C L I M A T E S C I E N T I S T COOL STEM CAREERS CHAPTER ONE CHANGING CLIMATES 4 CHAPTER TWO A BUSY SCHEDULE 12 CHAPTER THREE SCHOOL DAYS 20 CHAPTER FOUR FORECASTING THE FUTURE 26 SOME WELL-KNOWN CLIMATE SCIENTISTS 29 GLOSSARY 30 FOR MORE INFORMATION 31 INDEX 32 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Precipitation can make a day seem gloomy but it is an important part of a healthy climate COOL STEM CAREERS CLIMATE SCIENTIST 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y S K I L L S L I B R A R Y CHAPTER ONE CHANGING CLIMATES Walt sighed as he looked out the window and saw the heavy raindrops splattering on the sidewalk All it ever does is rain he complained Walt’s dad looked up from his laptop computer The weather forecast says the rain might finally clear up in a few days he said
I wish there were more sunny days so I could go outside Walt answered I’m bored of staying inside all the time Sorry said Walt’s dad That’s just the climate we live in Be glad you don’t live in a place where it never rains at all Why Walt asked That sounds great I could go outside and play every day Yes but you might not have any water to drink or food to eat replied Walt’s dad You might also be hot all of the time Climate is about more than just how the weather feels when you go outside Climate describes the conditions of the atmosphere such as precipitation and temperature in an area over a long period of time Wind speeds and humidity are also part of an area’s climate Measurements of these conditions over a shorter period of time are known as weather Weather is usually measured by the hour or day Climates on the other hand are often measured over periods of tens hundreds or even thousands of years An area’s climate has a major effect on everything in that area Atmospheric conditions determine which plants and animals survive Some places that are too hot or too dry for one species might be perfect for another Climate also affects an area’s soil and rocks These determine the types of structures that are built in an area or whether farmers can grow crops
