What Is Important About Antarctica’s Exclusive Geographical Position?

Antarctica is such a vast continent, that it amounts to approximately 10% of the world’s total land mass, and is far larger than either or Europe. With temperatures of -89 Celsius and sustained winds of over 190 miles per hour, Antactica, the landscape has a vast but forbidding beauty. The Southern Ocean envelopes Antarctica. Visit this site for further information on antarctica travel information.

Abundant wildlife – whales, seals, penguins, various aquatic life, and birds – are at home here in the world’s purest and most nutrient-rich waters. Vast quantities of micro forage, or krill, thrive under the ice shelves. Krill is the main food source for whales, seals, penguins, and is also eaten by humans in Japan.

The animals residing in Antarctica are well adapted to the cold, dry and windy conditions. The continent features not only the greatest altitude anywhere, but also has a severely limited amount of rain both on the coast and inland. Seals and penguins are among the animals living in Antarctica who have adapted to the cold, and some plant forms of tundra vegetation and algae have also adapted to the cold.

A unique natural condition makes Antarctica meaningful for all life on this planet. The density of the molecules in the atmosphere is so pronounced at the poles that a severe greenhouse is present. The planet’s surface heats more quickly at the poles as the sun’s power is consumed more readily. Go to this site for further information on trips to antarctica.

The Earth’s atmosphere composition is approximately 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Carbon dioxide and methane exist in tiny amounts. As these water vapors and other gases soak up the planet’s radiation, they are heated. Scientists call this 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. In the Antarctic, the rise in temperature resulting from the Greenhouse Effect is 4 times more than then the rising temperatures in temperate zones, making it the optimal place for further research on 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. We have discovered great knowledge from prehistoric times based on our findings from the study of atomic isotopes and air pockets from drilling core samples.

The infamous hole in the ozone layer is caused by fluorocarbons released from refrigerants into the atmosphere interacting with ozone. This reaction is quite destructive. As such, it has created a warming effect in the area, destroying ice shelves.

These ice shelves fall off from the continent and drift northward, melting along the way. This melting increases the volume of water, thus increasing sea levels. Unfortunately, this decreases the amount of area the krill have to breed and eat.

If all of the ice in Antarctica were to thaw, this would bring up sea level about sixty yards. New York City would end up a “Venice” of sorts, with waters reaching as high as the 20th story of many large buildings. Whole countries close enough to sea level may vanish, places like the archipelagos of the South Pacific and Bangladesh.

Antarctica is a land of beauty unrivaled, as testified by many of the people who have been there. Wildlife, which has had very little interaction with humans, are calm and often curious about their presence. The purity of God’s creatures, coupled with the brilliant radiance of nature, is simply a remarkable sight to see.

Present and future generations need to bond together and work to preserve the pristine splendor of Antarctica. However, the destruction of this continent has been ongoing for a very long time, and irrevocable damage is being done to it. Many nations have joined together and made advancements toward increasing sustainability and preserving the natural environment.