Igloo

File:Igloo.jpg

A nearly complete, medium-sized igloo. Note the excavation under the door and the unfinished exterior.

Quinzhee redirects here.

Origin

Inuit village near Frobisher Bay, an illustration from Charles Francis Hall's Arctic Researches and Life Among the Esquimaux, published in 1865

An igloo (Inuit language: iglu, Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᒡᓗ, "house", plural: iglooit or igluit, but in English commonly "igloos"), translated sometimes as "snowhouse," is the Inuit word for house or habitation. As such, the Inuit do not restrict the use of this term exclusively to snow houses but include traditional tents, sod houses, homes constructed of driftwood, and modern buildings.

The Igluvijaq (ᐃᒡᓗᕕᔭᖅ) refers specifically to the snowhouse. This is a shelter constructed from blocks of snow, generally in the form of a dome. Although such igloos are usually associated with all Inuit, they were predominantly constructed by people of Canada's Central Arctic and Greenland's Thule area. Other Inuit people tended to use snow to insulate their houses, which were constructed of whalebone and hides.

Big igloo in front of Kinngait in southern region of Baffin Island.

Snow is used for shelter because the air pockets trapped in it make it an excellent insulator. On the outside, temperatures may be as low as −45 °C (−49.0 °F), but on the inside of an igloo the temperature may range from −7 °C (19 °F) to 16 °C (61 °F) when warmed by body heat alone.

Construction

An igloo sideview diagram; opening to the right. Dark-yellow signifies ground.

The snow used to build an igloo must have sufficient structural strength to be cut and stacked in the appropriate manner. The best snow to use for this purpose is snow which has been blown by wind, which can serve to compact and interlock the ice crystals. The hole left in the snow where the blocks are cut from is usually used as the lower half of the shelter. A single block of ice may be inserted to allow light into the igloo. Sometimes, a short tunnel is constructed at the entrance to reduce wind and heat loss when the door is opened. Due to snow's excellent insulating properties, inhabited igloos are surprisingly comfortable and warm inside.

Architecturally, the igloo is unique in that it is a dome that can be raised out of independent blocks leaning on each other and polished to fit without an additional supporting structure during construction. The igloo is not hemispheric but rather shaped like an egg. For a large igloo the first rows of snow blocks form vertical walls, but the key feature of the structure is the spiral form that results from the use of wedge-shaped blocks. From that point, a continuous upward spiral produces a self-supporting dome.

The igloo, if correctly built, will support the weight of a person standing on the roof. In the traditional Inuit igloo, the heat from the kulliq (stone lamp) causes the interior to melt slightly. This melting and refreezing builds up an ice sheet and contributes to the strength of the igloo.

An igloo's snowbrick laying method.

The sleeping platform is a raised area compared to where one enters the igloo. Because warmer air rises and cooler air settles, the entrance area will act as a cold trap whereas the sleeping area will hold whatever heat is generated by a stove, lamp, or body heat.

The 1922 documentary Nanook of the North contains the oldest surviving movie footage of an Inuit constructing an igloo. In the film, "Nanook" builds a large family igloo as well as a smaller igloo for sled pups. He demonstrates the use of an knife made of walrus ivory to cut and trim snow block, as well as the use of clear ice for a window. His igloo was built in about one hour, and was large enough for five people. The igloo was cross-sectioned for film-making, so interior shots could be made.

Use

Inside an igloo

There are three types of igloo, of different sizes and used for different purposes.

The smallest igloo was constructed as a temporary shelter. Hunters while out on the land or sea ice camped in one of these iglooit for one or two nights.

Next in size was the semi-permanent, intermediate sized family dwelling. This usually was a single room dwelling that housed one or two families. Often there were several of these in a small area, which formed an "Inuit village."

The largest of the igloos was normally built in groups of two. One of the buildings was a temporary building constructed for special occasions; the other was built near by for living. This was constructed either by enlarging a smaller igloo or building from scratch. These could have up to five rooms and housed up to 20 people. A large igloo may have been constructed from several smaller igloos attached by their tunnels giving a common access to the outside. These were used to hold community feasts and traditional dances.

Variations

Linings

The Central Inuit, especially those around the Davis Strait, lined the living area with skin, which could increase the temperature within from around 2 °C (36 °F) to 10-20 °C (50-68 °F).

