, see A Brief History of the GLOBE Water Vapor Instrument and Protocol.
Online, GLOBE protocols exist only as pdf files -- downloadable versions of the printed documents. Although there are advantages to having "hard-copy" documents, one disadvantage is that such documents cannot easily be edited or updated. The water vapor protocol document presented here is based on the GLOBE printed version of the protocol. However, especially for a new protocol, the Science Team needs the flexibility to respond promptly whenever the protocol is unclear or needs to be updated. So, the document presented here should be considered to represent the Science Team's current ideas about how to implement this protocol.
HTML documents offer some additional benefits. It is easy to search for keywords. Second, the various parts of the document are linked from a Table of Contents. Third, we will from time to time add links to other relevant sites. With very few exceptions, such links are not permitted in GLOBE's printed protocols (because URLs tend to change and disappear).
Through this page, we are able to treat the water vapor protocol with the flexibility it needs and will continue to demand. Unlike most other GLOBE protocols that rely on commercially available equipment, the water vapor instrument and its application is part of a research effort that must remain responsive to its audience -- scientists, teachers, and students.
There is good news if you would like to participate in the Water Vapor Protocol. Unlike most GLOBE equipment, which must be purchased by participating schools, the GLOBE water vapor instrument is sponsored by a grant from NASA's Langley Research Center. These instruments may be available at no cost, in return for an agreement to collect and report data. Please contact the PI for this project, Dr. David Brooks, at brooksdr@drexel.edu.