Life on the Ice
Scientists brave the cold to study glaciers
Scientist studying a glacier in the country of Greenland installs an instrument called a Hobo that calculates water depth. (Photo: Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Imagine eating, working, sleeping, and even brushing your teeth on a giant slab of ice! That is what a team of scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Washington in Seattle are doing this summer. They have camped out on the southwestern corner of a glacier in Greenland. The group is studying effects of global warming on the frozen north.
I spoke to a member of the team via satellite phone this week. Kristin Poinar, a 23-year-old graduate student from the University of Washington, described what is has been like to live in a tent on ice for the last three weeks.
"Cramped!" she said. She explained that the tents are the size of a small bedroom, only 10-feet-wide by 10-feet-deep. None of the tents is tall enough to stand up in. For meals, the six-member group gathers in a cook tent already full of cooking supplies.
They sit on boxes of food as their chairs.
When they get too cold, they can go into the "Arctic Oven" tents. These tents use body heat to create warmth. Poinar said she's especially grateful for the warming tents.
But not all everyday needs can be met on the ice.
"It's impossible to take a shower here," she told me. She uses baby wipes to stay clean. Some use ice-cold glacial water to wash their faces. Everybody braves the frigid water to brush their teeth.
Glacial Studies
The scientists are in Greenland to study melting glaciers that are creating large lakes of water. Their measurements show that the ice shelf is melting about five feet each year.
 |
| Photo of a moulin taken by scientists camped out on the southwest corner of a glacier in the country of Greenland. A moulin is a hole in a glacier caused by surface water wearing away ice. (Photo: Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.) |
Not all global warming effects are negative, said Poinar. Warmer temperatures create more precipitation in places like inland Greenland. That part of Greenland is actually getting more snow than usual. As the snow piles up and turns to ice, it could create new glaciers, which might offset the current melting glaciers.
Poinar will be studying glaciers for a long time: She has at least five more years of school and she is training to be a glaciologist. She wants to continue her Woods Hole research to keep learning how glaciers form and melt.
Kids interested in following in her icy footprints, "really need to like math class," she said. Focusing on math in one's studies can open doors for all types of science jobs, according to Poinar.
For more information about this expedition, visit http://polardiscovery.whoi.edu.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
Read today’s story and answer the following question.
 | Would you be willing to live and work in such extreme conditions—like camping out on a glacier—to do or study something you enjoy and think is important? Why or why not? Tell us what you think on the Scholastic News Online Blog! | |
MORE NEWS FOR KIDS
Get the latest on national and international events, movies, television, music, sports, and more from Scholastic News Online.
- Scholastic Store
-
24-7 Spy Files: Micro Spies
The Scholastic Store 
24-7 Spy Files: Micro Spies
by Lisa Jo RudyScience as inquiry is the core of this dynamic, investigative, high-interest series for grades 8-12 focusing on the science and technology used to solve real-life crimes and heart-stopping mysteries.
$7.95
From killer wallpaper to deadly pets, from parasites to mosquitos, these high-interest books build vocabulary, foster scientific knowledge, and develop inquiry skills through the use of charts, timelines, briefing notes, case files, primary sources, and captivating storytelling.
books;paperback books;paperbacks | Ages 10-14
Ages 10-14 $7.95
- Scholastic Store
-
The Royal Diaries: Catherine, The Great Journey, Russia, 1743
The Scholastic Store 
The Royal Diaries: Catherine, The Great Journey, Russia, 1743
As Princess Sophia, soon to be Catherine, moves from everything familiar towards an uncertain future she chronicles her own experiences. Follow Catherine through her arranged marriage and family break up, amidst the deception, disorder, and decadence of the Russian Empire. In this installment of The Royal Diaries series history not only comes alive but comes to greatness!
$10.99
Learning Highlights
An inspiring account emphasizing the impact of individual action on history.
books;hardcover books;hardcovers | Ages 9 and Up
Ages 9 and Up $10.99
 |
|
Check out this slideshow from the scientists on the Woods Hole Greenland expedition! |
 |
LESSON PLAN
UNIT PLAN
