Hi Ray! Mashup of students: I’m from TKTK My name is TKTK etc. 36. What’s up… 35. I live in Shenzhen China… 30. I am 8 years old – almost 9 1:40 RAY: This week I’ll be answering some questions from students – I am really excited about it so let’s go 3:29 RAY: Many of you asked about wildlife, including 8-year old Neila. (NEE LA) ALT VIDEO: 23 Do snowy owls live in Antarctica? RAY: [00:11:42] No snowy owls around us, unfortunately, but there are lots of other birds that we see almost every day, including beautiful white snow petrels and the brown, larger skuas. [00:12:00][18.4] RAY: Many of you asked about conducting research and collecting data. VIDEO 41 Have you seen the glacier decrease in size since everyday you’ve been there? Lassie Day RAY: [00:08:40] So the glacier is really too big, and we are too small, for us to take in how it’s changing at a large scale. But what Chang and I do have is a drone. And we’ve been flying that drone near the glacier almost every day since we’ve be around it. And that way we’ve have been able to see how quickly the ice is moving out to sea. In places, it’s about 30 feet a day that the ice is shifting, raising sea levels around the world. VIDEO 29 What is the single most alarming measurement your team is watching right now? Khalil Nazarali 9:47 RAY: THe short answer to the question is sea ice – the amount of area around Antarctica that’s covered by it. But to get a fuller explanation, let’s talk to the sea ice expert on the ship. ALT: Ray Question: How much of what’s been happening to Antarctic sea ice since 2016 has been a surprise / to scientists? Siobhan: Yeah, it was unexpected at first since we were seeing an increase in sea ice [But] SIOBHAN: 25:06 From 2016 on we’ve seen record lows of Antarctic sea ice around the continent. Especially in the summer season, because of complex interplay between ocean and atmospheric variables///such as ocean warming and changes in the winds./However we are still investigating the causes of these changes and how it is impacting the sea ice. What is driving those lows still remains a mystery. VIDEO: 125 What challenges with terrain do you face everyday? Possible ALT: VIDEO 61: What’s the biggest challenge you guys have faced throughout your experience? (And what steps have you taken to combat that challenge?) – Christina Hall and Tyler Case VIDEO 122 ALT: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced while doing your fieldwork? Irene Nyberg RAY: [00:13:58] So far we’ve been really lucky on the ship. The seas have be en mostly calm, no big storms. We’ve had to punch through some sea ice, but the captain and the crew here have handled it skillfully and calmly. Conditions for the camp at the ice have been a little tougher. They’ve told us they’ve had really high winds, snow blowing everywhere, but of course they have to keep working, even when conditions get rough like that. [00:14:31][33.0] VIDEO:37 What is the difference between the warmest and coldest part of Antarctica? Aoife (EE fa) Dugan RAY: So right now it’s summer in Antarctica, and around the coast, where we are, it’s pretty close to the freezing point. Inland, the elevation is much higher///so it’s a lot lot colder.//Right now it’s about minus 37 Celsius. which in Fahrenheit is 66 degrees RAY: Next, we received a few questions from these students in China! (34, 35, 51) VIDEO 51 How do you prevent yourself from freezing? RAY: [00:14:43] Layers, lots of layers. When we’ve been outside for long periods of time, I pretty much always go out with at least three layers on, including big puff pants, which are filled with down feathers, and that big puffy jacket. Even my feet have multiple layers. I have sock liners, thick wool socks, and the thermal liners on my boots, which are really great. [00:15:16][33.0] VIDEO: 125 What challenges with terrain do you face everyday? RAY: [00:13:58] So far we’ve been really lucky on the ship. The seas have been mostly calm, no big storms. We’ve had to punch through some sea ice, but the captain and the crew here have handled it skillfully and calmly. Conditions for the camp at the ice have been a little tougher. They’ve told us they’ve had really high winds, snow blowing everywhere, but of course they have to keep working, even when conditions get rough like that. [00:14:31][33.0] VIDEO 48 Is there anything that you wanted to pack that you don’t have? Najae Pitts RAY: [00:15:16] I feel like I’ve packed pretty well.//We have some peanut butter here. But I’m a picky man when it comes to peanut butter [00:15:44][28.2] VIDEO: 8. What kind of food do you eat on the expedition?//19 What are people on the expedition eating and drinking?///36. What food do you guys eat/// 24. What do you eat on Antarctica///30. When you’re camping on the ice, what will you be eating?/// 91 What is your favorite snack and would you recommend it? RAY: 12:11 The kitchen staff on the Aron are feeding us really well. RAY in dining room 18:05: we have jajangmyeon, (which is a Korean adaptation of a Chinese noodle dish called jajjangmyeon. )) Kimchi, part of every meal, pickled radish, some raw onion, and fried dumplings as well. [00:18:32][29.4] RAY: [00:33:08] between meal times, we have a pretty ample selection of not especially healthy goodies////ALT/////33:32: A whole closet of sweet and salty stuff. RAY: 33:34 My favorite. Are these Pepero, Chocolate covered sticks with little almond bits. 6:38 RAY: Thank you to all the students who sent in questions and for following our journey to Antarctica. Ray: Good stuff! RAY: Much much more to come!