Antarctica Antarctica Size Antarctica is the fifthlargest continent

Antarctica

Antarctica Size • Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent in terms of total area • covers approximately 20 percent of the Southern Hemisphere.

Antarctic Convergence • Antarctica is surrounded by the Antarctic Convergence - an uneven line of latitude where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the warmer waters of the world’s oceans.

Physical Geography • The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest single piece of ice on Earth. - Ice shelves are floating sheets of ice that are connected to the continent. - extends beyond the continent when snow and ice are at their most extreme.

Landscape The Transantarctic Mountains divide the continent into east and west Some reach altitudes of more than 4, 500 meters (14, 764 feet).

Landscape • Greater Antarctica - older, igneous and metamorphic rocks. • Lesser Antarctica - younger, volcanic and sedimentary rock. • part of the “Ring of Fire” - a tectonically active area around the Pacific Ocean often resulting in earthquakes and volcanoes.

Climate • Antarctica has an extremely cold, dry climate. • Coastline - winter temp drop to -30° C - summer temp climb to 9°C • In the mountainous, interior regions - temp can drop below -60°C in winter and -20°C in summer.

Flora • Lichens, mosses, and terrestrial algae on the land • phytoplankton and algae flourish in the water • More of this vegetation grows in the northern and coastal regions of Antarctica - interior has little if any vegetation.

Fauna • Ocean surrounding is among the most diverse on the planet. -Blue, fin, humpback, right, minke, sei, and sperm whales have healthy populations

One of the top predators is the leopard seal. -3 -meter (9 -foot), 400 kilogram (882 -pound) - unusually long, sharp teeth The most familiar animal is probably the penguin. -Their wings serve as flippers as they “fly” through the water in search of prey such as squid and fish.

Who Lives There? • Antarctica is a unique continent in that it does not have a native population or permanent residents. • busy outpost for a variety of research scientists. These scientists work at governmentsupported research stations and come from dozens of different countries. - 1, 000 in winter to around 5, 000 in summer.

Who Owns It? • seven nations claim different parts of it but are not recognized: New Zealand, Australia, France, Norway, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina • In 1961, these countries signed the Antarctic Treaty - no nation or group of people can claim any part of the Antarctic as territory - countries cannot use the region for military purposes or to dispose of radioactive waste - research can only be done for peaceful purposes.

• The Antarctic has become a symbol of climate change. Scientists and policymakers are focusing on changes in this environmentally sensitive region to push for its protection and the sustainable use of its scientific resources.

Maintaining the Balance • Antarctica has a larger role than most continents in maintaining Earth’s heat balance. • The massive Antarctic Ice Sheet reflects a large amount of solar radiation away from Earth’s surface. • The decrease in global ice cover allows more incoming solar radiation to be absorbed by the Earth’s surface, causing an unequal heat balance linked to global warming