Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 10:16
Forums
Human Impacts in Antarctica 2011

Leslie: Can you play with the penguins? Missing you.

Areli: With all of the gear you have on, are you still cold? I love you!

Sydney: When can our class do a live chat with you? I miss you!

Reed: Why are the penguins nesting in rocks?

Maddy: Are you learning anything? Is it what you expected? Love you.

Bianey & Katheryn: How are the penguins able to grip the ice so well with their feet when they jump out of the water.

We miss you and can't wait for you to come back.

Fri, 12/09/2011 - 18:04

Michelle Brown

Hello Period 6!It is so good to hear from you all and I miss you all too! Show Mr.
Perry just how amazing you all are!
Thanks for your questions -- here are my responses:
Leslie: No, sadly I can't play with the penguins. This is because there
is a rule here that you can't touch or approach any wildlife. If they
approach YOU it's okay though. When I was at the penguin rookery, I was
taking a picture of one penguin and another one walked right past me and
stood there! I was probably less than a foot away!
Areli: I am not cold at all with all my gear on, atleast here at
McMurdo. In fact, I'm constantly having to take off some layers because
they are too warm. It is typically 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit here. At
the South Pole and AGO site, it gets down to -30 and colder, so maybe I
won't take off layers then! :)
Sydney: Yes! A live chat would be wonderful! Unfortunately everything
is up in the air until I know what it is like at the South Pole. I will
be flying out there on Monday, which is Sunday your time, so we can't
chat until I figure out more.
Reed: The penguins nest in rocks because they lay their eggs during the
summer when it is warmer there, and there is nothing else to create a
nest with! No trees or shrubs, which lots of other birds use, and the
sediment could blow away or be moved by melt water from the ice. (This
is my thought--I could be wrong though.)
Maddy: I am learning SO much and I can't wait to share it all with you
when I return. It is and is not what I expected--I knew what I was
getting myself into, but I didn't realize it would be this beautiful or
that I would learn so much!
Bianey & Katheryn: The penguins have padded feet that let them walk
better on the ice than I could. However, they often slip and fall! I
think I have a shot of it on the video I posted--it is kind of funny to
watch.
I am so glad to get questions from you all and can't wait to return!
Sincerely,
Ms. Brown

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 00:32

Anonymous

Hi Ms. Brown Its Zana! Sadly im not in your class so I didnt get a chance to ask a question with them, but I read your snow sampling article and I was wondering why if you were trying to look to see if their was pollution in air then why would it be in the snow. Is it because the polluion is in the clouds and it snows? whats the process?

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 00:32

Anonymous

Hi Ms. Brown Its Zana! Sadly im not in your class so I didnt get a chance to ask a question with them, but I read your snow sampling article and I was wondering why if you were trying to look to see if their was pollution in air then why would it be in the snow. Is it because the polluion is in the clouds and it snows? whats the process?

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 13:19

Michelle Brown

Hi Zana!Great question about snow sampling (you will make a great scientist one day!). Although snow can form around a piece of dust in the atmosphere, I believe the team was sampling the snow since that was what was on the ground in that location. We sampled snow along the old ice runway. This is where the giant C-17 planes take off and land. Our team would expect to see evidence of pollution (hydrocarbons, etc.) in the ground there, however there is no ground, only layers of snow and ice. For that reason, we sampled the snow to see if there is evidence of contamination from spills. I will need to check with the team to see if they are also tracking pollution in a different way, but they are no longer with me so it may take some time.
Great question and I'm so glad to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Ms. Brown