UXL Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters

Cover Page......Page 1
Title Page......Page 3
ISBN 1414418795......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 5
Scope and format......Page 7
Acknowledgements......Page 8
1643......Page 9
1860......Page 10
1906......Page 11
1969......Page 12
2007......Page 13
agricultural report:......Page 14
avalanche:......Page 15
calvus:......Page 16
coalescence:......Page 17
conventional radar:......Page 18
debris avalanche:......Page 19
downdraft:......Page 20
El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO):......Page 21
fair-weather waterspout:......Page 22
foreshock:......Page 23
global warming:......Page 24
hair hygrometer:......Page 25
humiture index:......Page 26
intortis:......Page 27
lahar:......Page 28
loose-snow avalanche:......Page 29
Milankovitch theory:......Page 30
NEXRAD:......Page 31
ozone layer:......Page 32
polar easterlies:......Page 33
radar:......Page 34
ridge:......Page 35
semipermanent highs and lows:......Page 36
smokejumper:......Page 37
subsidence:......Page 38
tornadic waterspout:......Page 39
tropopause:......Page 40
upwelling:......Page 41
waterspout:......Page 42
wind turbine:......Page 43
windward:......Page 44
It starts with the Sun......Page 45
Try this: How the seasons change......Page 46
Heat and temperature......Page 49
Who’s who: Joseph Black......Page 50
The atmosphere: Where weather occurs......Page 52
Who’s who: Antoine Lavoisier......Page 53
Who’s who: John Dalton......Page 54
A key reference to: Laws of air pressure......Page 55
Who’s who: Blaise Pascal......Page 56
Wind: Air in motion......Page 57
A key reference to: How the horse latitudes and doldrums got their names......Page 61
Air masses......Page 66
Fronts: Where the action is......Page 69
What is a storm?......Page 71
Water in the air......Page 75
Akeyreferenceto:Whyyoufeel cooler after a shower......Page 76
A key reference to: Why people use humidifiers and dehumidifiers......Page 77
Condensation......Page 78
Weather report: Supercooled water......Page 79
Cloud formation......Page 82
Clouds and precipitation......Page 88
Who’s who: Alfred Wegener......Page 90
Land and weather......Page 92
Oceans and weather......Page 94
For More Information......Page 99
Climate......Page 101
A key reference to: Climate types (hot/wet to cold/dry)......Page 108
What to watch......Page 125
Weather report: Emperor penguins......Page 127
A key reference to: Climates of the United States......Page 130
Who’s who: Jean Louis Agassiz, discoverer of ice ages......Page 132
Experiment: Create a weather ‘‘log’’......Page 149
Cloud classification systems......Page 151
Experiment: Make a cloud in a bottle......Page 154
Middle clouds......Page 156
High clouds......Page 158
Vertical clouds......Page 162
Variations in cloud base heights......Page 166
Cloud species......Page 167
A key reference to: Learning to identify clouds......Page 168
Unusual clouds......Page 170
Cloud identification and forecasting......Page 175
Weather report: Keep a cloud journal......Page 179
Precipitation......Page 181
Weather report: The shape of a raindrop......Page 183
A key reference to: Measuring the intensity of rainfall......Page 186
Weather report: Rainmaking......Page 188
Weather report: Ice and aircraft......Page 190
Question: Why do we salt icy roads?......Page 192
Can two snowflakes be alike?......Page 195
Weather report: Lake-effect snow......Page 196
A key reference to: Winter storm alerts and safety procedures......Page 198
Weather report: Snow rollers......Page 199
Weather report: Hail alley......Page 201
For More Information......Page 202
The Mount Huascara´ n avalanche of 1962......Page 205
Reports from the past: Ancient avalanches......Page 210
Eyewitness report: An English avalanche?......Page 211
Recent events: The 1998–99 Swiss avalanche......Page 213
Watch this: ‘‘Avalanche!’’......Page 214
Aftermath: The effects of avalanches......Page 218
Eyewitness report: The Wellington disaster......Page 219
The human factor......Page 220
Eyewitness report: The Iceman appears......Page 225
Reports from the past: Avalanche casualties in World War I......Page 226
For More Information......Page 227
The blizzard of 1888......Page 229
Recent events: Catastrophic blizzards......Page 233
Dangerous science: How blizzards happen......Page 234
Consequences of blizzards......Page 235
A key reference to: The structure of snowflakes......Page 236
