Once Upon a Big Idea: The Story of Inventions

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

Vanished civilisations * Pyramids * FEATURE: Tools & technology * Going Underground * Monumental statues * Defensive structures * FEATURE: The builders * Palaces of power * Reaching for the sky * Religious structures * Coping with climate change * A material world * FEATURE: Change of use * Famous landmarks * Cars, ships and trains * Getting from A to B * FEATURE: Reuse & recycle * Places for pleasure * Life after death * Out of this world * What will we build next? Location list: Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Libya, Cambodia, Crete, Mexico, Sudan, USA, Egypt, UK, Italy, Croatia, China, Chile, Brazil, Syria, Morocco, France, Siberia, Spain, India, Hungary, UAE, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia, Sweden, Mali, Bolivia, South Africa, Maldives, Thailand, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, Panama, Japan, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Antarctica, Outer space.