Facts about Antarctica
Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest, emptiest, coldest place on earth.Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent. It is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14.0 million km square, it is the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. For comparison, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 kilometers in thickness, which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula.There are lots of penguins, whales, seals, krill (the main food for whales), and even fish in Antarctica's waters.
but there are no land mammals and, as far as scientists know, no native peoples. Antarctic animals - The most abundant and best known animals from the southern continent. Penguins, whales seals, albatrosses, other seabirds and a whole range of invertebrates you may have not heard of such as krill which form the basis of the Antarctic food web. These are the charismatic mega fauna that you have seen pictures and film of, though you may be surprised to find that they live far more interesting and complex lives than you imagine.The most immediate threats are regional warming, ocean and loss of sea ice, all linked to global levels of carbon dioxide. Sea ice cover, crucial to the survival of virtually every animal that lives on and near the continent, already has been reduced by warming, according to a new study published in the July 13 issue of the journal Science. Visits by tourists, researchers and other people also threaten to change Antarctica, as does the harvesting of animals like krill that are key to the Antarctic food chain.
Antarctica was one a part of gondwana. Antarctica separated an drifted south 180 million years ago. Its Temperatures started to drop, the trees disappeared and became covered snow. The heavy layers of snow was pressed into ice. The thick ice makes Antarctica the highest continent in the world. Antarctic's average height above sea level is 2 300 meters. In some places, the ice is about 4 km deep. Most of Transantarctic are buried under snow, but in some areas the mountain peaks are called nuna - taks. Did you now that in 1984, rocks the size of cars erupted from Mount Erebus. Some landed more than one kilometer from the crater. |
Picture of Gondawana (18,000,000 Years Ago) |
MiningAntarctica shouldn't be mined because it is one of the worlds last, natural wilderness areas.
Scientists carry out important research in Antarctica, and tens and thousands of tourists visit each summer . If Antarctica was mined, there would be a lot more people living there. Building roads and buildings for people would destroy wildlife habitats. Any minerals in Antarctica such as coal or gas are buried kilometers under the thick ice that covers the continent. The fragile environment would be damaged if people would keep on trying to extract the environment. |