OT Avalanches (was: Columbia)

From: Ethan Dicks <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Fri Feb 7 09:23:00 2003

--- chris <cb_at_mythtech.net> wrote:
> >When I was a kid, I tried and tried to make an igloo of packed cubes of
> >snow....
>
> In boy scouts, we cheated. We used a plastic box to make the packed
> cubes, and a spray bottle of water to make the blocks stick together....

Having made an igloo as part of a survival course, I can say that
the real problem with making an igloo as a kid is that standard
midwestern snow is *not* the right stuff to use. Arctic/Antarctic
snow has a different grain and has different adhesion properties.

We saw-cut our snow blocks from wind-packed snow called "firn". It's
like handling styrofoam. Very light with lots of friction between
the blocks. Yes, there's still the instability problem of a half-
finished igloo, but it's not as much of an impediment.

-ethan
Received on Fri Feb 07 2003 - 09:23:00 GMT