Emma, I live on an
island in Antarctica. The island is surrounded by the sea.
For most of the year, the sea is covered with ice, so you can't go
swimming. However, my friends drill a hole in the ice, and then
go SCUBA diving. It's really cool!
Drilling a hole in the
ice
The dive hole
What building do you work in?
-Vahan
Vahan, I work in a
building called the Crary Science
Laboratory. Below is a picture Crary.
Will you go ice skating? If so, make sure the ice is at least 4
inches thick!
-Rebecca
Rebecca, There is alot of
ice in Antarctica, but I will not go ice skating because most of the
ice is covered by snow. That makes it very difficult to ice skate!
How many inches is the snow?
How do animals live?
-Paola
Paola, In some places,
there is no snow. In other places, the snow is many feet
thick. On the continent of Antarctica, the ice and snow can be
almost 2 miles thick!
There are very few animals in Antarctica. Some
animals in Antarctica survive because they have very warm coats.
Others stay in the water, where it is warmer. Below are some pictures
of the animals in Antarctica.
Skua - A Skua stays warm because it has lots of feathers!
Penguins also have a thick coat, and huddle together to stay warm
Weddell Seals
Killer Whales
Have you seen any emperor penguins yet?
-Adam
Adam,
I have not yet seen any Emperor penguins. I
hope to see them before I leave here!
How do people get around if there almost snow everywhere?
-Kaila
Kaila,
There are many ways we get around in the snow:
Walk
Ski
Snowmobile
Hagglin
Bus
Truck (also called a Mattrack)
What do you wear in Antarctica? Because if you wear summer
clothes, you will be freezing cold.
-Erin
Erin,
You are right, it would be freezing if we wore
summer clothes! To stay warm, we wear special clothes for the
cold. We wear a very big coat, and special boots called "bunny
boots".
How do you stay warm in your house in Antarctica?
-Darby
Darby, My house is very
warm here. It has heating, just like a normal house back at home!
What do you eat in Antarctica?
-Tyler
Tyler,
In Antarctica, I eat food that is made in a
cafeteria, just like the one at your school. Here is a picture of
some of my dinner!
How do you have a computer and email? Do polar bears and penguins
both live in Antarctica?
-Brian
Brian,
I brought down a computer from home to use. I
am able to use email because of a satellite connection to the building
here! In Antarctica, there are no polar bears. Polar bears
only live near the North Pole. There are penguins in Antarctica
though. Here is another picture. They're so cool!
What kind of animals live in Antarctica? Do snow dogs live
there? Is there a beach there? Probably not. Does it
ever get hot there?
-Maddy
Maddy,
The first people to come to Antarctica brought snow
dogs, but there are no dogs in Antarctica now. There are no
beaches, either. I miss dogs and beaches, and can't wait to see
some when I go home! Also, it does not get hot in Antarctica
unless you wear alot of clothing!
How cold is the warmest weather?
-Anna
Anna,
The warmest weather in this part of Antarctica is
around 50 degrees.
Do blizzards usually come? Have you ever seen a huddle of
penguins?
- Adam
Adam,
There are lots of blizzards in Antarctica!
Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place on Earth. I have not
yet seen a huddle of penguins, but I hope to!
Have you seen a baby penguin? Have you eaten seal? Have you
seen attacks by a polar bear? Do people live in igloos?
-Kyle
Kyle,
I have not seen a baby penguin yet. I have not
eaten any seal yet, because we don't eat seal here. The seals are
protected from humans here so that they will still be around for future
generations. There are not polar bears in Antarctica, so I have
not seen any attacks by polar bears. Also, people don't usually
live in igloos here. We have normal buildings, like the ones in
the pictures below.
McMurdo Station,
Antarctica
The "Chalet"
Where do you live? Have you seen a polar bear?
-Maricela
Maricela, Here is a picture
of the building where I live. There are no polar bears in
Antarctica, so I have not seen any. Polar bears only live near
the North Pole.
What do you do in Antarctica?
-Anjum
Anjum,
I am in Antarctica to study the atmosphere. We
have a hut where we measure what is in the atmosphere near the
ground. Here is a picture of our hut.
We also launch balloons to see what the atmosphere
is like up high. Our balloons can go more than 15 miles high!
What is the coldest it has been in Antarctica?
-Brittany
Brittany, The coldest
temperature ever was in 1983, when it was -129 degrees F! That's
REALLY cold!!! The coldest temperature I have experienced is
about -50.
What do you eat? Do you eat fish?
-Emma
Emma,
I eat normal food down here. I also eat fish
sometimes. The fish that I eat is brought in from far away though!
Are there any buildings in Antarctica?
-Taylor
Taylor, Yes! There
are buildings in Antarctica. There aren't many buildings
though. At any time, there are only a few thousand people in all
of Antarctica. That's not many people considering that Antarctica
is bigger than the U.S.!
How can you survive in Antarctica?
-Jonathan
Jonathan, Without good
clothing and shelter, it would be impossible to survive in
Antarctica! However, where I live we have good clothing, and
plenty of warm buildings, so it's very comfortable even though it is
cold outside.
Is it still freezing in Antarctica even when its summer?
-Camille
Camille,
Where I am in Antarctica, it can get above freezing
during the summer. At other places in Antarctica, it never gets
above freezing, even in the summer!
Why can’t penguins fly?
-Jonas
Jonas, Penguins spend
much of their time in the water swimming and looking for fish to eat,
so they don't need to fly.
What kind of animals do they have other than polar bears and penguins?
-Kendall
Kendall, There are no polar
bears in Antarctica, but there are lots of penguins! Look at the
pictures above to see some of the different kinds of animals in
Antarctica.
Do the penguins wake you up every morning?
-Tegan
Tegan,
I wish the penguins would wake me up every morning,
but they haven't yet. I have not yet seen a penguin, but I hope
to see some before I leave!
