Burckhalter Elementary School E-mail

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

How are you? Are you doing good? Well, your wife is a great teacher. I just wanted to ask you some questions: What is the weather like there? How is it different from here? What are you studying at the South Pole? Is it interesting?

Your Wife's Student,

Abraham

Dear Abraham,

I am well here at the South Pole. The sleeping accommodations are good, and usually the food is too.

My colleagues and I are getting our work done on time, according to the plan for this Summer season. The electronics we installed works well. Since our science collaboration has members in many countries, the season at pole gives us an opportunity to get to know the ones who come here.

Here at the South Pole, the temperature has never climbed above +8 degrees Fahrenheit during all the years records have been kept. The coldest ever temperature was -112 degrees F. Fortunately, when the temperature is its coldest in winter, the wind speed is very low. When I arrived the temperature was around -35F with 18 knot winds. Today the temperature was about -17F, again, with 20 knot winds. In between, there have been overcast days with little wind, and also clear days with little wind. When the station has a low pressure cell around it, the skies are usually clear. The temperatures above the ground are higher than at the surface. High pressure cells usually cause cloudy skies. That's backwards from where we live. The weather station here releases two baloons every day in summer, and once a day during winter.

Our experiment, here, is called IceCube. It is a neutrino detector meant to study the heavens in a new way. The detector consists of cables with optical modules attached, which are deployed into bore holes in the ice. These optical modules send data back to the surface whenever certain sub-atomic particles pass through our array of optical modules. We do this experiment here because the south pole ice sheet is nearly 10,000 feet thick. There is a station here which is manned all year round to do repairs, and change data tapes.

I am pleased to say that this job is interesting. It has taken me to interesting places. I have met interesting people, and seen many things I never even thought about before I saw them.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

Are there predators there? Your wife is a fantastic teacher! How are you doing? How is the weather? What are you doing right now?

Your friend,

Ashley

Dear Miss Ashley,

At the South Pole, the only animals are people, but we are pretty civilized. Our meat, though, is shipped here from the US or New Zealand, not fished or hunted locally. There are about 246 of us here right now.

In the winter, when all the summer visitors leave, the population will be about 50.

They will live here together, with no airplane flights in or out for about 9 months.

The natural animal predators along the coast are the skuas (it's a kind of a seagull); they prey mostly on fish, and the eggs and young of birds nesting along the Antarctic coast.

Various pinnipeds (seals and sea lions, for instance), and cetaceans (like killer whales) prey on anything that swims in the Antarctic oceans, including fish, krill and penguins. The krill, in turn, feed on smaller animal life in the sea. (the ocean life is not my specialty) Whaling boats from Japan and Norway may still be taking whales in the southern oceans too.

I've seen sea lions resting on the ice on the way from Williams Field (an airport on the ice shelf near Ross Island) to McMurdo Station, the research base on Ross Island. They look like black lumps on the ice.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

Did you take a camera? Do you see any bears?

Bonita Littleton Robinson

Dear Miss Robinson,

Yes, Bonita, I did bring a camera to Antarctica with me. On every other trip I also took along a camera. During the first trip, though, I was disappointed that my film camera malfunctioned. The extreme cold here at the South Pole, i.e. -15°F to -35°F, cause the oils and greases of the camera shutter to stick, or be sluggish. So, many pictures were spoiled. On the remaining trips, I took a digital camera. Most of those pictures turned out well, when I set the camera properly. Often I use my camera to document work we are doing, as well as just the interesting sights here.

I have photographed a few animals, or tried to. I have pictures of Skuas. It's a kind of seagull. I tried to take pictures of sea lions resting on the ice, but they just look like big black blobs. There are no bears anywhere in Antarctica. All the polar bears are in the Arctic, i.e. Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, etc. Antarctica is very isolated. There is no natural way for bears to get here from the Arctic. The artificial introduction to the continent of a new species would be an ecological mistake, and probably also a violation of the Antarctic Treaty.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Hey Mr. Przybylski,

How are you doing at the South Pole? Are there penguins at the South Pole? Are there predators at the South Pole? Are there lots of animals at the South Pole? How do you sleep?

Carlos Antonio Lima

Dear Mr Lima,

The South Pole, and I are getting along pretty well right now. We have been lucky so far not to have an outbreak of flu. Even though it is cold out, I have not cought a cold. Our group is getting our work done. I'm doing well, and our group of scientists, and support staff has also.

