Eye of the Storm: Nasa, Drones, and the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code (Scientists in the Field)

by Amy Cherrix (Author)

Eye of the Storm: Nasa, Drones, and the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code (Scientists in the Field)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

With stunning photos, detailed maps, and infographics, Amy Cherrix takes readers on a trip into the eye of the storm of hurricane danger zones as she chronicles a team of daring NASA scientists looking to discover the future of the hurricane forecast.

Ten million Americans live in hurricane danger zones, but how do we know if or when to evacuate? We must predict both when a storm will strike and how strong it will be. A daring NASA earth science mission may have finally found a way to crack this hurricane code.

Dr. Scott Braun is the principal investigator for the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel mission (HS3), which flies repurposed military drone over hurricanes so that scientists can gather data. But the stakes are high and time is running out.

In the first Scientists in the Field book entirely about weather, meet the NASA team on the cutting edge of meteorological field science. 

Select format:
Paperback
$11.99

More books in the series - See All

Kirkus

Suggest to able teen readers who already have the appropriate background knowledge.

ALA/Booklist

The team's mission unfolds in such a gripping fashion that readers will be hooked. This book will be particularly eye-opening to those with an interest in severe weather.

None

Cherrix provides clear and informative background on storm formation . . .

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--Opening with a tragic anecdote about a Staten Island family displaced and disrupted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the narrative quickly shifts to its central topic, the physics of hurricane formation and the research being done at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, located on the eastern shore of Virginia. Though the story is occasionally unfocused, the bulk of the text outlines efforts to improve understanding of a hurricane's early stages using data gathered by a Global Hawk drone, a demonstration aircraft retired from the U.S. Air Force. Personal profiles of many of the scientists detail training and interests and offer a window into the life of a researcher. Much information is provided about the aircraft's instrumentation, the work of the meteorologists on the ground, and the slow-paced "office work" of operating the drone from a computer at the Virginia facility. Edifying sidebars examine tangential topics such as the ecology of nearby Chincoteague Island, the backgrounds of NASA meteorologists, and the different flight patterns of the drone. A closing chapter gives overviews of other cyclonic storms in recent history and suggests implications for the research in a broader context. The volume is abundantly illustrated with photos of the research facility, the equipment, and the people who use and maintain it, as well as with numerous maps, charts, and other graphics. VERDICT Well researched and engagingly written, this is an occasionally fascinating entry on hurricane prediction for middle schoolers. Robust science collections should consider.--Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes


Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780544411654
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
April 25, 2017
Series
Scientists in the Field
BISAC categories
JNF051010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Aeronautics, Astronautics & Space Science
JNF051160 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Disasters
JNF051170 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Discoveries
JNF037080 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Earth Sciences - Weather
Library of Congress categories
Drone aircraft
Hurricanes
Storm chasers

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!