GLOBE Spatial Scales
When entering a new case, the user is asked to enter the site area in km2 of the case as reported in the case source. This site area is then assigned a standard spatial scale relative to GLOBE Land Units (GLU; ~100 km2 hexagons) as described in the rubric in the table below. Case data quality is then computed in part based on whether the reported site area is the same scale as the area computed from the geometry used to map the case (conformance score).
| Code | Scale_Name | Definition | GLU Scale | Examples |
| unknown | unknown | Scale is unknown. | Unknown | Whenever inadequate information is available to describe the spatial scale. |
| local | local | areas < 1 ha (100 x 100 m) | << 1 GLU | Small plots typical of ecological field studies, parcels of farmers and other land users; short streams and roads. |
| landscape | landscape | areas > 1 ha to 100 km2 | < 1 GLU | Areas larger than plots, but typically smaller than a GLU. Landscape studies, farm fields, villages, towns, suburbs, urban neighborhoods, small cities; rivers, roads. |
| sregion | small region | areas > 100 km2 to 1000 km2 | > 1 to 10 GLU | Areas larger than 1 but smaller than 10 GLU. Cities, counties, regions, smaller provinces and states; rivers, highway systems. |
| lregion | large region | areas > 1000 km2 | > 10 GLU | Areas larger than 10 GLU. Provinces, states, regions, biomes, nations, continents, etc. |