Climate

[Larry]

I'm about two thirds of the way through and I'm enjoying the book. Of course no one really knows what happened to these men. The one thing that I wonder about is that Simmons often mentions what the current temperature was. On the average it was about 60 F below zero. I just wonder if men could survive if the temperature was that all of the time...some occasions Simmons has it going down to a 100 below....I'm not sure people could live in that.

[Kristen]

What an interesting question! I did a quick search and apparently at the coldest recorded temperature which is -135 F. you could only survive for about three minutes. Yeesh! And that's not too different from 100 below so the odds aren't good for long periods. Maybe this was the author's way of insinuating that other than normal human things were occurring?

Also read that some researches in Antarctica, on the first day that it's 100 below will soak in a sauna and then run outside in nothing but their boots! So who knows how bad it really is.

Loved this book by the way!

[Larry]

The reason this struck me is just from personal experience. I live in Colorado and a few rare occasion it has gotten down to around 15 below...stepping outside in modern day winter wear I couldn't imagine staying outside more than maybe 10 minutes....Now lower the temp another 45 degrees and go back in time 170 years...they would have all died even inside the boat!