MY NASA DATAMY NASA DATACorrelation of Variables by Correlation of Variables by

GraphingGraphing

Sue BatsonSue Batson

Graphing of a FunctionGraphing of a FunctionSpeed on a Frictionless Surface

y = 2x + 2

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20Time (min)

Spee

d (m

i/hr)

Graphing of DataGraphing of DataSpeed on a Bobsled Track

y = 2.0192x + 1.7979

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0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20Time (min)

Spee

d (m

i/hr)

MND LAS dataMND LAS data• Monthly Surface Clear-Sky Temperature• Monthly Surface All-Sky LW Downward

Flux• Jan 1994 - Jan 2002• Two variable overlay of time plot

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

CorrelationCorrelation• Are these two variables related?• How does each seem to change with

time?• Plot them against one another.

Scatter PlotScatter PlotTemperature vs. Radiation

265.0

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225.0 250.0 275.0 300.0 325.0 350.0 375.0 400.0Radiation (Watts per square meter)

Tem

pera

ture

(Ke

lvin

)

MND LAS DataMND LAS Data• Monthly Snow Cover• Monthly Surface All-Sky LW Downward

Flux• Jan 1994 - Jan 2002• Two variable overlay of time plot

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

CorrelationCorrelation• Are these two variables related?• How does each seem to change with

time?• Plot them against one another.• Data will be different if snow cover is 0%.

Scatter PlotScatter PlotSnow Cover vs. Radiation

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230.0 250.0 270.0 290.0 310.0 330.0 350.0 370.0 390.0Radiation (Watts per square meter)

Snow

Cov

er

MND LAS DataMND LAS Data• Monthly Precipitation• Monthly Surface All-Sky LW Downward

Flux• Jan 1994 - Jan 2002• Two variable overly of time plot

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

CorrelationCorrelation• Are these two variables related?• How does each seem to change with

time?

Precipitation vs. Radiation

0.00

1.00

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7.00

250.0 270.0 290.0 310.0 330.0 350.0 370.0 390.0Radiation (Watts per square meter)

Prec

ipita

tion

(mm

/day

)

Student PracticeStudent Practice• You will choose two variables.• Prepare an overlay plot.• Make a prediction about the appearance

of a graph made by plotting one variable vs. the other.

• Graph the variables.• Draw a conclusion about the graph’s

appearance.