The Penguins of Antarctica only live along the coast of the continent. The south pole is too far for the penguins. The station is about 1000 miles from the coast at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. There is no food for penguins, or any other animal, along the way. I've heard that Skuas (a kind of seagull) fly over every couple of years, but it's never happened while I have been here. If there is no prey on the continent, there can be no predators. Only along the coast are there what we could call prey and predators. Whales feed on Krill. Sea lions feed on fish and penguins. Skuas prey on other bird eggs and young. You might say that humans qualify as predators because (I think) some countries still allow whale hunting by their citizens.

I have a comfortable room in the New South Pole Station building on this trip. I have stayed in Hypertats (little blue buildings), Jamesways (bigger insulated canvas-covered buildings with plywood floors and end walls), and in the beaker box, named for muppet show characters. My room has walls, two small drawer units under the bed, and a armoir for hanging things in. The matress is good. The blankets are warm. I sleep quite well. My room is very close to the galley too, in case I get hungry at odd hours.

Best Regards

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

How are you doing? I would like to ask you a couple of questions:

What you do eat? Where do you sleep? What is it like there?

Daniel Saenz

Dear Mr. Saenz,

I'm doing well here, after some acclimatization. When I got here, I had a mild head ache, and was a little short on stamina. The head ache comes from the 'shock' of suddenly moving to a 10,200 foot equivalent elevation (because of the altitude plus the permanent low pressure weather condition at the South Pole). The endurance problem results from the the air being thinner. My blood couldn't carry enough oxygen from my lungs to the rest of my body. My body adjusts its chemistry so my head ache went away. My body has been making more red blood cells to give me more endurance. It takes a couple of weeks to get fully adjusted to the altitude.

In the galley, we eat the same kinds of things we would eat at home, or in a restaurant. We serve ourselves from the steam trays in the galley, cafeteria style. Breakfast this morning included eggs sunny-side up, spiced potatoes, ham, and waffle. We also had a choice of coffee-cake or cookies. We also have orange juice (reconstituted), water, fruit punch, or coffee. Last night, we had fish for dinner, with rice and vegetables for dinner, with cake for dessert. We even have a soft-serve ice cream machine here. We fill our own cones. Every Saturday, we have Pizza for dinner.

This trip, and my last trip, I have a single room in the new South Pole station building. It is quite comfortable. I have plenty of storage for my cloths, and things. The matress on the bed is comfortable, and the blankets warm. I have a desk, with telephone, and ethernet hook-up for my computer. On other trips I've stayed in a Jamesway. That is a building with an insulated canvas cover over wood ribs on a plywood base. The bed was OK, but there was not much storage, and no desk. The hypertats are a bit of a step up from the Jamesways. They are better insulated, but don't have any more space.

I'll send Mrs. Przybylski some photos of the living quarters here.

It is cold outside. The temperature is around -27°F with 6 to 8 knot winds. When the wind is weak, i.e. below 7 kts, it's only just cold. The extreme cold weather clothing we are issued keeps us quite warm. Walking the half mile to the work place can get us really warm. When the wind is blowing strong, we have to cover all exposed skin, hands, and face.

The buildings contrasted with the snow, and the varying sky conditions make this place an interesting place for the eye. Sometimes my pictures capture the beauty. In the cold, though, it's sometimes difficult to make photographs because controlling the camera is difficult with gloves, or uncomfortable with cold, bare hands.

I've met a lot of people who came to Antarctica because they were curious, and come again, and again because they like it... in spite of the cold, or even the short comings of their jobs.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

These are my questions:

Where do you sleep? What do you eat, Mr. Przybylski? How is it over there?

Sincerely,

Joe Vega

Hello Mr. Vega,

My sleeping quarters this year is in the new South Pole station building located about one hundred yards from the geographic South Pole. The room is about 8 feet wide by about ten feet deep. The bed is so high that I need a step up to get into it because there are storage cabinets under it for clothes, and anything else I need. The room has a computer desk, and an ethernet drop for email. The telephone works over ethernet too. It is comfortable, and quiet and dark because it has no windows. (Other rooms on this floor do have windows, but they have to find a way to keep the sun from coming in at night)

We eat regular food here, but quite a lot of it because of the cold and altitude (10,000 ft) here. We eat cooked meats, vegetables, potatoes, rice, desserts, drink juice, milk, coffee, tea... The galley serves us a hot breakfast, usually with eggs, cereal, maybe french-toast, or waffle, or donuts, or coffee cake or scones. The cooks here are real professionals. They have to be to cook for 251 people here day in and day out. As at home, not every meal is a hit, but most are good. We fill our plates and usually eat everything. Fresh fruit and salad makings are highly prized here because we live so far from anywhere where a garden can be planted. We just can't walk across the street for a head of lettuce. The grocery store is about three thousand miles away in New Zealand.

