Continents: Antarctica

This is Antarctica, the coldest, highest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth. Antarctica is very large, bigger than Europe and almost double the size of Australia! But despite its size, for a long time Antarctica is an unknown part of the world. Due to its remoteness and the icy, stormy seas that surround it, serious exploration of the continent does not start until around the end of the 19th century. The period from 1897 to 1922 is sometimes called the “heroic age” of Antarctic exploration.

Many explorers want to reach the South Pole. Norwegian Roald Amundsen and his crew get there first in December 1911. Others are not far behind. Early exploration of Antarctica is dangerous, but these explorers help us learn a lot about the science and geography of the region. Now, thousands of researchers work in Antarctica every year.

Antarctica is an average of 2500 metres above sea level -- it has a very high elevation that contributes to the freezing cold temperatures! The average annual temperature of the interior is −57 degrees Celsius; on the coast it’s −10 degrees Celsius. It’s so cold that snow rarely melts. Instead, it builds up and gets compressed, forming large sheets of ice. 98% of the continent is covered by ice that is several kilometers thick!

This mass of ice is constantly cooling the air above it. This cold, dense air wants to sink, so it moves from the high interior toward the coast. Gravity makes the wind move very fast, reaching up to 327 kilometers per hour! These strong winds evaporate a lot of moisture and are one of the reasons why, despite all of the ice, Antarctica is extremely dry. The McMurdo Dry Valleys region is the driest place on Earth, with no recorded precipitation ever in some parts.

Antarctica’s harsh climate means there is hardly any plant or animal life on land. The few plants that do grow are mainly mosses and lichens. The largest land animal native to Antarctica is the springtail. Springtails are so tiny that you could fit twelve on your fingernail at once! In the sea around Antarctica, fish and small shrimps called krill provide food for many animals.

Seals, penguins, octopuses and whales thrive in the freezing waters. Over the years, researchers have made many fascinating geological discoveries too, including hundreds of lakes, volcanoes, and mountains under the thick ice. Fossils also provide evidence that Antarctica supported many plants and animals hundreds of millions of years ago. In 2014, scientists made a major discovery at Lake Whillans. They found microorganisms living in the lake, nearly a kilometre under the ice sheet!

These species had not been exposed to fresh air or sunlight for millions of years. Many scientists wonder if learning how life can survive on Antarctica might give us clues about how life could survive on other planets. Antarctica’s politics are as unique as its natural environment. Antarctica is not a country and does not have a government. Instead, the rules that apply in Antarctica are determined by an international agreement from 1961: the Antarctic Treaty.

Now signed by over 50 countries, it states that Antarctica should only be used for peaceful purposes. Hunting and military activity are banned. Only research and some tourism are allowed. And although Antarctica has many valuable resources like coal, gold, oil… the treaty states that nobody can take these resources for themselves. Thanks to international cooperation, Antarctica has been protected for many years.

However, rising temperatures on Earth are affecting Antarctica’s ice and wildlife. Many fear that climate change could be the biggest threat to the continent's unique environment going forward.