When tasked with building a shelter using only natural materials, my initial thinking was a snow fort (especially with the impending blizzard. However, my concern was that the snow would be too powdery to make a snow fort of some sort.
After spending the first day out in the storm shoveling, I decided to test out the snow on Friday. Much to my excitement, it was not too powdery and was igloo-ready. My friend Erin contacted me about making an igloo per our annual tradition, and the opportunity seemed perfect for fulfilling both the tradition and the physics blog!
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| Overhead view of igloo |
Materials
- Snow shovels (1 small, 1 large)
- Sheet of plastic (I didn't have one, but one could easily be added as a floor or door covering)
ProcessWe chose to build the igloo in Erin's backyard, as the wind had created a large snow drift (I meant to take a before picture, but I forgot). From there, we moved more snow onto the drift, and then we began carving out the igloo. The door location was chosen in the opposite direction of the wind to avoid heavy gusts inside.
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| The first entrance created into the igloo. |
We created a small area inside, and then created our first tunnel, since the snow drift naturally made one easy. We each worked from both ends and met in the middle. The tunnel is about 10 feet long and tall enough to crawl comfortably inside it. We also expanded the area near the entrance to be a larger room where you can sit upright easily.
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| Tunnel 1 |
After a quick break, we further expanded the main room and created the second tunnel, which extends in a different direction. This was not that hard as well thanks to a snow drift formed there.
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| Tunnel 2 |
By that time, it was too cold and too late to do anything more, and we were both satisfied with the igloo. A sheet of plastic could be added to block a door or line the floor, however it felt warm when working inside the igloo, and the wind did not get to us.
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| Me inside the main area of the igloo |
Video
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