Extreme weather: The New England blizzard of 1978......Page 239
Technology connection......Page 241
Extreme weather: The great Midwest blizzard of 1967......Page 243
Experiment: Freezing salty water......Page 246
Reports from the past: Tragedy at Donner Pass......Page 247
For More Information......Page 249
The African Sahel: Devastated by drought......Page 251
What causes a drought?......Page 257
Question: Is global warming causing droughts?......Page 260
The water cycle......Page 261
Experiment: How rainfall affects soil......Page 263
The human factor......Page 264
Drought in Australia......Page 267
How to survive a heat wave......Page 268
The technology connection......Page 269
For More Information......Page 272
Dust Storm......Page 273
The Dust Bowl......Page 274
Eyewitness report: A first-hand account of the Dust Bowl......Page 280
On the shelf: Dust Bowl migrants immortalized in TheGrapesofWrath......Page 284
Dangerous science: How dust storms happen......Page 286
Consequences of dust storms......Page 288
Dust devils......Page 290
On the shelves: DustBowlDiary......Page 291
Extreme weather: Dust storm accidents......Page 292
For More Information......Page 293
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake......Page 295
Most intense earthquakes in U.S. history......Page 301
Recent events: Catastrophic earthquakes since 2000......Page 302
Dangerous science: What causes earthquakes?......Page 304
Reports from the past: Prehistoric earthquakes point to the future......Page 306
Experiment: Understanding plate tectonics......Page 309
Pre-Renaissance artwork destroyed by earthquakes......Page 311
Kobe earthquake of 1995......Page 312
Turkey’s earthquakes of 1999......Page 314
Earthquakes usher in year 2001......Page 316
Technology connection: Measuring and predicting earthquakes......Page 318
Earthquake rattles Washington State......Page 323
A matter of survival: How can we live through earthquakes?......Page 324
For More Information......Page 326
Defining El Niño\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0......Page 327
The 1997 to 1998 El Niño\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0......Page 328
Weather report: El Niño is hardest on the poor......Page 335
Weather report: United States has typical El Niño winter in 1997-98......Page 336
Dangerous science: What causes an El Niño?......Page 337
Experiment: Measuring atmospheric pressure......Page 341
Who’s who: Jacob Bjerknes and ENSO......Page 342
Who’s who: Sir Gilbert Walker and the Southern Oscillation......Page 343
Weather report: Shifting air pressure patterns in the North Atlantic......Page 344
oandthe anchovy industry......Page 346
A key reference to: How El Niño reaches Africa and India......Page 347
Weather report: El Niño weather around the world......Page 348
The 1982–83 El Niño\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0......Page 350
Did you know: El Niño bleaches coral reefs......Page 354
Orangutans struggle to survive......Page 355
A key reference to: El Niño since 1950......Page 358
Watch this: ‘‘Chasing El Niño\"......Page 359
Exploring: Take a virtual cruise on a research ship......Page 362
A key reference to: El Niño warning signs......Page 363
For More Information......Page 364
Coastal floods......Page 365
On the shelves: TheEpicof Gilgamesh......Page 367
River floods and flash floods......Page 368
Watch this: RiverVoices:A PortraitofanAmericanRiver Community.......Page 369
Weather report: Flash flood alerts and safety procedures......Page 370
Did you know? Floods and the spread of disease......Page 372
Extreme weather: Killer flash floods......Page 373
Watch this: TheJohnstown Flood.......Page 374
China’s Joy; China’s Sorrow......Page 375
Did you know? Dams for flood control......Page 376
Floods in popular music......Page 377
Extreme weather: The Grand Forks flood of 1997......Page 378
For More Information......Page 379
Radiation fog......Page 381
Advection fog......Page 383
Experiment: Make fog in a jar......Page 384
Sea fog......Page 385
Weather report: Smothered by sea fog......Page 386
Did you know? Driving in fog......Page 388
Freezing fog......Page 389
Fog stratus......Page 390
For More Information......Page 391
Hurricane......Page 393
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans, Gulf Coast......Page 394
Weather extremes: The Galveston disaster......Page 397
Recent events: Catastrophic hurricanes since 2000......Page 398
The components and causes of a hurricane......Page 402
