The Value of Antarctica’s One-of-a-Kind Geographical Location
Friday, March 26th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
Larger than both and Europe, Antarctica contains 10% of the land mass in the world. With temperatures of -89 Celsius and sustained winds of over 190 miles per hour, Antactica, the landscape has a vast but forbidding beauty. This body of land is encircled by the Southern Ocean, which is comprised of the southernmost waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. As a person looking for antarctica travel you should visit that site.
These Antarctic marine ecosystem supports some of the richest nutrient flows on the planet and is home to whales, seals and dolphins. Large quantities of tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill live within these ice-covered waters. Krill is the primary diet of baleen whales, seals and penguins, and is even used in Japan as a food source for humans.
Despite being covered in ice, Antarctica is driest and windiest continent on earth, and of course it is the coldest, too. The animals that live there have specially adapted to survive. 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. Many animals have uniquely adapted to the cold, and thrive in Antarctica, penguins and seals among them; even more surprisingly, assorted tundra vegetation and several types of algae have adapted to the harsh climate as well.
A quirk of mother nature has rendered Antartica critical to the survival of mankind. 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. When you would like to get more information on antarctica trip check out this site.
Atmospheric make-up is comprised of about 79 percent nitrogen, with only 21 percent oxygen. Carbon dioxide and methane exist in tiny amounts. These gases, combined with water vapor, reflect radiation back toward the earth causing it to warm. This is commonly acknowledged as the greenhouse effect.
The polar regions and the equator collect methane and carbon dioxide quicker than the moderate regions because of a condition known as the “slingshot effect”. The overall temperature increase in Antarctica is 4 to 5 times greater than that of other areas which provides scientists with opportunities to study the greenhouse effect.
The ice blanketing Antarctica is almost three miles deep. It was created by the compaction of snow over millions of years. 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. Because of the warming effect, huge ice shelves have broken off, an action called calving.
Once broken off, the ice shelves move to the north and eventually melt in the warmer waters. 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.
It is estimated that the seas would rise over 180 feet if all the Antarctic ice melted. If this happened, New York would join with Venice in being a city underwater, with the water reaching to the 20 floor in some skyscrapers. Nations of lower elevations like Archipelagos in the southern Pacific area and Bangladesh would simply be swallowed completely by the sea.
Almost everyone who has visited Antarctica describes it as a breathtaking land filled with exquisite beauty. People roaming the land does not scare the animals there. With the astounding beauty of the nature and it’s innocent wildlife, it is a stimulating sight.
It is up to the future generations to preserve the pristine splendor or Antarctica. Sadly, this continent has been dissolving slowly for decades. Fortunately, many nations have joined forces and are now working together so some small steps toward conservation, preservation and preserving sustainability have already been taken.
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