My room is warm. The temperatures outside started at about -35 degrees Fahrenheit, but just today rose to about -17 F. Unfortunately, the wind is blowing stronger today, about 20 knots. Cold with no wind is easier to stand than cold and windy. Since I arrived here, I am no longer as short of breath because of the altitude. There has been no fju outbreak like there was last year. Our group is making progress pretty much according to the schedule of work. I'd have to say that things are pretty good. The place has a beauty that cannot be compared to anywhere else.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

What is the weather like there?

Jonathan Tinoco

Dear Mr. Tinoco,

Right now, the South Pole changes is entering its summer season. At the moment, the temperature is about -27° F. The wind is blowing from "grid 23°" at about 7 miles per hour. This needs a little explanation, doesn't it? We are at 90° South, so every direction is north. That is dead simple, but not very convenient, because it implies every direction is the same. That's not practical, so we pick a direction to call "NORTH" in a local map grid system. Our NORTH points to Greenwich England, on the 0 longitude line. So "SOUTH" points roughly to New Zealand. East points to Africa, and so forth. So, a grid 23° wind direction is one coming from the direction of Germany. That direction happens to almost be the orientation of our airplane landing strip, because landing a plane headed into the wind is just easier.

In January, the temperature here is usually around -20° F. In the dead of winter, the temperature can drop to -100°F for days. Fortunately, when the temperature drops really low, the wind usually also drops. Averaged over the whole year, the temperature is about -56°F. -50°F with no wind is a lot like -27°F with a 10 mile per hour wind. (it's called wind chill)

When we go outside, if we don't dress up with long underwear, a really good coat, hat, and face protection, we would be very cold. Steam from my breath makes frost on my glasses. Men working outside often need hand-warmers to avoid cold fingers.

Still... with the right equipment we can get a lot of work done.

Best regards

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

Are there penguins out there in Antarctica? What is the weather out there like? Are there any big or huge predators out there? Are there lots and lots of people out there? What you studying out there? Are there whales out there in Antarctica?

Sincerely,

Kayla Lochin

Dear Miss Lochin,

The various species of Antarctic penguins live and fish along the coast of the antarctic continent. Their populations vary from year to year due to changes in weather and ice. The South Pole is nearly 1000 miles from the penguines.

The weather here is somewhat harsh in the Summer, and kind of nasty during the Winter when temperatures can drop down to -100 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds range from calm to 20 knots or more. At this elevation (10, 000 ft), and this far from the coast, the snow doesn't melt. It accumulates over time, and squeezes down into a very, very clear ice which is ideal for our detector.

The only research stations I know down here are the South Pole station, where the present population is about 251, and McMurdo station which has a population of over 1000 during the summer. So, no, there are not very many people here. Most of them are here because they wanted to.

Here at the South Pole, we study neutrinos. Our detector consists of thousands of optical modules up to 2 miles deep in he ice under us. The optical modules \capture light pulses and send the information to a computer on the surface. We hope the results will tell us something about very distant, very violent places in our universe.

The South Pole station is nearly 1000 miles from the coast of the continent. The whales live along the coast. We've never met. Whales come to the Antarctic coast every summer for the fishing.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

How are you doing? What you eat out there? How many people work with you? Do you love it out there? Does the sun come out?

Love,

Maryanne

Dear Miss Maryanne,

Today was a long day for me here. I woke up at about 4AM local time (that is 7AM tomorrow, your time). After speaking with your teacher on the phone, I had some breakfast and prepared for my part in a webcast organized by the European science organization called CERN. Then we spent most of our day working in a portable workshop about eight tenths of a kilometer from the station building. After supper, i spent a little time in the recreation room, then back to my room to answer emails... like this one. Now it is 11pm, and I am sleepy.

