extreme environments

For those who have ever wondered what it's like to stand on top of Mount Everest, this attention-grabbing book is the closest way to visit the world's highest places without getting vertigo. But readers will be surprised to learn that the label "highest place on Earth" is a controversial one. They'll find out about the contenders for the prize, including Mount Everest, Hawaii's Mauna Kea, and Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo. They'll also travel to some jaw-dropping tall buildings around the world. Beautiful, vivid photographs give readers a true sense of what it would be like to visit these unique sites.

Few people enjoy a rainy day, but many places around the globe are in great need of rain. Readers will learn why rain and other forms of precipitation are so important to people, plants, and animals. They'll visit the driest places on Earth, including the Atacama Desert, Antarctica's Dry Valleys, and Death Valley. Maps and photographs of these remarkable sites and others aid in geography skills, while topics such as irrigation, water conservation, and even mummification will further interest and inform readers.

"Follow along as [explorer Carsten Peter] heads into extreme places and reveals the science and background behindseemingly unexplainable natural places and phenomenon. Underlying each of his adventures is a dose of ... science, ... history, ... images, tips, gear & gadget advice, and more to help kids learn about the Earth and how they can help preserve the planet."--Publisher.

Explores what it is like to stand at the top of Mount Everest, providing stats on how high the mountain is and where it is located. Includes a discussion of whether or not Everest is really the highest point on Earth, comparing it with Hawaii's Mauna Kea and Ecuador's Mount Chimborazo.

The search for life in other worlds begins with the search for a habitable planet. This book explores the (3z(BGoldilocks Zone,(3y (Ba defined area that is perfect for harboring life in our universe. Readers will find out how scientists are finding habitable planets by using terrestrial and orbiting telescopes to search these regions. Readers will also get to know how extreme zones on Earth are helping scientists redefine their concept of (3z(Bhabitable(3y (Band what kind of life we might find. Fascinating full-color photographs and artist renderings from NASA illustrate this fascinating hunt.

Short of intergalactic travel or aliens landing on Earth, it may seem there is no way for us to learn about extraterrestrial life. However, as this captivating volume details, we may know more than we think. Science and sci-fi enthusiasts will be fascinated to discover that the conditions of various extreme environments on Earth—the Arctic, deep underground, and deep sea, to name a few—are analogous to those of various regions of space. By examining the terrestrial species—or extremophiles—that thrive in these conditions and their survival mechanisms, we can begin to understand extraterrestrial life before ever making contact.

Simple text and full-color photographs describe the coldest places on the planet.

Learn all about the wettest and driest places on Earth and find out what it takes for life to survive in these extreme locations.

An anesthesiologist and NASA adviser explores how pioneering doctors and scientists have built on findings about the body's response to extreme environments and physical challenges to develop such medical innovations as open-heart surgery, skin grafts, and trauma care.

Everyone has experienced hot days in which it's hard to move without sweating. Readers will realize those days were cool compared to some of the sweltering locations vividly described within the pages of this volume. Death Valley, the Sahara, and Ethiopia are highlighted in text and on maps in this trip around the globe in search of Earth's hottest places. Why some locations are so hot, different ways of measuring temperature, and the health risks of extreme heat are just a few of the topics touched upon in this book, compatible with any science and social studies collection.