How glaciers give us a picture of past climates
Have you ever wanted to predict the future? Climate scientists start by looking at the past. They uncover historical information and compare it to current data to help predict what the climate will be like in the future. Glaciers offer a valuable record of past climates.
Climate vs. Weather
What’s the difference between climate and weather? Weather and climate both have to do with the temperature outside—but in different ways! Climate refers to the long-term pattern of weather in a specific location. This includes the average amounts of rain and snow, the temperature, wind levels, and the number of storms over a period of 30 years or more. The climate of your hometown is the typical weather you see year after year. Is there always lots of snow every winter? Are summers always hot and dry?
Weather refers to the day-to-day conditions outside. Is it warm or cold? Sunny or rainy? Weather is what you see out your window each day.
Some naturally occurring weather trends occur over longer periods, like a year. Have you ever heard of El Niño? El Niño is a weather event that lasts 9 to 12 months but doesn’t happen every year. During an El Niño period, the temperature of the eastern Pacific Ocean rises, causing some places in the United States and Canada to have unusually warm weather. Scientists track these patterns, enabling them to predict what kind of weather (warmer than usual, or cooler than usual) to expect in the months ahead. The last strong El Niño occurred in 2015–2016. La Niña is the opposite of El Niño. La Niña is when the eastern Pacific Ocean is cooler than usual.
Modern Climate Trends
This story is from the January 2019 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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This story is from the January 2019 edition of Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