Quinzhee

A quinzhee or quinzee (IPA: /ˈkwɪnzi/) is a shelter made by hollowing out a pile of settled snow, and is a temporary shelter. This is in contrast to an igloo, which is made from blocks of snow and can be semi-permanent. The word quinzhee is of Athabaskan origin.

Exterior of a quinzhee facing the entrance.

The snow for a quinzhee need not be of the same quality as required for an igloo. Quinzhees are not usually meant as a form of permanent shelter, while igloos can be used for seasonal and year round habitation. The construction of a quinzhee is slightly easier than the construction of an igloo, although the overall result is somewhat less sturdy and more prone to collapsing in harsh weather conditions. Quinzhees are normally constructed in times of necessity, usually as an instrument of survival, so aesthetic and long-term dwelling considerations are normally exchanged for economy of time and materials.

Contemporary variations

Winter camping and survival

For fun, or for winter camping and survival purposes, it is possible to construct a quinzhee snow shelter by gathering a large pile of snow and excavating the inside. Basically, the procedure involves creating a mound of snow, letting it harden to gain strength, and then digging into it from below and hollowing it out.

The area must be flattened first. It is important to make the snow pile and not just use snow that has been piled naturally, as in a snow drift. This is done to prevent a situation where there are two different levels of setness, which can cause collapse during excavations. After piling the snow to the desired height (usually 6 feet (1.8 m) to 10 feet (3.0 m)) the site should be left for several hours, possibly overnight, while the snow sets, making excavation possible. Before excavating sticks are inserted into the roof and wall, approximately 10 inches (250 mm) to 12 inches (300 mm) deep, to be used as a guide when digging out the interior. When digging out is is essential that there be at least one person outside the pile to ensure that no-one is trapped inside if the snow pile collapses. When the interior has been dug out, one or more small air vents should be made, and then a lantern can be used to heat up the inside.

There are several cautions in using a quinzhee. The snow pile can collapse, and it is generally impossible to dig oneself out from the heavy snow. After construction it is safe to sleep in, but not strong enough to hold significant weight on top.

Igloo hotels

Main hall in ICEHOTEL Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, 2007. Sculptures by Jörgen Westin.

The Ice Hotel near the village of Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna, Sweden.

Igloo hotels are a new variation on the traditional igloo. In several winter destinations, villages of igloos are built for tourists. For example, Kakslauttanen Igloo Village, located in the Saariselka fell area in Finnish Lapland, in the vicinity of Urho Kekkonen National Park, includes snow igloos for sleeping, an ice gallery, an ice chapel popular for weddings, and a snow restaurant that holds 150 persons. There are also traditional rustic log cabins, and a number of warm glass igloos, which provide a unique opportunity to sleep under the Lapp sky and experience the northern lights in a comfortable room temperature.

Ice hotels are found in many places in Scandinavia— in Norway, Finland, and Sweden constructed each winter. The ICEHOTEL in the village of Jukkasjärvi, located next to the town of Kiruna in Sweden is a famous attraction. Originally, the creators started out building a simple igloo, which later turned into the elaborate and now famous "hotel." It is made from the waters of the nearby river Torne, the pure waters of which produce beautiful clear ice used to create ice sculptures and other decorations inside the buildings.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Hoyt, Alia. How Igloos Work. HowStuffWorks.com, January 17, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
• O'Bannon, Allen, and Mike McClelland. Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book: Traveling and Camping Skills for a Winter Environment. Chockstone Press, 1996. ISBN 1575400766
• Weiss, Harvey. Shelters, from Teepee to Igloo. Ty Crowell Co, 1988. ISBN 0690045530
• Yankielun, Norbert E. How to Build an Igloo: And Other Snow Shelters. W. W. Norton, 2007. ISBN 0393732150

External links

• How to Build Winter Shelters and Survive
• Picture of a Quinzhee
• My Quinzhee Camping Page
• How to make a Snow Mound Shelter
• Quinzhee Hut Building
• Igloo — the Traditional Arctic Snow Dome
• How to Build an Igloo
• Fun Family Crafts - - Build an Igloo or Snow House

• How Igloos Work at HowStuffWorks
• How to Build an Igloo
• Building an Igloo
• Field Manual for the U.S. Antarctic Program Chapter 11 Snow Shelters
• Traditional Dwellings: Igloos
• Igloo The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Nanook of the North video from the 1922 film showing Nanook building an igloo.

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