We eat normal restaurant/cafeteria food here. Today we ate teriyaki marinaded steak, with potatoes, and beans. The chefs made a chocolate chip, browny, mint ice cream for dessert. For breakfast I ate eggs, waffle, ham, and a turn-over. The larder here contains many, many kinds of frozen food. The cold air outside makes any sheltered, non-heated space into an excellent deep freezer. Under the dome there are stacks of boxes of meat, fish, prepared dishes, vegetables, flour, butter, potatoes, dry cereal, cookies, canned fruit... The cooks are professionals. They know what they are doing, and how hungry workers will be after spending a day in the cold. We eat more to produce heat, and because our digestive systems are not as efficient at extracting energy from the food we eat. Also, we can go for a snack jn the galley an time we like.

Today, Friday, the South Pole population is 251. It's been climbing slowly since I arrived. Fifty of the people here are likely to stay all winter, from February 15 to mid October, when there are no flights. The rest of us come here during the summer season either for our science projects, or extra support staff to support the science.

When you have an interesting work project, and many parts of it are coming together all at once, times are exciting. Every day we see count off the goals as we achieve them, and also bounce back from setbacks. The walk from the south pole station, about 0.8 kilometers, to the IceCube electronics/computer building is so bright, and fresh that you can't help but think, what an amazing place this is.

During the spring and summer, here at the South Pole, the sun stays about the same distance above the horizon all day long. We can tell what time it is by what part of the station the sun is over, or what direction it is with respect to the map grid.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

Are there whales in Antartica and little penguins? Is it slippery on the ice?

Trevante Choyce

Several species of penguins, of different sizes, visit Antarctic waters, and sea shores. The big ones, like the Emperor penguins travel quite a distance from shore. So far, in all of my five trips, I have never actually seen a penguin while at McMurdo station (on Ross Island, in the Ross Sea, about 2700 miles south of New Zealand), between flights, on my way to the South Pole.

Here at the south pole, we only have snow because we are not close to liquid water in nature. There are no rivers, or lakes or streams here on the surface, nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, where ice usually forms in Winter... like up in the Sierras about three hours drive east of Oakland. Sometimes, though, when a snow trail becomes packed very hard, it can be slippery.

On the Antarctic coast, you can find plenty of slippery ice, as well as ice covered with a little snow. When the temperature is near freezing (32°F), the ice can be slippery, even with our good non-skid rubber boots.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

What is the weather like? Is it snowing? Do penguins live in Antarctica? Do whales live in Antarctica? What are you studying? Where do you sleep? When are you coming back to the United States? Are the people there nice? Do you have friends in Antarctica? Have you seen any animals in Antarctica? How are you, Mr. Przybylski? Have you seen any dolphins?

Your friend,

Jakaria Bowie

Dear Miss. Bowie,

The winter weather here at the South Pole can be very cold and nasty, especially if the wind kicks up. The coldest recorded temperature is -112F. Today it's only -17F, but with a 20 knot wind.

Only about two inches of snow fall here during the year. The annual accumulation here is 8 to 10 inches because much of the snow drifts in from the area close to the Wedel Sea. I have not seen it snow like you would see in the movies. I have seen ice crystals in the air. They can make for interesting optical effects around the sun.

Penguins and whales live along the antarctic coast.

Here at the South Pole, nearly 1000 miles from the coast, we study sub-atomic particles that pass through the ice and leave behind little flashes of light. Our instrumentation records the flashes as digital data. We will use this data to learn things about distant stars and galaxies.

This year i am sleeping inside the new main station building. The accommodations are very comfortable, compared to the Jamesways (insulated canvas covered buildings) or hypertats, which were rather compact. I have a bed here, a desk, and a lot more storage than the other places do.

I return home next week. I leave the south pole on December 5, returning via McMurdo station on Ross Island. That's a 3 hour flight. From there, I take an 8 hour flight to Christchurch New Zealand. From there, after returning the borrowed extreme cold weather gear, I fly to Auckland NZ, from there to Los Angeles, and from there to Oakland.

I've met a lot of nice people here at the South Pole. Some of them work for the station, and some work on our project, or other science projects. All my Antarctica friends live, or at least, have a mailing address, back in the USA, or some other country, like New Zealand. Antarctica has no native population.

I have seen a few birds, and sea lions at a distance, when I have been near the coast of Antarctica. I have seen some dolphins on a boat trip in New Zealand, at Doubtful Sound, along the south west coast. None here, in Antarctica, though. I don't work along the coast where the animal life is.

