Antarctica is the fourth largest continent in the world and the southernmost continent. In fact, its center is located at the Earth's South Pole. Its territory is almost entirely (98%) covered by ice up to 1,9 km thick. The Antarctic climate has been studied in great detail to understand everything found within this ecosystem.
In this article we'll tell you everything you need to know about the Antarctic climate, its evolution , and its importance to the world.
frozen continent
Given that we are talking about the coldest, driest, and windiest place on Earth, ordinary life in Antarctica is nearly impossible, which is why it has no native population . It is populated only by various scientific observation missions (approximately 1.000 to 5.000 people throughout the year) with bases within its borders, generally on the Antarctic Plateau.
In addition, it is the most recently discovered continent. It was first observed by the Spanish navigator Gabriel de Castilla (c. 1577-c. 1620) in the southern summer of 1603. Until the end of the 1895th century, when the first Norwegian fleet landed on the coast in XNUMX.
On the other hand, its name does come from classical times: it was first used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) around 350 BC. In his Meteorology, he named these regions "facing the north" (hence their name from the Greek antarktikĂłs, "facing the North Pole").
Characteristics of Antarctica
Antarctica has the following characteristics:
- The surface of the continent is larger than Oceania or Europe, and is the fourth largest continent in the world, with a total area of ​​14 million square kilometers, of which only 280.000 square kilometers are free of ice in summer and 17.968 km2 along the coast.
- A large group of islands are part of its territory, the largest being Alexander I (49.070 km²), Berkner Island (43.873 km²), Thurston Island (15.700 km²) and Cany Island (8.500 km²). Antarctica has no indigenous population, no state, and no territorial divisions, although it is claimed by seven different nations: New Zealand, Australia, France, Norway, Great Britain, Argentina, and Chile.
- The Antarctic territory is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, in force since 1961, which prohibits any form of military presence, mineral extraction, atomic bombing and disposal of radioactive material, as well as other support for scientific research and the protection of the ecoregion.
- It has many subglacial freshwater deposits such as Onyx (32 km long) or Lake Vostok (14.000 km2 of surface). In addition, the region contains 90% of the Earth's ice, which contains 70% of the world's fresh water.
- Antarctica is the southernmost region on Earth, within the geographic South Pole and the Antarctic Circle, below the Antarctic Convergence Zone, that is, below latitudes 55° and 58° South. It is surrounded by the Antarctic and Indian Oceans adjacent to the Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, and is located only 1.000 kilometers from the southern tip of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina). In addition, its climate influences the global climate.
Antarctic Climate
Antarctica has the coldest climate of all the continents. Its lowest temperature ever recorded is also the lowest on Earth (-89,2 °C), and its eastern regions are much colder than its western regions because the temperature is higher. The average annual minimum temperature in winter and in the interior of the continent is around -80 °C , while the average annual maximum temperature in summer and coastal areas is around 0 °C.
Furthermore, it is the driest place on Earth, and liquid water is scarce. Its interior regions have few humid winds and are as dry as a frozen desert, while its coastal areas have abundant and strong winds that favor snowfall. For this reason, its extreme climate is a subject of ongoing study.
The geological history of Antarctica began about 25 million years ago with the gradual breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana. During some stages of its early history, it experienced a more northerly location and a tropical or temperate climate before the Pleistocene ice age covered the continent and wiped out its flora and fauna.
The western part of the continent is geologically similar to the Andes Mountains, but it is possible that there is some life in the low-lying coastal areas. In contrast, the eastern region is higher and has a polar plateau in its central region, known as the Antarctic Plateau or Geographic South Pole.
This mountain range extends over 1.000 kilometers eastward , with an average elevation of 3.000 meters, which influences its local climate . Its highest point is Dome A, at 4093 meters above sea level.
Antarctic wildlife
Antarctic fauna is sparse, especially terrestrial vertebrates, which prefer sub-Antarctic islands with milder climates. Invertebrates such as tardigrades, lice, nematodes, krill, and various microorganisms can be found on the continent.
The main sources of life in the area are found in low-lying coastal zones, including aquatic life such as blue whales, orcas, squid, and pinnipeds (like seals and sea lions). There are also several penguin species, most notably the emperor penguin, the king penguin, and the rockhopper penguin. Various research projects have been established to better understand how climate change affects these species.
Most signatories to the Antarctic Treaty maintain scientific research bases on the continent. Some are permanent, with rotating staff, while others are seasonal or summer bases, used when temperatures and weather are less harsh. The number of bases can vary from year to year, reaching up to 40 bases from 20 different countries (2014).
Most summer bases belong to Germany, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, South Korea, United States, France, India, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, South Africa, Ukraine, Uruguay, Bulgaria, Spain, Ecuador, Finland, Sweden, Pakistan, Peru. The winter bases of Germany, Argentina and Chile remain in Antarctica during the harsh winter.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the climate of Antarctica and its characteristics.