Global Climate Change, NASA"Global Climate Change is a multimedia Web site featuring photographs, movies, animations, interactive graphics, and other engaging presentations of NASA's research into climate change. The first thing the visitor sees at the top of the main page is a summary, Vital Signs of the Planet, divided into the following sections: Arctic Sea Ice Minimum, Carbon Dioxide, Sea Level, Global Temperature, and Ozone Hole. Each section/topic contains a rollover drop-down graphic with a link to further information. A side menu offers various choices including Key Indicators, Evidence, Causes, Effects, Uncertainties, Solutions, NASA's Role, and Missions. Each leads to a page of information in various attractive, easy-to-understand formats. Of special note on the menu are Images of Change, a collection of photo pairs of the same subject taken several decades apart to show changes, and Climate Reel, a collection of videos, animated visuals, and image features. The front page also offers a News and Features section, and Cool Stuff, which leads to interactive graphics and animations such as Hot Challenge (quiz on global warming), Climate Time Machine, and The Water Cycle, which follows the path of water in the Earth's climate system.
There is no search engine, but the site is easy to navigate through the main menu that appears on each page except for some of the special features, which open new windows. Updates are recent, no broken links were found, and users can easily locate the names of the site manager, Webmaster, and other responsible parties. This attractive site, with many features designed to appeal to students and the general public, presents a compelling introduction to a topic vital in today's world." from Choice, September 2010.