Is global warming producing more hurricanes?......Page 403
Weather report: Comparing hurricanes and extratropical storms......Page 406
Interesting facts: ‘‘Hurricane Huron’’......Page 407
Hurricane Linda sets a record......Page 409
Extreme weather: Sea Islands storm......Page 412
Tracking Katrina......Page 416
The effects of hurricanes......Page 418
The human factor......Page 424
The U.S. government’s failed Katrina response......Page 425
Hurricane Andrew: The costliest natural disaster of the twentieth century......Page 428
Watch this: WhentheLevees Broke:ARequieminFourActs......Page 432
For More Information......Page 434
Landslide......Page 435
The Frank slide......Page 437
Recent devastating landslides......Page 441
Mudflows strike southern Italy......Page 442
Experiment: What triggers a landslide?......Page 443
Garbage landslide in the Philippines......Page 447
Sinkholes......Page 450
Consequences of landslides......Page 452
The human factor......Page 453
The Yosemite rockfall......Page 454
Landslides in Southern California......Page 455
World’s deadliest landslide: Gansu, China......Page 456
Housing development collapses in the Philippines......Page 458
For More Information......Page 459
La Niña......Page 461
A cooling of the waters......Page 463
La Niña, El Niño, or normal?......Page 464
La Niña and the jet stream......Page 465
Effects of La Niña\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0......Page 466
The 1998–2000 La Niña\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0......Page 467
A key reference to: The water cycle......Page 468
For More Information......Page 472
Sea and land breezes......Page 475
Mountain and valley breezes......Page 477
Katabatic winds......Page 478
Experiment: How canyons affect wind speed......Page 480
Weather report: Chinooks to remember......Page 482
Weather report: The losing battle against Mother Nature......Page 484
On the shelves: Leaningonthe Wind:UndertheSpellofthe GreatChinook......Page 485
Weather report: Daunting dust devils......Page 490
Weather extremes: The Great Blue Norther of 11/11/11......Page 491
Weather extremes: Ravaging nor’easters......Page 492
Weather extremes: Destructive derechos......Page 493
Weather report: Hot winds and human health......Page 495
Weather extremes: The windiest places in the world......Page 497
Did you know? Snow fences......Page 501
For More Information......Page 502
Bangladesh’s monsoon floods of 1998......Page 503
Experiencing the monsoon: An eyewitness account......Page 510
Dangerous science: Monsoon......Page 512
Experiment: Convection currents in the atmosphere......Page 514
Consequences of monsoons......Page 515
The Arizona monsoon......Page 516
The collapse of the Manchu River Dam......Page 518
Edmund Halley studies monsoons......Page 519
oonIndia’s monsoons......Page 520
For More Information......Page 521
The color of light......Page 523
The scattering of light......Page 525
The refraction of light......Page 528
Experiment: The refraction of light by water......Page 529
Experiment: Create your own green flash......Page 530
Did you know? The origin of Fata Morgana......Page 534
The diffraction of light......Page 539
Experiment: Make your own rainbow......Page 540
The Brocken Spectre......Page 542
For More Information......Page 543
Thunderstorm......Page 545
Evolution of thunderstorms......Page 546
Experiment: Lightning in your mouth......Page 549
Weather report: Where thunderstorms occur......Page 551
Types of thunderstorms......Page 553
Thunderstorm-associated phenomena......Page 560
Weather report: Lightning safety......Page 561
Who’s who: Benjamin Franklin......Page 562
Weather report: The color of lightning......Page 567
How close is a thunderstorm?......Page 569
Weather report: Lightning rods......Page 571
Red sprites, blue jets, and elves......Page 572
Who’s who: Tetsuya Theodore Fujita......Page 574
For More Information......Page 576
Tornado......Page 577
Tri-state tornado delivers death and destruction......Page 578
Eyewitness account of destruction in Murphysboro......Page 582
TheOklahomaCitytwisterof1999......Page 584
Dangerous science: How tornadoes form......Page 586
The Fujita scale of tornado intensity......Page 588
Life cycles of tornadoes......Page 591
An eyewitness account of a tornado......Page 593
Who’s who: Howard Bluestein and the Storm Chasers......Page 594
Waterspouts......Page 596
The human factor......Page 597
Weather report: Exploding chicken feathers......Page 598