Since I arrived here, I have been adjusting to the 10,000 foot altitude, and getting more lung capacity, so I don't run out of breath so fast. The blood grows extra red cells because oxygen pressure in the air is lower than the body is used to.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Are you doing good at the South Pole? Your wife is very, very good to us, and she teaches us. She does her job. Are there penguins and whales at the South Pole?

Fardos Said

Hello, Miss. Said,

I'm fine... I've been healthy since I arrived here. (But, just in case, I had a flu shot a few weeks before I left on this trip) I'm also happy that our work down here is getting done without being too much of a rush.

• Are you doing good at the South Pole?

  The big-picture answer to your question is that we are installing a neutrino telescope here, deep in the ice, at the South Pole. This telescope (a subatomic partical detector) detects "tracks" in the ice made by particles from very far away. We are looking for neutrinos from outside of the solar system, or far off in deep space. The small answer is that we are modifying computers, installing those computers into our "counting-house" building, and checking to see they perform properly.

• Your wife is very, very good to us, and she teaches us. She does her job.

  That is very nice of you to say. Thank you.

• Are there penguins and whales at the South Pole?

  The South Pole is nearly 1000 miles from the ocean, and nearly 10,000 feet above sea level Neither whales, nor penguins can travel here. All the water on the Antarctic continent is either ice or snow. No rivers. The exception is the lakes trapped between the ice sheet and the continent below. Those lakes are an interesting topic of science research. Perhaps you would like to take up that research yourself...

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski

Dear Mr. Przybylski,

How are you doing? What do you eat? Is it cold? Does the sun come out? How many people are there with you? Where do you sleep? What do you drink? Do you have a pet with you? Is it fun down there? Did you make friends down there? What is it like?

From Samantha

Dear Miss Samantha

• How are you doing?

  Since I arrived here I am feeling better and better. The elevation here at the south pole is around 9300 ft, but the air is thinner. It is like living at 10,200 ft elevation, though, because the cold and the spinning of the earth combine to make the air thinner.

• What do you eat?

  We eat in a room called the galley. It's called the galley because many years ago the station was operated by the United States Navy, until it was taken over by the National Science Foundation. Still... the name stuck. The galley prepares breakfast, lunch, and dinner for us, as well as a meal called midrats. Midrats is like lunch at midnight. The part of the station crew that work at night need their meal too. Most people work the day shift. Today we had corned-beef hash, tater-tots, eggs, and coffee cake for breakfast. We ate sloppy-Joes, and vegetables, and salad for lunch. We ate Mahi-Mahi with rice, vegetables, and salad for dinner. We eat a lot because our bodies process food less efficiently at this altitude, and as fuel to keep us warm. Desserts, and cookies are available in the galley All the time.

• Is it cold?

  Today the temperature was around -27°F, with a 14 mile per hour wind. It makes the wind-chill around -50°F.

• Does the sun come out?

  During the summer, the sun is above the horizon 24 hours a day. It's about 19° above the horizon right now, and spiraling up until the winter solstice on Dec 21. After that date, it starts getting lower, and lower in the sky.

• How many people are there with you?

  Right now, the station population is 246, including myself

• Where do you sleep?

  I have a room in the new station building, in Pod A1 berthing... (another navy term)

• What do you drink

  We drink juice (reconstituted), coffee, milk, water, and just about every kind of beverage you can get at the grocery store.

• Do you have a pet with you?

  The National Science Foundation doesn't allow us to bring pets. It would be difficult to bring pets across international borders to get them here anyway. I haven't even seen sled dogs.

• Is it fun down there?

  We have several recreation rooms here, including two TV rooms, a gym, and reading room. People sometimes hang out in the galley. Dances and parties are thrown in summer camp on weekends too. Of course, there is cross-country skiing too. Then, on the other hand, because it's such an amazing place, it is just fun to be here. A lot of us have fun just doing the work we came here to do.

• Did you make friends down there?

  I have made friends here. Some are members of our science project, and some are just people we meet.

• What is it like?

  It's cold here. It's white, except for all the stuff that has been brought here to make the place habitable, and to do the science. Some times it's an amazingly pretty place. If you get really cold, it can be a miserable place, so we are careful how we dress.

Best regards,

Mr. Przybylski