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Welcome to
Antarctica!
 General Information
Where is Antarctica?
Antarctica is
situated over the South Pole and is the 5th largest
of the 7 continents.
It lies 600
miles (1000 km) south of South America, 1550 miles
(2500 km) from Australia, and 2500 miles (4000 km)
from South Africa. The long Antarctic peninsula
stretches toward South America, and there are two
major seas that reach toward the interior of the
continent: the Ross and Weddell Seas.
 It's a desert!
Antarctica can
be classified as a desert because of the very small
amount of precipitation there.
The interior of
the continent sees only 2 inches (50 mm) of
precipitation per year, while the coasts get
relatively more at 8 inches (200 mm).
Unlike deserts
in warmer climates, what little precipitation does
fall does not evaporate, but instead builds up over
thousands of years to form thick ice sheets.
There are 3
different climate regions: the interior, the coasts,
and the peninsula. The interior is intensely cold
and has very little precipitation. The coasts are
slightly warmer and have more precipitation, though
they are still below freezing much of the time and
still classified as deserts. The peninsula has a
much warmer climate with much more precipitation,
and often sees temperatures above freezing.
Even though it is a desert,
there is lots of water!
99% of
Antarctica is covered in ice sheets, representing 70
percent of the fresh water in the world.
This is the
reason why scientists are worried about global
warming. If all this fresh water is released
in the salty ocean, it will alter the ocean
chemistry and harm the ocean creatures like whales,
dolphins, and seals. All that extra fresh
water will raise sea levels so coastal areas such as
in the Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and
Florida) will be flooded.
BRRRR!!
The coldest
temperature (-89.2ºC
or -128.6ºF) ever recorded came on July 31st, 1983 at
the Russian base at the southern geomagnetic pole.
This is near the furthest point from any coast of
Antarctica, known as the "pole of inaccessibility";
this point being far from any coast, it is not
subject to the warming effect the oceans have along
the coastlines.
 And Windy too!
Antarctica is
not only the coldest of the continents, but possibly
also the windiest. In July 1972, wind speeds of 200
mph (320 km/h) were recorded at the French base
Dumont d'Urville. These winds are gravity driven "katabatic
winds". As air cools over the pole itself, it
becomes much more dense and heavy. It is then
pulled downward toward the coasts by gravity.
 Mountains and Volcanoes!
East and West
Antarctica, the two portions of the continent, are
separated by the Transantarctic Mountains. There
are at least two active volcanoes in Antarctica: Mt.
Erebus and Deception Island. Deception Island is
known for being a stop for tourist ships, where one
can have a warm bath by digging into the sand of the
beach (Wikipedia: Deception Island).
The Antarctic
Convergence is the "line" in the ocean where the
Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and other oceans become
the Antarctic Ocean. This is not only a matter of
temperature difference, but of chemical composition
of the ocean water as well.
Plants and Animals
Antarctica has
no trees or bushes. Vegetation consists of around
350 species of lichens, mosses, and algae. Some
algae have evolved to live INSIDE the rock in some
places. Three species of flowering plants are known
to be found on the Peninsula. Animals in Antarctica
are all ocean based to one extent or another; the
only true land-based Antarctic animals are tiny
invertebrates: mites, ticks, and nematodes. The
oceans surrounding Antarctica are highly populated:
there are large numbers of whales, six species of
seals, and 12 species of birds. Arguably, the most
famous animal found in the Antarctic is the penguin,
who breed on the land and islands of Antarctica.
American Bases
There are around 4000 inhabitants during the summer
and 1000 during winter. They are staff,
support personnel, and scientists.
In many cases they have
developed their own
slang.
(Sources:
Wikipedia and www.coolantarctica.com)
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