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SlideshowReport

How An Igloo Keeps You Warm

Description
Igloos are built out of bricks of ice. Unlike solid ice, which is a poor insulator for heat, compressed snow has more air pockets, making it an ideal insulator. Now, inside the igloo, things aren’t normal either. This ice shelter is tiered for maximum protection. The coldest part of the igloo is its lowest level; this is where the entrance is located, which is usually at a right angle, providing protection from any high winds that may blow directly into the shelter. Fire is built at the second layer of the igloo to heat up the air. At the uppermost part of the igloo is where the people sleep. Since all the cool air inside the igloo goes to the bottom part and remains there, the upper levels stay warm. A small hole at the top also prevents the igloo from storing too much smoke.

By keeping the shelter insulated, the heat from the inhabitants and the fire does not escape easily. The warm air from the fire cannot diffuse fast because it is insulated by the snow, thus, Eskimos maintain a warmer temperature inside. Pretty awesome, huh?

Inside their “bedroom”, the Eskimos use willow twigs as a mattress and bedding made from thick fur to insulate the heat within their sleeping areas. They use these materials so they can insulate the heat to remain near their bodies. In addition, they also choose to sleep with a group. The more people to sleep in an Eskimo, the more body heat there is available to warm the atmosphere.
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