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EnglishHow to Use the Modes and Overlays on earth.nullschool.net
Updated
earth.nullschool.net is an animated global map of wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, generated from supercomputer forecasts and updated every three hours. To see different kinds of data, open the menu (labeled "earth Show/Hide Menu") and pick a mode first — this sets the broad category of data — then pick an overlay within that mode to choose the specific variable shown on the map. The mode and overlay controls are separate, so changing the overlay does not change the mode, and some overlays only make sense inside their own mode.
Step 1: Open the menu and choose a mode
Click the menu control to expand the panel. The mode buttons switch the entire dataset the map is drawing from:
- Air — atmospheric fields such as wind, temperature, and pressure.
- Ocean — ocean surface currents and wave data.
- Chem — atmospheric chemistry, including trace gases.
- Particulates — aerosol and particulate matter fields.
- Space — space weather, including aurora probability.
- Bio — biology-related fields, including bleaching alert areas.
The mode you select determines which overlays are available, so choose the mode before hunting for a specific variable.
Step 2: Pick an overlay inside the mode
Each mode exposes its own overlay list. Selecting an overlay changes the variable displayed on the animated map.
Air mode overlays
| Overlay | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| None | No overlay |
Ocean mode overlays
| Overlay | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Currents | Ocean currents |
| Waves | Peak wave period |
| HTSGW | Significant wave height |
| SST | Sea surface temperature |
| SSTA | Sea surface temperature anomaly |
| BAA | Bleaching alert area |
| None | No overlay |
Chem mode overlays
| Overlay | Meaning |
|---|---|
| COsc | Carbon monoxide surface concentration |
| CO₂sc | Carbon dioxide surface concentration |
| SO₂sm | Sulfur dioxide surface mass |
| NO₂ | Nitrogen dioxide |
Particulates mode overlays
| Overlay | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 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 overlays
| Overlay | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aurora | Probability of visible aurora |
Bio mode overlays
| Overlay | Meaning |
|---|---|
| BAA | Bleaching alert area |
| None | No overlay |
Step 3: Adjust the animation and altitude controls
Inside Air mode you also get animation and level controls that change what the map is actually showing:
- Animate — switch between Wind (wind animation) and Currents (ocean surface currents animation), plus Waves (peak wave period animation).
- Height — select the pressure level the data is drawn from: Sfc (surface), 1000, 850, 700, 500, 250, 70, and 10 hectopascals (hPa). Lower hPa values correspond to higher altitudes, so a 250 hPa view shows upper-level flow rather than surface conditions.
Step 4: Use the menu settings for units, date, and timezone
The same menu contains controls that affect how values are labeled and which forecast time is shown:
- Change Units — switch the unit system used for displayed values.
- Date — choose between Now (current conditions) and Choose Date to view a specific forecast date.
- Local / UTC and Change Timezone — control whether the displayed time is local or UTC.
- Data Source and Scale — shown alongside the time controls.
- Info Bar / date — show or hide the date information panel.
Step 5: Toggle grid, HD, and current position
These display toggles change how the map renders without changing the underlying data:
- Grid / Toggle Grid — turn the coordinate grid on or off.
- HD / High Definition Mode — switch to a higher-definition rendering.
- Current Position Mode — center the view on your current position.
- Start/Stop Animation — pause or resume the animated flow.
Step 6: Add annotations and change projection
- Annotation — add Fires (active fires) or None (no annotations).
- Projection — choose the map projection: A (Atlantis), CE (Conic Equidistant), E (Equirectangular), EQ (Equal Earth), O (Orthographic), P (Patterson), S (Stereographic), WB (Waterman Butterfly), or W3 (Winkel Tripel).
Common issues
- The map does not load correctly. The site itself suggests trying classic.nullschool.net as a fallback.
- An overlay seems missing. Overlays are scoped to modes — for example, PM2.5 only appears under Particulates, and Aurora only under Space. Switch modes first.
- The map looks like it is showing the wrong altitude. Check the Height selector; a non-surface hPa level will not match ground-level conditions.
- Times look off. Check whether Local or UTC is selected, and whether Now or Choose Date is active.
The interface is also available in multiple languages (including English, Čeština, Español, Français, हिन्दी, 日本語, 한국어, Português, Русский, 简体中文, and 繁體中文) via the language selector in the menu.