Antarctica

Map for The Continent of Antarctica

About Continent of Antarctica

 

The Antarctica Continent, 14 million square kilometers of land covered by ice that averages 1.9 kilometers thick, the fifth largest in area after Asia, Africa, North America and South America surrounded by the South Ocean, almost all of the south of the Antarctic Circle of the Southern Hemisphere, is the highest elevation of all the continents which is the coldest (-63 °C, average temperature for the third quarter and reached -89 °C), driest, windiest and considered a desert where only 200 mm or less rainfall annually.

Antarctica is politically neutral and governed by Antarctic Treaty System signed by twelve countries in 1959 and thirty eight signed since then for ongoing scientific research, experiments conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations throughout the year across the Antarctica Continent whereas any military activities, mineral mining, nuclear explosions including nuclear waste disposal, fishing etc. are prohibited to protect its ecozone.

Many types of algae, bacteria, fungi, plants, protista, and certain animals, such as mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades are the native Antarctic organisms.

Although coal, hydrocarbons, iron ore, platinum, copper, chromium, nickel, gold and other minerals to utilize, and fishing and tourism based outside Antarctica that is not in large scale, it has no economic basement.

Melting of floating ice outflow from the land in summer to form the ice shelf causes global sea level rise. Climate change in Antarctica is because of the largest Antarctic ozone hole that causes of CFCs accumulation, and that ozone hole absorbs large amount of ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere. Ozone depletion over Antarctica can cause of 6 °C cooling in the local stratosphere. Human carbon dioxide emissions warm Antarctica. Per decade in 1957 to 2006, average surface temperature trend at 0.05 °C and west Antarctica has been warmed by more than 0.1 °C in the last 50 years.