Copyright by Susan Solomon, all rights reserved. The footgear did not dry out at night. Wet socks wick heat away from the body more quickly than dry ones, causing one man to develop such severe frostbite that he could not go on. With the cold temperatures, wind failed to fill their sails. The coldest temperatures in Antarctica occur during calm conditions.
Skis glide upon a thin film of liquid water formed by the friction of skis upon snow crystals.
But at temperatures below 25 F, new-fallen snow sticks to the bottom of skis, creating drag and preventing smooth sliding. Scott wrote that it was like skiing on sand, with sledges that pulled like lead. Their energy depleted by months of struggle in deep snow and cold, they all died. Solomon's work shows that Scott's words were justified. The purpose of this activity is to examine the insulating properties of various clothing materials and to demonstrate the cooling effects of evaporating water.