Nullschool Earth Map
View current and historic wind, weather, ocean and pollution conditions on an interactive animated map.
URL
Web page: https://earth.nullschool.net
Mobile apps (iOS and Android): https://nullschool.net/app
Description
Nullschool Earth Map is an interactive visualization of global environmental data. It displays information on wind, ocean currents, waves, air pollutants and more. Users can specify a date and explore various data layers to observe environmental conditions across the planet.
There is a web version and a mobile app version. Core features are available in both versions.
Potential Uses
Open source researchers may find this tool useful for:
tracking the spread of particulate matter over time to infer the presence of dust & smoke
corroborating weather conditions at a specified date/time
analyzing ocean currents and wind conditions to support ship movement tracking
tracking and discovering fires anywhere in the world
This is not a comprehensive list. This tool contains a wealth of data which may be useful in many ways, especially as related to environmental investigations.
Tips & Tricks
To open the interface panel that allows you to change the data layer, date and more, click "earth" in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Specify a date/time to view by clicking the calendar icon in the 'Control' row.
Click a point on the map to get the interpolated value for a given metric at any given location.
To specify an exact latitude/longitude coordinate, select the metrics you'd like to see, then edit the end of the URL by adding
loc=YOUR_LONGITUDE_POINT,YOUR_LATITUDE_POINT.
Available Metrics
Date
Each metric can be viewed by specified date and time, in some cases as far back as January 2013. (View Limitationssection for more info.)
Air Mode
Each metric can be viewed at surface temperature, or at 1000, 850, 700, 500, 250, 70 or 10 hectopascals (hPa).
Wind: Wind speed
Temp: Temperature
RH: Relative humidity
Dew: Dew point temperature
WBT: Wet bulb temperature
3HPA: 3-hour precipitation accumulation
CAPE: Convective available potential energy from surface
TPW: Total precipitable water
TCW: Total cloud water
MSLP: Mean sea level pressure
MI: Misery index
UVI: Ultraviolet index and erythemal dose rate
WPD: Instantaneous wind power density
Ocean Mode
Currents: Ocean currents
Waves: Peak wave period
HTSGW: Significant wave height
SST: Sea surface temperature
SSTA: Sea surface temperature anomaly (relative to 1981-2011 daily average)
BAA: Bleaching alert area
Atmospheric Chemistry Mode
COsc: Carbon monoxide surface concentration
CO2sc: Carbon dioxide surface concentration
SO2sm: Sulfur dioxide surface mass
NO2: Nitrogen dioxide
Particulates Mode
DUex: Dust extinction (aerosol optical thickness, 550 nm)
PM1: Particulate matter < 1 µm
PM2.5: Particulate matter < 2.5 µm
PM10: Particulate matter < 10 µm
OMaot: Organic matter aerosol optical thickness (550 nm)
SO4ex: Sulfate extinction (aerosol optical thickness, 550 nm)
Space Mode
Aurora: Probability of visible aurora
Bio Mode
BAA: Bleaching alert area
Fires: Active fires
Animations
In any mode, the following animations can be viewed on the map:
Wind
Currents: Ocean surface currents
Waves: Peak wave period
Use Cases
Identify anomalies in climate-related conditions
Track density and spread of pollutants over time
Identify and track the spread of fires
Cost
All core features are free. The mobile app offers an optional paid subscription, which includes extra features such as snapshot sharing and a Favorites gallery to save notable weather events.
Level of difficulty
Requirements
No special setup is needed. The map works well on mobile devices and is optimized to handle graphics-intensive, large datasets smoothly. However, performance may be slower on older devices or outdated browsers.
Limitations
Secondary Source: This tool processes both historic and near real-time data from a number of sources. Data sources for each map layer are listed here. Always verify data through its original source.
Approximate Data Between Grid Points: Layers in Air Mode use Global Forecast System data, which is based on a global grid with points spaced 1° apart. This means the map is divided into squares that are 1 degree of latitude by 1 degree of longitude in size. For any location selected between these points, your browser computes a best-guess value using an estimation technique called bilinear interpolation. If the map's projection is changed while in Air Mode, an algorithm is used to estimate distortion during the interpolation process.
Air Mode is the only mode performing real-time interpolation. Other modes' layers should deliver the data exactly as their providers serve it.
Configuration Complexity and Inconsistencies: The site stores your settings (like chosen layer, date, projection and selected point) in the URL itself. While this allows for easy sharing and bookmarking, and specifying exact latitude/longitude, it can sometimes cause strange behavior when switching between layers, leading to temporary glitches that usually quickly fix themselves.
Errors Fetching 2013 Data: The interface allows the user to select dates as far back as January 2013, but for all modes, when a date prior to November 2013 is selected, an error message appears indicating that the data could not be retrieved. Some modes are not able to successfully fetch data until at least 2014.
Ethical Considerations
Do not overstate precision. Some layers of this map are based on model-based, interpolated data. It may not be precise at a hyper-local level and should be used as supporting context, not as definitive proof.
Use in combination with other sources. Cross-reference environmental data with satellite imagery, eyewitness reports or local measurements to avoid misinterpretation.
Avoid misleading visuals. Animated wind or pollution overlays can appear dramatic. Be careful not to exaggerate claims or mislead audiences based on the visual effect alone.
Guide
Tutorial by Michael Pidwirny, via British Columbia/Yukon Pressbooks
The site's About page includes detailed information about each layer of this map.
earth.nullschool.net news (tool provider's newsletter)
Tool provider
This map was created and is maintained by Cameron Beccario, who was born in the United States and is based in Japan. He can be found on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
Feedback about the map can be provided via this form.
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Courtney Cox
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