Antarctica – Topographically Wonderful
Antarctica is larger than or Europe and encompasses 10 percent of the world’s land mass. The continent’s enormously barren and formidable landscape can see minus 89 degrees Celsius temperatures and 192 mph winds. Antarctica, home of the South Pole, is completely encircled by the Southern Ocean. Read this site if you want affordable travel to antarctica information.
The waters off of Antarctica are some of the most nutrient rich in the world, and they support a plethora of wildlife including whales, dolphins, penguins, fish, flying birds and seals. Trapped beneath the massive ice shelves, micro organisms, also more commonly known as krill, multiply. The chief food of the seals, whales and penguins is krill, and it is also utilized 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.
A quirk of mother nature has rendered Antartica critical to the survival of mankind. The heavier of the molecules in the atmosphere are found at a higher concentration at the poles, with a more pronounced greenhouse effect. This traps the sun’s rays within the atmosphere resulting in the surface temperature rising steadily. You will gain a deeper understanding about antarctica travel by checking out that resource.
Our atmosphere contains 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. Additionally, in very small quantities, methane gases and carbon dioxide also exist. The back-radiation from earth is absorbed into the gases and water vapor, warming the air. This phenomenon is referred to as the greenhouse effect.
The more severe climate areas by the equator take in the various gases more quickly than the more moderate weather locations. Because this tremendous heat generated by the Greenhouse effect is so much more extreme than that of other areas, Antartica is the subject of a great deal of scientific scrutiny.
The ice covering Antarctica is nearly three miles thick. It was created by the compaction of snow over millions of years. Studies regarding prehistoric areas are possible in this region by drilling through the ice and studying core samples, more specifically the atomic isotopes and air bubbles contained within.
The infamous hole in the ozone layer is caused by fluorocarbons released from refrigerants into the atmosphere interacting with ozone. Overtime, this molecule has stripped away layers of the ozone. Because of the warming effect, huge ice shelves have broken off, an action called calving.
Those ice bergs then float north and slowly melt. This melting causes a rapid reduction of the polar icecaps and results in a corresponding rise in the level of the sea. Not to mention the krill loose their food source and habitat for reproduction.
If all of the ice in Antarctica melts, scientists estimate that the seas will rise at least 180 feet. That is the equivalent of skyscrapers in New York being surrounded by water at the 20th floor as it is in Venice. Other, low lying countries like Bangladesh and islands in the South Pacific may end up completely under water.
Many who have traveled to Antarctica are of one accord in that the region is a vast area full of captivating and stunning splendor. The animals are not disturbed by the presence of people in the area. It is an inspiring sight to view the mixture of animal innocence and nature’s beauty.
We must remain optimistic that people in our era and future eras will care for and maintain Antarctica and its unspoiled beauty. It’s destruction has been accelerating for quite a while,though. While measures to promote the preservation of this world have begun, with many nations helping, more are needed to protect this beauty.
Comments
Leave a Reply