The new glossary mode allows you to browse the Earth Observatory in a new dynamic way. By activating the glossary mode, you can view each page with special terms highlighted that, when selected, will take you to the appropriate entry in the glossary.

For example, when you are viewing a page you will notice the glossary mode button (see right) under the main Earth Observatory header. When you click this button you will enter glossary mode and the page will show those terms which have descriptions in the glossary. To view the mode in action, click on the glossary mode button at the right and the sample paragraph below will show the relevant glossary terms. Click on any of the terms to view the glossary entry. To turn off glossary mode, simply click on the button again.

Sample paragraph:

Forest fires, brush fires, and slash and burn agriculture—types of biomass burning—are a significant force for environmental change, both locally and globally. Intentional deforestation by burning radically alters local landscapes. At regional scales, fires naturally shape ecosystems such as the boreal forest (Canada, Alaska, and Russia) and chapparral (Southern California). Globally, fires may play an important role in climate change, emitting both greenhouse gases and smoke particles (aerosols) into the atmosphere. These emissions almost certainly played a role in the 0.5° Celsius increase in the Earth's average surface temperature over the past 100 years.