 It's known for its beauty and grace, but from a scientific point of view, what makes Bermuda unique amongst the world islands is that it's relatively flat. Only the atolls in the Pacific have similar elevations. This means no local clouds form over the island. Cloud cover in Bermuda is the same as in the ocean surrounding, which is why Charles Whitlock and his colleagues from NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia are here. Staying at the NASA tracking station on the northeast part of the island, they are conducting the first global surface radiation budget experiment to determine if climate models based on satellite information are accurate. One significant variable in climate modeling is the height of ocean clouds. The satellite soundings give us information on the cloud top altitudes because it sees the top, but it can tell us nothing about how thick the clouds are and how close they are to the surface of the earth. Scientists must estimate these factors, and to test the precision of their calculations, the Langley team has converted an old observation dome into a laser laboratory. A narrow green beam is pulsed from the control room into the sky. The amount of light bouncing off the clouds back into the instrument very accurately determines cloud heights. Measurements are taken at four very specific times a day. We wanted to take the meteorological data at the exact instant that the satellite was passing over to improve accuracy. A visual record of cloud conditions is also produced. A small camera in this protective metal housing is aimed at a reflective dome. The resulting images recorded along with dates and times provide more ground truth information. Instrument packages weighing about 40 pounds are also being used in the study. These measure the amounts of solar and thermal radiation reaching the ocean surface, important factors in climate modeling. Up to four weather balloons are prepared each day. Devices attached to the balloons obtain temperature and humidity readings through the atmosphere. Again launch times coincide with satellite overpasses. The surface radiation budget experiment is part of a world climate research program. Similar ground truth measurements are being made at sites around the globe. With this information we'll be able to better predict ocean warming, ice melt, crop growth as well as long term climatic patterns. A global surface radiation budget experiment ensuring that our picture of the world's climate is properly focused.