Extreme Weather for Kids

Preface
Introduction
 
Chapter 1: Predicting the Weather
What makes the weather? 
What are seasons? 
Making observations 
Making predictions 
What do we know and when?
Activity: Make your own weather map 
 
Chapter 2: Storm systems
What is the Coriolis Force? 
Why weather systems rotate
Low pressure systems
High pressure systems
The General Circulation
Storm Systems
What’s the jet stream?
Activity
 
Chapter 3: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
What makes severe weather? 
Ordinary thunderstorms 
Squall lines
Supercells: The King of Thunderstorms
Hail
Tornadoes
Activity: Make your own tornado 
 
Chapter 4: Precipitation and drought
What is humidity? 
How much air can the water hold?
Floods
Monsoons
Atmospheric rivers
Drought
Activity: Make a cloud in a bottle
 
Chapter 5: Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones
What makes a hurricane?
Where do hurricanes form? 
Storms around the world
Hurricane Hazards
Anatomy of a hurricane
Hurricane evacuations
Activity: make a hurricane kit
 
Chapter 6: Winter storms and blizzards
What makes snow?
Different precipitation types
Different types of snowstorms
Nor’easters
“Classic” snowstorms 
Mountain snowstorms
Lake-effect snows 
Ocean-effect snows
Squalls 
Activity: Finding the water content of snow
 
Chapter 7: Rainbows, fogbows and sights in the sky
What color is sunlight?
What makes a rainbow?
Double rainbows 
Supernumerary and reflected light bows 
Fogbows, moon bows, pollen bows, etc
Haloes
Light pillars 
Activity: Make a rainbow
 
Chapter 8: Sights and Storms in Space
What is a solar storm? When do they occur?
How does “space weather” affect earth? 
Where can I see the northern (southern) lights?
How do scientists predict space weather?
Eclipses
Activity: Make a pinhole projector
 
Chapter 9: Climate change 
Weather versus climate
How climate change works
Different “stable states” of Earth
How the climate changes naturally (Milankovich cycles)
How climate change affects the weather 
Activity: NASA Citizen Science projects
 
Chapter 10: Other natural disasters
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Volcanic eruptions
Landslides
Wildfires
Activity: Make an Oreo earthquake 
 
Glossary
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index