Next month marks the 100th year since the first Antarctic expedition reached the South Pole. (Congratulations, Mr. Amundsen.) This week Science Friday talks with the authors of two books about those famous first expeditions. Edward Larson’s Empire of Ice reexamines the voyages of Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton. (Scott took second place to rival Amundsen; Shackleton never got to the pole.) In The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott, David M. Wilson has gathered photos from Scott’s expedition. Grab a sweater and click below to see the stark polar landscape that Scott and crew (including photographer Herbert Ponting) encountered. Brrrrr.
You can do much of the same science for yourself, in your own back yard (or driveway as you shovel it), by digging a trench in the snow, and extending it a couple of feet each day as the snow ages. You should quickly carve a very straight and vertical surface on the shady side of the trench, just before closely examining the way the tiny crystals change as the snow column ages. With each new slice at the end of the trench (at least as far as it is deep), you will see that the snow ages differently at each level up from the ground and down from the surface. The fresh fall varies only a little, depending on the temp., humidity, and rate. As it ages the crystals change shape and density, getting coarser and more brittle, or wetter. The top crust is also affected by wind, and the bottom crust by ground temp. Pressure melting and sublimation occurr at any tempurature, and no two snowfalls age the same way. For more information contact your local SkyWarn or Ski Patrol.
I have an old photograph, that was purchased at an antique store, of what appears to be a dogsled expedition. It looks very much like the third photo here, except my photo contains men and a team of dogs. I am wondering if the photo might be valuable, or relevant. Is it possible there could be more photos of this expedition that haven’t been found, and I may have one of them? Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.
Unfortunately the Scott photos don’t appear when using an iPod and Safari browser
Photos do not appear on an iPad. SciFri videos also do no show on an iPad. Very disappointed
Now that Steve Jobs is dead, perhaps we can have flash on our Apple products?
I watch SciFri videos on Skyfire, it’s downloadable from the app store.