For some background information on U.S. involvement in polar research in Antarctica go the USAP website. There is information there about the treaties governing research in Antarctica.
Dear Eric: We are the fourth grade at Hillel Day School where Mrs. Sokol is the assistant Head of School. We will be following your adventures in Antarctica. Every day we track the weather at McMurdo station by going on line and seeing their website. We would like to know: what food do you eat, how do you keep warm, how many layers of clothing do you have to wear to keep warm, what language does everyone there speak, is Antarctica all snow, what equipment do you use and how heavy is it, how many hours of daylight are on Antarctica? Have a good day! Mrs. Radner's Fourth Grade Class November 1, 2010
Hi Mrs. Radner's class. That's a lot of questions. I don't know the answers to all of them yet. Right now I am in Christchurch, New Zealand at the United States Antarctic Program office. This is where I will get my cold weather clothes and catch a plane to McMurdo. Apparently a lot of people go to McMurdo, but not all of them are scientists. During the summer (winter time in North America) there can be as many as 1500 people at McMurdo. A lot of these people are there to make sure the research base runs smoothly (i.e., electircians, cooks, mountaineers, administrators, etc.).
McMurdo is a US run base, so probably most people there speak English. Antarctica is governed by an international treaty that says many different countries can have scientists there to do research, and no one country owns any part of Antarctica. Other countries, like France and Italy, have their own research facilities, and they probably speak mostly French and Italian there.
Antarctica is mostly covered by Glaciers, so it is mostly snow and ice (I think something like 95% snow and ice). However, I will be working in the Dry Valleys, which are near McMurdo. The Dry Valleys are very cold deserts and get very little precipitation. I think the Dry Valleys are dry because of where they are in relation to the Transantarctic Mountain Range and due to the effect of the Katabatic Winds. I will post more about why the Dry Valleys are dry as I learn more about them.
I am supposed to get my personal equipment later today, so I'll write more about that later.
The amount of daylight in Antarctica depends on two things: lattitude and time of year. If you are below the Antarctic Circle, it is light 24 hours a day in the summer. The Dry Valleys and McMurdo are below the Antarctic Circle, so there will be a lot of daylight while I am there. In the winter, it will be very dark and cold.
Thanks for your questions. I'll try to keep up the communication while I'm there.
Dear Eric, Thank you for writing to us. We have two questions today: The first question is "What are your cold weather clothes?" We think that means a heavy jacket, hats and gloves and boots and earmuffs. Are your clothes heated? We would like to know what else you have to wear to keep warm.
The other question is "How long did it take you to fly to Antarctica and what was your flight pattern?"
4 comments:
Dear Eric:
We are the fourth grade at Hillel Day School where Mrs. Sokol is the assistant Head of School. We will be following your adventures in Antarctica. Every day we track the weather at McMurdo station by going on line and seeing their website. We would like to know: what food do you eat, how do you keep warm, how many layers of clothing do you have to wear to keep warm, what language does everyone there speak, is Antarctica all snow, what equipment do you use and how heavy is it, how many hours of daylight are on Antarctica? Have a good day! Mrs. Radner's Fourth Grade Class November 1, 2010
Hi Mrs. Radner's class. That's a lot of questions. I don't know the answers to all of them yet. Right now I am in Christchurch, New Zealand at the United States Antarctic Program office. This is where I will get my cold weather clothes and catch a plane to McMurdo. Apparently a lot of people go to McMurdo, but not all of them are scientists. During the summer (winter time in North America) there can be as many as 1500 people at McMurdo. A lot of these people are there to make sure the research base runs smoothly (i.e., electircians, cooks, mountaineers, administrators, etc.).
McMurdo is a US run base, so probably most people there speak English. Antarctica is governed by an international treaty that says many different countries can have scientists there to do research, and no one country owns any part of Antarctica. Other countries, like France and Italy, have their own research facilities, and they probably speak mostly French and Italian there.
Antarctica is mostly covered by Glaciers, so it is mostly snow and ice (I think something like 95% snow and ice). However, I will be working in the Dry Valleys, which are near McMurdo. The Dry Valleys are very cold deserts and get very little precipitation. I think the Dry Valleys are dry because of where they are in relation to the Transantarctic Mountain Range and due to the effect of the Katabatic Winds. I will post more about why the Dry Valleys are dry as I learn more about them.
I am supposed to get my personal equipment later today, so I'll write more about that later.
The amount of daylight in Antarctica depends on two things: lattitude and time of year. If you are below the Antarctic Circle, it is light 24 hours a day in the summer. The Dry Valleys and McMurdo are below the Antarctic Circle, so there will be a lot of daylight while I am there. In the winter, it will be very dark and cold.
Thanks for your questions. I'll try to keep up the communication while I'm there.
-Eric
Dear Eric,
Thank you for writing to us. We have two questions today: The first question is "What are your cold weather clothes?" We think that means a heavy jacket, hats and gloves and boots and earmuffs. Are your clothes heated? We would like to know what else you have to wear to keep warm.
The other question is "How long did it take you to fly to Antarctica and what was your flight pattern?"
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.
Mrs. Radner's Fourth Grade Class
Hi again! See my new post where I address these questions.
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