At the southern end of the globe rests one of the largest and most mysterious land masses on Earth - the frozen kingdom of the Antarctic.
This icy expanse covers 13.2 million square kilometers, making it the fifth largest continent in the world. It is located almost entirely south of the Arctic Circle, which means that most of the year temperatures are below zero.
Such conditions make life miserable compared to other regions of the world. But the animals that inhabit this chilly environment are well adapted to cope with the incredibly harsh living conditions observed by explorers and scientists stationed there. Read about some of the very special features of the continent before setting off on your expedition to the Antarctic.
Interesting facts about the Antarctic:
1.The Antarctic dry valleys are the least rainy regions on earth. The humidity in this part of the continent is so low that no snow and ice can accumulate here, which makes the valleys appear dusty and dry.
2. The Antarctic is on average the windiest place in the world. Researchers exploring this southern land mass have measured wind speeds of up to 327 km / h.
3. The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice mass in the world and can grow up to four and a half kilometers thick. The continent as a whole contains about 90 percent freshwater rice and about 70 percent of the total freshwater reserves of the earth!
4. Scientists claim that melting the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would raise sea levels by three to four meters around the world.
5. The Ross Ice Shelf, an ice shelf that juts out over the continental mainland mass, is approximately 500,000 square kilometers, the largest ice shelf area ever discovered.
6. While the Antarctic is covered in ice, here is one of the largest mountain ranges on earth - the Gamburzew Mountains, which are 1,200 kilometers long. The highest peaks are estimated at 3,400 meters, about one third of the size of the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest.
7. Another interesting geographic phenomenon hidden beneath the ice is Lake Wostok, a freshwater lake located at a depth of about 4,000 meters below the ice. About the size of Lake Ontario, this lake is one of the more than 200 bodies of water discovered under the ice.
8. While the Grand Canyon is widely considered the largest natural gorge on earth, scientists in the Antarctic have discovered another ditch that can compete with the vast natural wonder in the US. The unnamed Canyon was discovered during an expedition in 2010 and spans more than 100 kilometers, is over ten kilometers wide and reaches depths of nearly two kilometers. Scientists believe it could be even bigger, but further research is needed to determine the true size of this huge trench.
9. Antarctica is home to Mount Erebus, the Earth's southernmost active volcano, and the only known "lava lake" that has maintained liquid magma for eons of time, despite the frosty environment on the continent.
10. About 30 countries operate about 80 research stations on the continent. During the summer months, about 4,000 people stay on these stations, in the long, harsh winter months there are only about 1,000. Learn more about the history of exploring the Antarctic.
11. In January 1979, the first human being was born in Antarctica, Emile Marco Palma. Since then, only ten other people on the continent have seen the light of day.
12. Due to the inclination of the globe, the Antarctic sun does not rise above the horizon between spring and autumn equinox, meaning that the continent remains in darkness during the entire Antarctic winter.
13. In return, the sun does not set in the summer months in the Antarctic, which means that the continent receives more sunlight than the equator during this time.
14. In March 2000, the Ross Ice Shelf broke off a 275 x 40 kilometer chunk, roughly the size of the US state of Connecticut.
15. Deep Lake in Antarctica is so salty that it does not freeze even when temperatures reach minus 15 degrees.
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