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Questions sent in by Schools |
The following shows the responses to questions asked by Dorset school children. To jump to a particular topic click one of the headings here. Use the back button to return to the top.
The latest questions with answers from our friends at Scott Base - uploaded April 2005
What are the temperatures in the morning, afternoon and evening?
It does not change much during the day, but in summer it gets up to about zero Celsius, in winter it gets as low as -50 Celsius here.
Have there been any snowstorms?
We have one blowing right now, we can only see about 20 metres in the blowing snow and howling wind.
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Are there any tornadoes?
No.
Do you get earthquakes in Antarctica?
Yes, we have earthquake-recording equipment at Scott Base, which helps to triangulate earthquake locations all over the world.
Are you afraid of global warming?
It is something we study here, because the environment is very fragile. This means that any global changes usually show up here first.
What illnesses do people get from the cold?
Frostbite is the main problem, when your face, fingers or toes freeze. The other dangerous one is hypothermia, when your whole body loses heat.
Have you ever got stuck in a snowstorm?
Yes, but we always carry tents and survival equipment, so it is just a question of waiting for it to stop.
How deep is the snow?
In some places there is no snow, because the wind just blows it away all the time, other places it is miles deep.
Have you seen any icebreakers?
Once a year, in February when the ice is thinnest, an icebreaker comes and cuts a channel for the supply ship.
Are there mountains?
Yes, both alpine and volcanoes. There are some active volcanoes too.
Are there any rivers?
There is one about 80 kilometres from here that only flows for about two months in summer when it gets warm enough.
Are you exploring an underground lake?
No, I think it is one of the Russian bases that is doing that.
Have you seen any penguins?
Yes lots and lots.
Do the penguins come near your tent or hut? Are there different sorts of penguins?
There are lots of types of penguins, but we only get two types around here, emperors and adellies. They are naturally very curious and will come over to see you if you are near.
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Have you seen any birds?
Other than all the penguins, we get lots of skuas here in summer (they are like sea gulls) and an occasional snow petrel.
Do you use huskies?
We stopped using huskies here about 10 years ago. Snow mobiles are usually used instead because they are cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly (they don't eat curious penguins)
Are there any plants?
On the Antarctic Peninsula, below South America, there are lots of plants in the northern warmer areas. Around here all we get is the occasional bit of moss.
Have you seen any killer whales?
Yes, there are lots of them around here, in summer when the sea ice melts enough, we can see them swimming right in front of Scott Base.
Have you seen any insects?
No, but the Americans had some fruit fly get into some of their food before they brought it down here. As soon as the flies tried to leave the warm storeroom they fell dead on the ground from the cold within seconds.
Have you ever been attacked by wild animals?
Not down here.
Do you go fishing for your food?
We could, but we don't because Antarctica is treated as a reserve, we try to have as little impact on the environment as possible.
(These fish are being studied and then they are released back into the sea.
Have you seen any animals?
Other than the birds I described above, the only other animals we see around here are seals and whales.
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Have you ever seen a sea lion or a shark?
No, but there are lots of other types of seals here though.
Are there any rabbits?
Nope. But the stew we had for dinner last night did taste a little strange!
What do you live in?
Scott Base is a large comfortable series of buildings, all linked together by one long hallway.
What are the buildings made from?
Most of the new ones are made from steel panels with foam filling for insulation.
What does it look like at Scott Base?
About the same as inside most buildings anywhere, apart from the big insulated outside doors.
Do you have electricity? If so how does it get to you?
At Scott Base we have diesel generators that run all day to provide electricity on base.
What kind of clothes do you wear?
Inside the base, we just wear ordinary clothes the same as you.
When we go outside we wear lots of specialised layers of survival clothing.
Are there any schools?
Not down here.
Are there any shops?
We have one room set aside as a shop here.
Why did you go to Antarctica? Do you enjoy being there?
It is a great place, nowhere else in the world do you get to see the things you do down here. It is something you have to see to believe.
How many people are there in Antarctica?
I'm not sure about the total number of people; my guess would be about 5000 in summer. Where we are there are about 80 people from New Zealand in summer and 10 in winter.
Do people ski or ice-skate in Antarctica?
We do lots of skiing and just recently some of us have been ice-skating on an ice pier the Americans were building at their base.
How are you going to get away?
We fly on air force transport planes; they use the frozen sea ice for a runway.
How do you cook your food?
At Scott Base we have a full kitchen and a chef to cook for us, when we camp out we use kerosene powered camp cookers.
What do you do if one of your snowmobiles breaks down?
Initially we try to fix it with the tool kit under the seat, if we can't we radio back to base for help.
How big is Antarctica?
It is bigger than Australia or the United States.
What sort of fuel does the snowmobile run on?
Petrol, with some anti-freeze additives.
Are different languages spoken?
At different bases they are, lots of different countries have their own bases in different places over Antarctica.
What do you do in your spare time?
Read books, watch movies, play sports, have parties, play tricks on the Americans at McMurdo Station.
Some of those more indelicate questions.
How do you go to the toilet in the freezing conditions?
Inside, just the same as you would anywhere else in the world.
Outside, we use field toilets and these are a plastic bucket with a heavy-duty plastic bag and an insulated toilet seat. These can be used anywhere from in a small shelter, like an outhouse or outside toilet, to in a tent and sometimes just outside. The human waste is brought back to Scott Base and tipped into the sewage disposal system. When it is very cold you have to be quick and try and find a sheltered place away from the wind if you are outside.
How do you wash?
Inside, our bathroom is a bit like at a camping ground or hostel.
For the men there are four showers and six hand basins with hot and cold water. The women have two showers and two hand basins. When we are staying away from the base often we have to melt snow or ice and wash from a big plastic bowl. Usually we would be in a tent or a field hut, which are small buildings we sometimes stay in.
What would you do if a lady went into labour?
Well hopefully that would not happen. We don't usually have pregnant mothers here. If we did have a lady here like that we would send her home to a hospital in New Zealand where we all come from. If we couldn't send her home we would take her to the American Antarctic Base, McMurdo Station, where they have an infirmary (like a small hospital) and a doctor.
What do you do if someone is ill or dies?
If they were ill we would either send them home or if that was not possible send them to the Infirmary at McMurdo Station (see above). If someone died we would take them to the infirmary and they would be put in a casket (like a big coffin) so that they cold be sent home at a later date.
