Correspondence: September 27, 2003
Miss Rhonda Kemp's Third Period Class
Brad:
Yes, it worked! Here are 3rd period's questions. I will send the pictures
of second and third period in a different email. The answers you give us are
great!!!! The kids and I really enjoy hearing from you and your adventure.
Some of the questions they originally had been answered from your previous
answers so the lists of questions may get shorter!
Have a terrific day! By the way, we found the research stations you were
talking about on the map we have up in the classroom.
Rhonda
Dear Ms. Kemp and Third Period:
For the last week I've been working with a team that is trying to reach the
South Pole with an overland cargo caravan. It's called the South Pole Traverse
Project. I've been helping build really big sleds that can carry up to 30 tons
of cargo each. That's a lot more than those Nansen sleds! The whole caravan will
be pulled across snow and ice by about seven heavy tractors. I've gotten to
test-drive a few of them, which was very cool. I've attached a picture of me
standing on the deck of a Case Quadtrack ... it's the most advanced tractor on
the whole continent. It can pull with over 500 horsepower! It also has a six-disc
CD changer—it's really the luxury SUV of farm tractors. Because of the name
(Case Quadtrack), we call it QuadZilla.
On to the questions!
- How does a plane land on the ice?
- A plane lands on the ice exactly the same way that a plane lands on any
other runway anywhere else in the world. When you're talking about really
BIG airplane tires and really cold temperatures, ice acts exactly the
same way as pavement. When I walk around outside I don't slip even though
I'm usually walking on ice. The only reason that ice is slippery is that
it partially melts beneath your shoe or skate. If it's too cold for ice
to melt even a little, not even ice skates would work very well. So
because of the size of the tires, the weight of the airplane, and the
solid nature of the sea ice, even the largest plane in the world (an Air
Force C5) can land on ice safely. In fact, according to some pilots I've
talked to, landing on sea ice is a lot more comfortable than landing on
anything else. That's because the sea ice sags a bit beneath the huge
weight of the plane. You can actually see the ice flex a little beneath
the weight as the plane lands. It flexes about 6 inches or so, making
for a very smooth landing.
- What kind of wildlife can be found in Antarctica?
- There are whales, seals, and penguins, which I've mentioned before. In
addition there are many kinds of birds, including the skua (a scavenger
similar to a seagull), the albatross (the largest bird in the world),
and the Arctic tern (which we've discussed before). Other than that,
there are the insects mentioned in No. 6 but not much else.
- Do you ever go out and play ice hockey?
- We're not really allowed to play around outside because everyone here
is very concerned with safety. If someone gets hurt playing hockey,
that's one fewer person to fix electrical problems, or cook food, or
whatever, so safety is very important down here. Employees can be
fired for skiing anywhere but the one designated hill at the New
Zealand base, for sledding down any hill, and even for running
anywhere except designated track areas. Even though that's a bit
strict, it's necessary because this can be a dangerous place and
we don't want anyone to get hurt. I have, however, gone inside to
play floor hockey. That's a fun game. We basically run around the
gym in sneakers and hit a puck around with sticks. There are no
roller blades, so we do what we can, and it ends up being a lot
of fun.
- How cold is the water?
- The water in the ocean can be between -1 and -2 degrees Celsius. The
reason it doesn't freeze easily is because of all the salt in it. As
with anywhere else in the ocean, when you get into really deep water
the temperature can drop a lot lower but it still doesn't freeze
because of the pressure at that depth. The amount of salt in the
oceans at the poles is usually a lot higher than at the equator
just because of the ocean currents.
- Can you read by the light of the sun since it is at such a low angle?
- Well, the sun was probably at a low angle when you wrote this question,
but now the sun angle is pretty high the whole day. Our last sunset was
last week, so the sun stays about 30 degrees off of the horizon through
the whole day. Even back when the sun was barely above the horizon, it
was bright enough to read by. Now, you have to wear sunglasses every
time you go outside. Not only do we have a lot of harmful UV rays
hitting us because of the ozone hole, but snow and ice make everything
even brighter. If you go outside without sunglasses you could develop a
condition known as snow blindness, where it's so bright your eyes start
to hurt then you literally go temporarily blind.
- You mentioned in your last email that there is an insect (other than the mosquito) that lives inland. Which insect is it?
- I knew someone would call me on that. I really was just repeating something
I'd heard in passing conversation when I mentioned the insects that do live
here. I had to go looking for this answer. First of all, to call it an
insect is not technically correct—it's a worm. They're called
nematodes, and they are the most advanced form of life living in the
soil of the Dry Valleys (where there is no snow to block between sky and
dirt). You can only see them with a microscope, and there are many people
who study the impact they have on soil chemistry.
Well that's all for now, I suppose. If anything I write about sparks further
questions, please ask away! Don't feel limited to ask only the questions you
thought of two months ago, especially if I've already answered them. Thanks
for staying in touch!
Sincerely,
Brad
Last Updated: Last Updated: March 11, 2004
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