Measuring cold weather with a t-shirt

Antarctica is cold! The coldest temperature ever recorded at Scott Base was -57.0°C on 25 September 1968. The warmest was 6.8°C on 8 January 1970.

When the temperatures are low and the southerly windspeeds are high, it helps to have a sense of humour. As well as weather station data, there are other ways to demonstrate just how cold it can get, even during the summer season!

For example, a wet T-shirt and a hardy individual is one way to demonstrate the harshness of the Antarctic climate!

Questions for discussion

• Why do you think the T-shirt freezes but the person holding it seems to be OK?

• How do we know the T-shirt is actually frozen and not just a stunt?

• If you were in Antarctica, would you do this demonstration?

• How cold does it get in Antarctica?

Transcript

Voiceover

Not all measurements are high tech. Antarctica is cold. It has the coldest climate on Earth. The monthly mean temperatures at Scott Base range from -27°C in August to -5°C in January. Minimum temperatures are around -45°C. The base also experiences the full force of southerly winds and blizzards.

One way to measure the temperature, wind speed and wind duration is to take a wet T-shirt outside. We’ve shortened the video. In reality, it took about 90 seconds. That’s the equivalent of watching this video three times.

Acknowledgements

Matthew Jordan, Antarctica New Zealand

Footage courtesy of Dianne Christenson and Carol Brieseman
Dianne Christenson and Carol Brieseman visited Antarctica with support from the Antarctica New Zealand Community Engagement Programme