![]() It’s the strongest icequake on record! What happens next? Did the icequake damage anything? What does it look like outside? What will you do next? Write a short story about your adventure.This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. One night, you awake to the ground shaking like you’ve never felt it before. Imagine you’re a scientist living in Antarctica.Then, report on the event to your friends or family. What do people need to know about what happened? Write a short paragraph about the most important facts of the event. Still, some are strong enough for people to feel the ground shake! Read about the event near Lake Mendota, then imagine you’re a reporter on the evening news. ![]() Most icequakes are much easier to hear than they are to feel.Still WONDERing what it would be like to live in Antarctica? To get an idea, check out these pictures! What kind of animals do you see that live on the Earth’s coldest continent? What beautiful sights could you see? Talk with a friend or family member about what you learned about Antarctica from these pictures. ![]() You never know when rapidly dropping temperatures could cause the ground to shake!ĭoes today’s Wonder have you SHAKING with excitement? Try out the activities below with a friend or family member! Until then, listen for them on very cold nights. Maybe you’ll get to study icequakes in Antarctica one day. Has an icequake ever happened near you? Did you hear it? They make a loud noise that’s hard to miss. You might also hear an icequake in Canada, as well as in the midwestern and northeastern United States. It makes a loud pop or boom.ĭo icequakes only happen in Antarctica? No! They also occur in Greenland, most often near glaciers. ![]() What does an icequake feel like? Most of them are much weaker than earthquakes. This causes the top layer to warp and crack. As the liquid below the surface starts to freeze, it expands. At night, as temperatures drop, the top layer of this slush freezes quickly. When ice in Antarctica melts, it often makes an icy slush. This makes water that can freeze again to cause an icequake. Rising temperatures cause Antarctic ice to melt. But they are actually on the rise due to warmer weather. Why is Antarctica experiencing so many icequakes? You might imagine the very low temperatures are to blame. They’ve also shared that most icequakes happen at night when temperatures drop. Experts there say Earth’s coldest continent has had hundreds of thousands of them in recent years. Icequakes are also called frost quakes or cryoseisms. In some cases, it can even cause cracks in the ground above. As groundwater becomes ice, it breaks up the soil and rocks around it. Icequakes, on the other hand, happen when water in the ground freezes very quickly. Many Wonder Friends already know what causes earthquakes. The biggest difference between the two is how they’re caused. They can both be measured by seismographs. Both icequakes and earthquakes cause the ground to shake. What is an icequake? The name might make you think of earthquakes. What are we talking about? Icequakes, of course! And, of course, you’d get to experience one of Earth’s rarest geological events nearly every day. You’d have six straight months of sunlight. But it’s not all bad! You could live next to a penguin. Would you like to live in Antarctica? The average temperature of -30☏ (34.4☌) might stop many from moving there.
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