Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 11:37
Forums
Antarctic Weather Stations

Thanks for telling us about the sunlight!  We learned a lot!!

 New questions?

Have you seen any penguins or seals yet?  Which are the largest penguins and seals that live in Antarctica?

 How fast/strong/cold will the wind blow in Antarctica?

Thanks!  We are learning  so much from you!  You are a great 2nd great teacher!!!!

Thu, 01/03/2008 - 11:59

Kirk Beckendorf

It is great to hear back from you.I have not seen any penguins or seals here in Antarctica. I did see blue penguins (the smallest penguin) in New Zealand and some seals (I do not know what kind).
The largest penguins are Emperor Penguins and they can be 4 feet tall, not to far from here is a colony of Adelie penguins which are much smaller. At that colony there can be 500,000 adelies.
The southern elephant seal is the largest of the 6 kinds of seals here. They can be 15-20 feet long (how wide is your classroom?). They can weight about 4 tons (how much does your parent's car weight?) 
I just asked George, one of the meteorologists who I am working with, your question about wind speed. He said the fastest winds his weather stations have recorded were about 125 miles per hour (what is the speed limit for driving a car in Minnesota?) How does the wind feel if you stick your hand out the window during the winter. 
The coldest temperature recorded here in Antarctica is 129 below zero. 
I'm glad you enjoyed the information about the sunlight. Look for some pictures about shadows soon.