Where are igloos found?
Igloos are often associated with the Eskimo or Inuit community. They are built as temporary houses or camping stations for hunters living in areas of extreme cold, such as the Arctic regions of Greenland, Canada, the United States and Russia.
Are igloos warm inside?
Despite being made from snow, igloos are able to keep its inhabitants warm due to many properties. Instead of ice, blocks of wind-blown snow are used to build igloos. These blocks have interlocked pieces of ice, which help trap heat and insulate the igloo. The inside of the igloo also has many levels or tiers. A small fire is built on the lowest tier and the inhabitants sleep on the upper tiers. They are able to stay warm as warm as rises to the higher tiers, while cold air sinks down to the bottom. The body heat radiated from the inhabitants also plays a part in keeping the igloo warm on the inside. Bodily heat is insulated and trapped within the igloo and helps keep its inhabitants warm.
The entrance of the igloo is also connected with a tunnel built at a right angle. Hence, cold air blowing outside cannot blow directly into the igloo and make its inhabitants feel cold.
Melting helps the igloos!
Igloos are not immune to the sun outside or to heat being insulated inside. However, when the igloo melts slightly, it creates a thin layer of ice, which makes the igloo sturdier and helps make it a better insulator.