Cold, Snow, and Much More ..Antarctica
Antarctica is larger than both and Europe and comprises 10 percent of the worlds land mass. It is a mammoth and intimidating area with incredible gale force winds and lethal cold. The continent is fully surrounded by water, specifically the Southern Ocean.
The waters surrounding Antarctica sustain numerous dolphins, fish, flying birds, penguins, seals and whales with the most plentiful nutrient flows on Earth. Trapped beneath the massive ice shelves, micro organisms, also more commonly known as krill, multiply. Krill is the main food source for whales, seals, penguins, and is also eaten by humans in Japan.
The geographical landscape of Antarctica is the coldest, windiest continent on earth, meaning that the animals that live here must adapt to these extreme conditions. Antarctica holds the highest average elevation for any continent, and is perhaps the driest with only approximately 200mm of precipitation along the coast each year. Animals which have learned to survive and thrive in these brutal weather conditions include penguins and seals.
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 sun’s luminous energy is soaked up at the Earth’s poles near the exterior, making things a little warmer. Our atmosphere is comprised of approximately 79 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. Carbon dioxide and methane exist in tiny amounts.
These substances, combined with water, serve to generate a tremendous amount of heat. This process is called the greenhouse effect.
Because of a phenomena known as the “slingshot effect”, carbon dioxide and methane accumulate more rapidly at the poles than they do in temperate regions. For this reason of increased temps 4 - 5 times greater, it is clear that Antarctica plays a crucial role in the study of the greenhouse effect.
The ice blanketing Antarctica is almost three miles deep. Millions of years of snowfall has caused this ice compaction. Much has been learned by scientists through careful study and observation of atmospheric samples taken from the continent of Antarctica.
The destructive interaction of Chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFCs) expelled by the release of refrigerants into earth’s atmosphere, created the now infamous hole in the ozone layer. These chemicals actively damage the ozone. As such, it has created a warming effect in the area, destroying ice shelves.
Once separated, the ice shelves float north and eventually melt. This causes sea levels to rise. In addition, valuable amounts of the nutritious krill are destroyed.
If all the continent’s ice shelves were to disappear into the ocean, it is calculated that sea levels would increase by more than 180 feet. Essentially, this would make New York seem like Venice, with water reaching the 20th floor of the skyscrapers.
Near-sea-level nations like Bangladesh and island chains of the South Pacific may vanish altogether.
Those who have made the trip to Antartica testify that the continent is absolutely stunning to look at. There are many opportunities to observe wildlife. Viewing the grandeur of the scenery in conjunction with the trusting innocence of Antarctica’s creatures, is an exhilarating experience.
The fervent hope is that Antartica can be protected by future civilizations so that this goregeous area will survive intact. However, it may be too late to stop the destruction of the ecosystem. Numerous countries have come together to work on preserving what remains of Antarctica.
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