Bigger than and all of Europe, Antarctica makes up a whopping 10 percent of the earth’s land. As daunting as it is expansive, Antarctica endures frigid temps of negative 89 degrees Celsius, and can incur winds of up to 192 mph! The Southern Ocean encircles this massive land mass.
The waters off Antarctica are nutrient rich and provide sustenance for innumerable penguins, whales, seals, dolphins, fish and various species of flying birds. Trapped beneath the massive ice shelves, micro organisms, also more commonly known as krill, multiply. Krill, also used for human purposes in Japan, is the primary diet for seals, whales, and penguins.
The wildlife of Antarctica must be equipped to endure its harsh climate, since it is the most arid, bitterly freezing, and windiest continent. Despite the fact that the continent has the highest average elevation in the world, the annual precipitation in Antarctica is merely 200mm near the coast and the interior sees even less; Plants and animals that have adapted to Antarctica’s harsh life include seals, penguins, various forms of algae, and cold resistant tundra vegetation.
However, Antarctica has a very special and unique natural feature that makes it important to each and every one of us. Antarctica has a high pressure atmosphere which means the molecules which compose the atmosphere are highly concentrated, thus the Greenhouse Effect over Antarctica is more pronounced. The high levels of energy output from the sun are far more pronounced at the poles, as these molecules allow for greater energy absorption, essentially increasing the surface temperature of these areas.
There is approximately 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen in the atmosphere. Methane and carbon dioxide also contribute to the make-up of the atmosphere, but in minute quantities. These substances, combined with water, serve to generate a tremendous amount of heat. This process is called the greenhouse effect.
Because of the so-called “slingshot effect” at the equator, the regions around the poles build up methane and carbon dioxide faster than more temperate regions of the earth. Because the temperature increase from Greenhouse effects is 4-5 times greater in Antarctica, this region makes an ideal location for research, especially into the Greenhouse Effect.
The ice blanketing Antarctica is almost three miles deep. This ice has been formed over millions of years as snow is compacted into tight layers. Drilling in order to research core samples of prehistoric air bubbles and atomic isotopes is revealing vast amounts of information on prehistoric eras.
The notorious gap in the ozone layer is a result of injecting many coolants into the surrounding atmospheric area with severe negative consequences. These negatively respond with the ozone. Large chunks of the ice layers have split or sever thanks to the warming effect.
Once broken off, the ice shelves move to the north and eventually melt in the warmer waters. Sea levels then become higher as a result of the ice liquefying into water. Not to mention the krill loose their food source and habitat for reproduction.
If all of the ice in Antarctica were to thaw, this would bring up sea level about sixty yards. This could send rising to the 20th floor of skyscrapers in New York City! Countries at a lower altitude, such as Bangladesh, could be completely swallowed up and destroyed.
Most people who have been to Antarctica will tell you of the breathtaking beauty of the continent. The animals don’t always view people as a threat. With the astounding beauty of the nature and it’s innocent wildlife, it is a stimulating sight.
Hope remains that current and future civilizations will value Antarctica enough to protect and conserve its perfect brilliance. Unfortunately, its steady demise has been in progress for far too long. However, many countries are joining hands and cooperating in efforts to preserve and sustain this valuable ecosystem.
For top-quality resources on antarctica travel information make sure to visit them. A deeper insight relating to antarctica travel is found there.
Related Posts
Tags: antarctica, antarctica trip, Travel