QUESTION: 
How do you get hot water at Palmer Station in such a cold climate?

                Michael D., 6th grade
                Taylor Road Middle School, Alpharetta, GA


ANSWER from MARY LENOX,  Palmer Station, Antarctica
Date:          Sun, 2 Feb 1997 04:29:43 -0500

Hello, Michael.

Thank you for your question.  I'll do my best to answer it and I will 
even ask the person responsible for creating not only our hot water, 
but also our fresh water to review and make sure I answer you 
correctly.  Sound good?

The water we use for drinking, cooking, and cleaning comes from two 
main sources.  During the summer, we have fresh water that falls as 
precipitation and is collected in a catchment pond.  The water is 
either a result of the winter's snow melting in the springtime or the 
summer rains that fall here.  We receive 28" of rain on the average 
each year and about thirteen feet of snow during the the colder
months.  

To supplement that water if necessary, and for the winter months 
when the ambient temperatures are not warm enough for snow and ice to 
melt, we have two machines called reverse osmosis machines.  They 
desalinate sea water which means they take the salt out of the sea 
water.  Sea water is pumped at very high pressure through a membrane 
that has very tiny holes.  The holes allow the fresh water molecules 
to pass, but those molecules containing salt are too large to pass 
and are returned to the sea.  

Once the water is "made" or pumped in from the melt water pond, some 
of it goes to hot water heaters, similar to the hot water heaters you 
would find in houses or apartment buildings in your town, or maybe 
even your school.  The water heaters are located inside buildings so 
the temperature outside does not impact our ability to create hot 
water.

One last thought, the water lines that run between our buildings here 
on station are insulated and have electrical heat tape wrapped around 
them to keep them from freezing.

I hope that answers your question.

Take care,
Mary Lenox
Administrative Coordinator
Palmer Station