“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, {s}he's one who asks the right questions.” ~Claude Lévi-Strauss
As I tell people about my upcoming travel plans to Antarctica, they, naturally, get curious and want to know more. I’ve decided to post some of the most common questions I get asked, along with answers as far as I know.
#1) Antarctica...?!?!? Won’t it be cold there???
Yes, yes it will.
Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest, and windiest place on earth. The average annual temperature at WAIS Divide, which is where I’ll be researching, is -30C/-22F. Yes, that’s a minus.
That said, we’ll be there during the summer, so we will have a LOT of sunlight and a much higher temperature (~0-10F).
It will basically be like last year’s winter in Chicago!
Frozen eyelashes after a few minutes of walking around in Chicago last winter.
(If you are interested, keep track of WAIS weather here: http://www.waisdivide.unh.edu/about/weather.shtml)
#2) How long will you be there?
Between 6-8 weeks. Although flights are scheduled, arrival and departure can be delayed for up to a week on either end, depending on weather and flying conditions!
#3) How do you get there?
There are two main ways that people reach Antarctica. One way is to go to the tip of Chile or Argentina, and take a ship south. The other way is to fly.
I will be flying.
For those of you who are into stuff like this, we’ll be taking a Hercules LC130 to WAIS Divide. For those of you who are not into stuff like this, that means it’s a military plane with skis attached to the bottom for landing on snow and ice!
![Hercules LC 130](/files/resize/members/yamini-bala/images/herc_lc130-500x332.jpg "The "Herc" is a ski-equipped military transport vehicle, which is used to fly people around Antarctica in icy conditions.")
The "Herc" is a ski-equipped military transport vehicle, which is used to fly people around Antarctica in icy conditions.
Here is a short video that outlines my route.
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All in all, I will cover over 14,000 miles and spend around 34 hours on a plane... each way. With layovers and stops for training and gear, I expect to reach WAIS Divide 16 days after leaving home!
#4) What will you eat?
I don’t know exactly, but I have been assured that the food is good and plentiful, and that vegetarian food is no problem. There is a cook staff for each research station in Antarctica that prepares delicious and nutritious food for all the teams.
I expect that this dining tent will be the site of many a delicious meal at WAIS!
I have also heard that people can eat up to 4000 calories a day and still lose weight in Antarctica! Since the temperatures are so cold, your body needs to burn more calories just to stay warm and keep your organs functioning.
I’ll let you know if this turns out to be true in my experience or not!
#5) Where will you sleep?
In a tent. Yay!! Like a month-long winter camping trip :)
These tents are clustered together in little tent village, where everyone at WAIS sleeps.
#5B) But there will be heat, right?
Nope, not in the tent. But depending on which kind of tent we get, I’ve heard that they can be very warm and toasty just from sitting out in 24 hours of sunlight!!
#6) How will you get ready for this trip?
In my next few posts, you can read more about how I am training – both physically and academically – to be ready for the rigorous trip ahead. Check back soon!
#7) What will you be doing there?
Again, keep reading! I’ll post more soon about the science of WAIS Divide and exactly what our research is about.