Books in Scientists in the Field series

One of the world's experts on hammerhead sharks, marine biologist Pete Klimley is fighting the stereotype of sharks as primitive and vicious killers. In fact, hammerheads exhibit some remarkably sophisticated social behaviors, including their schooling in the hundreds at underwater seamounts in the Pacific Ocean. To tell the story of these incredible animals, author Ken Mallory talked with Pete Klimley and then traveled to tiny Cocos Island, 330 miles off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. There, he had the chance of a lifetime to see these awe-inspiring animals up close.

In this addition to the critically-acclaimed Scientist in the Field series, scientist Robin Tanamachi and her team are trying to save countless lives across America’s heartland, chasing one tornado at a time. Robin Tanamachi has been captivated by tornadoes and extreme weather her entire life. When she realized people researched weather for a job, she was hooked. She now studies tornadogenesis, or how tornadoes form, and what causes them to get weaker versus strengthen. For her, driving around in a Doppler radar truck aiming towards storms is a normal day in the office. The data she collects is then modeled and studied on computers—with math, physics, and computer science working hand in hand with meteorology. At the end of the day, knowing exactly how, when, and where these violent storms happen can give more warning time for everyone involved.

The August 2017 solar eclipse is the chance of a lifetime for astronomer Shadia Habbal—years of planning come down to one moment of totality. Will everything go off as planned? On August 21, 2017, much of America stood still and looked up as a wide swath of the country experienced totality—a full solar eclipse. Even in areas outside the path of totality, people watched in awe as the moon cast its shadow on the sun. For most, this was simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not so for Shadia Habbal, who travels the world in search of solar eclipses in order to study the sun’s corona. Solar wind and storms originating in the corona can have big effects on our planet. They can disrupt technology, expose aircraft to radiation, and even influence global climate change. In the months leading up to the 2017 eclipse, Shadia assembles a team of scientists to set up camp with her in Mitchell, Oregon. Years earlier, a long, expensive trip to Indonesia to study an eclipse failed when the skies remained too cloudy to see it. Shadia is determined to have the 2017 eclipse be a success. Will the computers fail? Will smoke from nearby fires change direction? Will the cloudy skies clear in time? Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they count down the months, days, hours, and finally minutes until totality.

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.

On November 14, 1963, a volcano fifteen miles off the shore of Iceland exploded under the sea, resulting in a brand-new island. Scientists immediately recognized Surtsey for what it was: an opportunity to observe the way life takes hold. Loree Griffin Burns follows entomologist Erling Ólafsson on a five-day trip to Surtsey, where since 1970 he has studied the arrival and survival of insects and other species. Readers see how demanding conditions on Surtsey can be, what it’s like to eat and work while making the smallest impact possible, and the passion driving these remarkable scientists in one of the world’s most unique fields ever!

From acclaimed Scientists in the Field author Elizabeth Rusch comes the electrifying story of the scientists and engineers who are working to transform ocean waves into electricity. Journey to the wave-battered coast of the Pacific Northwest to meet some of the engineers and scientists working to harness the punishing force of our oceans, one of nature’s powerful and renewable energy sources. With an array of amazing devices that cling to the bottom of the sea floor and surf on the crests of waves, these explorers are using a combination of science, imagination, and innovation to try to capture wave energy in the hopes of someday powering our lives in a cleaner, more sustainable way.

Wild horses have roamed the shores of Assateague Island for centuries. As their population increases, however, they risk damaging the delicate area's ecosystem and being taken off the island. Dr. Ron Keiper and Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick have each made these wild horses their lives' work. Descriptive prose, solid science, and never-before-seen images of the reclusive Assateague herds reveal their fierce and untamed beauty.

In July of 2015, a robotic spacecraft reached Pluto after a nine-and-a-half-year journey. Explore with New Horizons in this new-to-paperback book about the first mission to Pluto, which revealed the ice dwarf and its five moons as they had never been seen before. Images from the mission show a reddish surface covered in mountains of frozen water, moving glaciers, hints of possible ice volcanoes, and an underground ocean. Pluto is geologically alive and changing! This addition to the Scientists in the Field series goes where no person or spacecraft has ever gone before. Journey with the team of scientists as they build New Horizons, fly it across the solar system, and make new discoveries about a world three billion miles away.

Follow the scientists working in the Pacific Northwest to learn about the orca whale population there, as they race to save these remarkable mammals from extinction. Perfect for fans of The Great White Shark Scientist and readers looking for excellent nonfiction on this high-interest animal. Orcas have a reputation for being bloodthirsty, but that myth is being debunked as scientists learn more about these "killer" animals. Readers follow scientists in the Pacific Northwest who study the nuanced communication patterns, family structure, and socialization of orca whales, from marine biologists to specialists in the study of sound. With stunning photography and attention to field-based detail, The Orca Scientists paints a vivid picture of the individuals who have made it their life's work to better understand orcas, as well as the whales they are helping to avoid extinction.

In July of 2015 a robotic spacecraft reached Pluto after a nine-and-half-year journey. New Horizons is the first spacecraft mission to Pluto and revealed its five moons as never before seen. Images from the mission show a reddish surface covered in ice-water mountains, moving glaciers, and hints of possible ice volcanoes and an underground ocean. Pluto is geologically alive and changing! This addition to the Scientists in the Field series goes where no person or spacecraft has ever gone before. Follow along with the team of scientists as they build New Horizons, fly it across the solar system, and make new discoveries about a world three billion miles away.

One of the biggest differences between humans and animals is the ability to understand the idea of “If I do X, Y might happen.” New Caledonian crows seem to possess the intelligence to understand this “causal” concept. Why do crows have this ability? What does the crow know and what does it tell us about brain size, the evolution of intelligence, and just who is the smartest creature on the planet? In the latest addition to the Scientists in the Field series, the creators of The Frog Scientist take us to a beautiful Pacific island, where a lively cast of both crows and scientists is waiting to amuse and enlighten us.

"Kids who need convincing that science isn't all white coats and test tubes will have their eyes opened here." --The Bulletin- Smithsonian Notable Book for Children- ALA Booklist starred review- Audubon Magazine, recommended nature book- Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Kids BooksWhen Paul Flaherty goes to work, he climbs into a four-engine WP-3D Orionturboprop plane and heads directly into the eye of a hurricane. Milesbelow, Hazel Barton's job in microbiology takes her to the depths of the world's most treacherous caves. And on the other side of the topsoil,way, way above the forest floor, Stephen Sillett passes his days (andsometimes his nights) in the canopies of the tallest trees on earth. Welcome to the work--and worlds--of extreme scientists. From hurricanes tocaves to the crowns of towering redwoods, these scientists battle someof the earth's most intense conditions in order to save lives, preservespecies, and help us to better understand the way our planet works..