Tornado destroys Jarrell, Texas......Page 599
Lax mobile home regulations in Florida......Page 600
Experiment: Tornado in a bottle......Page 601
Killer tornadoes in Bangladesh......Page 602
NOAA Weather Radio......Page 604
A matter of survival......Page 605
How to tell when a tornado is coming......Page 606
For More Information......Page 607
Tsunami......Page 609
Tsunami devastates Papua New Guinea......Page 610
The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004......Page 615
Dangerous science: How tsunamis happen......Page 616
Tsunami in Hilo, Hawaii......Page 618
Consequences of tsunamis......Page 621
Sanriku, Japan, socked by tsunamis......Page 622
The technology connection......Page 623
Japanese tale recounts Shimoda tsunami......Page 626
Amatterofsurvival......Page 627
Notable tsunamis in history......Page 628
For More Information......Page 629
Volcano......Page 631
The eruption of Mount St. Helens......Page 632
Famous volcano eruptions......Page 635
Mount Vesuvius: Destruction preserved......Page 638
The legend of Atlantis......Page 640
On the shelves: FireintheSea......Page 641
Volcanoes in the United States......Page 648
Consequences of volcanic eruptions......Page 649
Technology connection......Page 654
Amatterofsurvival......Page 657
Bizarre lava formations......Page 658
For More Information......Page 659
Wildfire......Page 661
Notes of a Montana resident during fire season......Page 664
The Peshtigo fire......Page 674
Dangerous science: How wildfires happen......Page 675
Consequences of wildfires......Page 683
A possible connection between wildfires and global warming......Page 685
The Yellowstone fires......Page 686
Fighting fires: The technology connection......Page 688
Fire-fighting planes......Page 691
Shelters save firefighters’ lives......Page 694
Smokey Bear......Page 695
For More Information......Page 696
What is a forecast?......Page 699
Who’s Who: Hurd Willett......Page 704
Chaos theory and butterfly effect......Page 707
What can be forecast and when?......Page 708
A key reference to: Fahrenheit and Celsius scales......Page 712
Experiment: Make your own paper hygrometer......Page 720
Air pressure can be described in units of length or pressure......Page 722
Akeyreferenceto:TheBeaufort scale......Page 730
State-of-the-art forecasting equipment......Page 733
Who’s who: Tom Kudloo, aerologist......Page 735
Who’s who: Lewis Fry Richardson, forecaster by the numbers......Page 747
Akeyreferenceto:Thehumiture index......Page 751
Forecasting in the media......Page 757
Weather report: Wooly Lamb— the first weather reporter......Page 759
A key reference to: The marvelous chroma key......Page 760
Using forecasts......Page 763
The future of forecasting......Page 765
Weather report: Marine forecast......Page 766
For More Information......Page 768
Elements of Climate......Page 771
History of Climate Change......Page 774
Comets......Page 775
Reasons for Climate Change......Page 780
Ways to Measure Climate Change......Page 790
Global warming......Page 794
Watch this: AnInconvenient Truth......Page 795
Why melting icebergs don’t contribute to rising sea levels......Page 802
Antarctic penguin species declining......Page 807
Global warming and the United States......Page 809
The future of global warming......Page 811
For More Information......Page 812
Air pollution......Page 815
What level is healthy?......Page 827
Even natural areas suffer from smog......Page 829
Ways You Can Reduce Smog......Page 830
What do lawn mowers and airplanes have in common?......Page 831
Acid rain......Page 832
Clean Air Act takes aim at acid rain......Page 835
Trout streams suffering in Virginia......Page 836
How acidic is acid rain?......Page 837
Experiment: Testing for Acid Rain......Page 838
The global warming/ozone thinning connection......Page 842
Environmentally friendly sources of power......Page 843
Environmental concerns about electric and hybrid cars......Page 846
Biodiesel......Page 847
Jump on the solar power bandwagon!......Page 851
Saving the planet......Page 855
A matter of survival......Page 856
Books......Page 857
Periodicals......Page 861
Web Sites......Page 866
A......Page 870
B......Page 873
C......Page 875
D......Page 879
E......Page 881
F......Page 884
G......Page 886
H......Page 888
I......Page 890
K......Page 891
L......Page 892
M......Page 894
N......Page 896
P......Page 898
R......Page 901
S......Page 903
T......Page 907
U......Page 910
W......Page 911
Y,Z......Page 914