Cool Facts about Antarctica
Flying to Antarctica
Before leaving Christchurch, New Zealand everyone is
issued Extreme Cold Weather Gear (ECW). It is 35 pounds
of winter cloths, boots, parka, etc… To get to
Antarctica, you fly in on a C-130 Air Force Cargo
transport. You sit in jump seats strapped into the
wall and wear earplugs. The plane lands on groomed
sea ice.
Weather conditions
Every day they list one of three weather conditions
Condition I - white out, blizzard, wind chill below 100
°F, stay indoors
Condition II - bad weather, wind chill between -75
and -100°F, do not leave McMurdo station
Condition III - great weather
Temperature
The lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was
in July, 1958. It was -125°F.
Recycling
Because of the dry conditions and freezing temperatures,
garbage does not decompose. Recycling on Antarctica is
so critical that everyone must attend "Garbage School"
when they arrive. Americans in Antarctica recycle 70%
of their garbage. Americans in the United States only
recycle 22% of their garbage.
Meteorites
Meteorites from Mars (ALH84001) was found in Allan Hills
in Antarctica. Antarctica is a perfect place to look
for meteorites because they do not deteriorate, get
lost among other rocks, and are preserved well.
Crayfish Fossils
The oldest crayfish fossil ever found is from
Antarctica. It was 245 million years old from the
Triassic period.
Volcanoes
Mt. Erebus is an active volcano on the ice.
Sleeping
During the "summer" (our winter), you have to sleep
with a blanket over your windows to make your room
dark. It is daylight all the time.
Showering
People can only take one shower every other day
because water is precious. When you do, you can only
take a "military shower" that is two minutes long.
During the two minutes you must turn off the shower
while you soap up. Also, you would not want to take
more than one shower ever other day because your skin
will dry up and flake off. Antarctica is very dry.
Fire
Fire is very dangerous because Antarctica is very dry.
Fire is difficult to fight. There is a fire station
at McMurdo. They do use chemicals to fight fires.
Water
Fresh water is extracted from the sea using a reverse
osmosis system
Time Difference
McMurdo Station is 20 hours ahead of Eastern Standard
Time
Penguins
Penguins are native to the area. They dive as much as
1,200 feet or more to find food. Parent penguins go
without food for 100 days while the wait for the only
egg they lay to hatch.
