Answers
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What Is El Niño?
The temperature of the ocean's surface has a far-reaching effect on weather.
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Weather Science Fair
Need some ideas for a weather science fair project?
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How to Escape Rip Currents
Wave, yell and swim parallel.
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What Causes Tides?
Tides are a complicated dance between gravity and inertia.
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A Brief History of Lightning Detection
Really? A tool to detect lightning? It's pretty hard to miss, isn't it?
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How Do Snowflakes Form?
How does water form such intricate designs up there in the clouds?
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Tidal Curiosities
Why do tide cycles take 24 hours and 50 minutes? What is a neap tide? And more.
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The Solar Cycle
Learn about storms on the sun!
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What Is a Heat Wave?
And how can I stay safe during one?
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What Is the Coriolis Effect?
And what does it have to do with hurricanes?
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The California Drought
It’s the worst drought in 1,200 years, so what do we do?
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Grow Snow Crystals
See how temperature affects the shape of snowflakes.
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Why Does Wind Blow?
It's all about temperature.
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Meet a GOES-R Series Weather Satellite
A series of new, high-tech satellites that will be orbiting 22,000 miles above Earth
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What Is a Gust Front?
Fast winds that fall from thunderstorms
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Rainbow Clouds
Cloud iridescence looks amazing
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Why Do Leaves Change Color?
In the fall, leaves turn bright red, orange, and yellow. But where do these colors come from?
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What Is La Niña?
Learn about this weather pattern.
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Auroras
Even though auroras are best seen at night, they are actually caused by the sun.
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Rainbow Simulator
See how angles and distances affect your view of rainbows.
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Hurricane Simulation
Explore the relationship between sea surface temperatures and hurricane strength.
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Tornado Simulator
Adjust the width and pressure difference of a tornado and watch what happens
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Storm Surge
One of the most dangerous parts of a hurricane.
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Precipitation Simulator
Can you make it rain, snow, and hail? Try it out!
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What is science?
Facts you learn in a science book or a wonderful way of looking at the world?
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How do satellites help save lives?
Find out in this edition of Wild Weather Jobs.
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Why Is the Sky Blue?
This may sound like an easy question... it's not!
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How did Earth's atmosphere form?
Earth is on its third atmosphere! We wouldn't have liked the first two at all!
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Be Ready to Help
Ever wonder how you can help out?
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What Causes a Rainbow?
Learn how to be in the right place at the right time.
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How Big Was Typhoon Haiyan?
Satellite images show just how huge it was.
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How do you make a weather satellite?
It is easy to understand and fun to think about in this little book.
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How's the weather on other planets?
If you think Earth can have bad weather, check out these places!
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What Is Lake Effect Snow?
Why do areas near big lakes get so much snow?
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What is NOAA?
Learn about NOAA!
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Why Do Satellites Have Different Orbits?
Learn about the difference between a geosynchronous and polar orbit.
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What Makes It Rain?
And what causes snow, hail, and ice rain?
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Why Does the Atmosphere Not Drift off Into Space?
After all, it is only air. What keeps it here?
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How does weather on the Sun affect us?
What is space weather, and why should we care?
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What Causes Lightning and Thunder?
What is the source of all the blinding light and earth-shaking sound?
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What Is a Solstice?
And what does Stonehenge have to do with it?
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What Is the Scientific Method?
There are certain steps to follow, but science doesn't always follow them!
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Why Does Earth Have Seasons?
The answer may surprise you, since Earth is farthest from the Sun in July.
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How Do Tornadoes Form?
These are the most violent storms on Earth. Can we forecast them even better?
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What Is the Polar Vortex?
And how does it cause such a freeze?
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When disaster strikes!
Families need to know where to find the stuff they need.
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Steps in a Science Fair Project
Where shall I begin? How will I pick a topic?
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What Can Cause Severe Flooding?
How do massive floods happen?
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What's the Difference Between Fog and Clouds?
Aren't they the same thing?
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What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
Is it news or is it history?
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What Is a Derecho?
And why are they so destructive?
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Keeping an Eye on Volcanic Ash
To an aircraft, a volcanic ash cloud is like a sky full of broken glass.
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How Does a Hurricane Form?
And what does Category 5 mean?
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Hi, I'm JPSS!
I’m a high-tech weather satellite that orbits our planet.
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How to Read a Weather Map
What do those symbols mean for tomorrow’s weather?
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Seeing a Solar Eclipse From Space
What do satellites see during a solar eclipse?
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What Is an Ice Jam?
As winter melts away, chunks of ice can jam up rivers and cause flooding.
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What Are the Different Climate Types?
The world is split up into climate zones. Do you know which zone you live in?
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What Is a Nor'easter?
Learn about this type of storm that forms along the East Coast of North America.
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What Is a Firestorm?
Some wildfires grow so large that they can create their own weather system.
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Types of Clouds
Learn about common cloud types and what they can tell us about the weather!
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What Is the Gulf Stream?
Learn more about this strong ocean current!
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How Reliable Are Weather Forecasts?
It all depends on how far in advance you’re trying to forecast!
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How Is Air Quality Measured?
Satellites orbiting above Earth monitor what’s in our air.
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Video: Why Don't Satellites Fall out of the Sky?
How do they all stay up there?
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What Is a Red Tide?
A red tide is a toxic event that occurs on the coastline when algae—a plant-like organism—grows out of control. Learn more about what causes these toxic events and how they can be dangerous to people and animals.
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What Is a Dust Storm?
Learn all about these walls of dust that can be miles long and several thousand feet high.
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Video: How Do Wildfires Spread?
Learn about how conditions in the weather and environment can cause these uncontrolled fires to spread more quickly—and how we use weather satellites to help us stay safe.
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Video: What Causes a Thunderstorm?
All thunderstorms have the same basic ingredients. Watch this video to learn more!
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What Is Precipitation?
This infographic will teach you about precipitation!
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What Causes a Flood?
How do atmospheric conditions and an area’s geography cause a flood?
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What Causes a Drought?
Droughts are caused by unusually dry weather — but they don't just happen in dry places, like deserts. Find out why.
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What Is the Jet Stream?
Learn about these fast-moving ribbons of air that are high in our atmosphere.
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What Are Trade Winds?
Learn about how these winds that are important for sailors also influence our weather.
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What Are High and Low Pressure Systems?
Is air super heavy?
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What Is an Atmospheric River?
Learn more about these moving columns of water vapor in the sky!
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What Is Humidity?
Humidity is, in general, a measure of water vapor in the air.
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Contrail Simulation
Explore what causes contrails in this simulation!