Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 12/12/2012 - 04:17
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IceCube In-Ice Antarctic Telescope 2012

Hi Mrs. Ratliff!

Your small Geometry class misses you, but we loved your video. We were wondering if you'd seen any penguins? Mary Kate wants to know if you can change the law that says you can't touch penguins. Also, is there snow there, or is it all ice? Spencer thinks you should have a snowball fight, if you can, and videotape it. Can't wait to read more of your journals!

Wed, 12/12/2012 - 08:53

Liz Ratliff

Hi small Geometry class!
I didn't get the chance to see penguins because I was only in McMurdo for a very short time and there aren't any penguins at the South Pole because it's too far inland. I may get to see some on my way back home but I'm not sure. And, even if I see them, there's no way I can get the law changed. But, I have talked to a few people that came to Antarctica to study penguins. Mary Kate, that might be a fun job for you.
There's some snow and some ice. The snow that's on the ground is very powdery and feels more like sand to me. There are chunks of ice all over the place but those mostly come from snow being compacted. There's also some ice around our project's drill site because we use water to drill so, if it gets on the ground, it'll freeze. Makes it pretty slippery so we really have to be careful where we walk.
Because the snow is really dry, I'm not sure I could make snowballs with it. I'll try it though and video tape what happens.
Thanks for the questions, guys. Keep 'em coming!