Antarctica

The polar plateau in Antarctica is a vast, flat region that covers a large part of the continent. It is located in the interior of Antarctica, around the South Pole, and is characterized by extremely cold temperatures and high elevations. The plateau is covered in thick ice sheets that can reach several kilometers in thickness.

Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth, receiving only a few inches of precipitation each year, mainly in the form of snow. It can vary by region, but generally, Antarctica experiences limited rainfall and infrequent precipitation events.

There are no professional sports played in Antarctica due to its extreme climate and lack of permanent population. However, researchers and station residents may engage in recreational activities like cross-country skiing, snowboarding, and ice climbing.

Underneath Antarctica is a varied rock formation that includes ancient Precambrian shields, sedimentary basins, and tectonic boundaries between different tectonic plates. The East Antarctic Craton is a prominent feature, comprising some of the oldest rocks on Earth. The geology of Antarctica is still being studied due to the continent's remote and harsh environment.

Antarctica is a polar desert ecosystem, characterized by extreme cold temperatures, high winds, and little precipitation. The primary habitats include ice, snow, rock, and ocean, supporting unique species adapted to these harsh conditions. The Antarctic ecosystem is home to a variety of organisms such as penguins, seals, whales, and algae.

You can go to Antarctica as a tourist if you can afford it: cruises being among some of the most expensive cruises on earth. Or you can go to Antarctica and work in support of science, by applying to your government's representative in Antarctica.

The USA government's representative in Antarctica is the National Science Foundation.

Finally, you can go to Antarctica as a science if you are funded by your government to investigate a question pertaining to the health of planet earth.

No. Antarctica is a solid continent that happens to be covered in ice and snow. Even if this ice and snow was going to melt in the next dozen years - which it won't - the continent would still remain there.

Glacial grooves in Antarctica can be found on exposed rock surfaces, typically on nunataks or other high points where glaciers have flowed over the rock and carved out grooves with their abrasive action.

On average, the distance between Antarctica and the Sun is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). This distance can vary slightly due to the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Antarctica is melting, losing 100 cubic km (24 cubic miles) of ice every year since 2002. This is mostly happening where the glaciers run into the warmer ocean on the western side. The underside of the glaciers melt, leaving ice shelves above, which are breaking off.

The eastern side is higher and colder and not much change can be seen there. Snowfall there doesn't melt but eventually becomes ice, so some parts are building up, even though the total Antarctic ice is decreasing.

With expensive logistical support, only humans can live on the Antarctic continent.

There are no native flowering plants in Antarctica, so there are no seeds naturally found in the continent. Any seeds that are present would have been introduced by humans and are not part of the natural ecosystem.

Less than 1% of Antarctica is not covered in ice, mainly in areas such as the Dry Valleys and some exposed rock areas along the coast. The vast majority of Antarctica is covered by a thick ice sheet that averages about 1 mile (1.6 km) in thickness.

Sir Ernest Shackleton decided to attempt to cross Antarctica via the south pole.

They usually only stay for the "warmer" months and leave before the onset of winter however, some stay for winter. The danger is that if they stay for winter, they are stuck there with little or no chance of leaving due to the weather conditions.

Antarctica does not pass through any countries. It is a continent located at the southernmost part of the Earth, governed by an international treaty that preserves it for scientific research and environmental protection.

There is no official record of the first person born in Antarctica. However, it is known that the first children born in Antarctica were Emilio Marcos de Palma, son of an Argentine naval officer, born on January 7, 1978 at an Argentine base, and Juan Pablo Camacho, son of a Chilean naval officer, born on January 22, 1984 at a Chilean base.

Because there is so little particulate in the air and because Earth's Southern Hemisphere faces the stellar southern hemisphere -- the thickest part of the galaxy, building astronomical observatories in Antarctica makes perfect sense.

Antarctica is the highest, darkest, coldest, driest, windiest and iciest continent on earth.

In Antarctica, the temperature is consistently below freezing, so there is no opportunity for a freeze-thaw cycle to occur. The extreme cold prevents the melting phase of the cycle from happening, as temperatures remain too low for ice to melt.

Yes, Antarctica is located far south of Greenland. Greenland is in the North Atlantic Ocean, while Antarctica is in the southern hemisphere, at the South Pole.

Ernest Shackleton took dogs but not horses on his expeditions to Antarctica. He used sled dogs to help transport supplies and equipment across the icy terrain.

In order to move from Antarctica to Africa -- or to any other continent on earth -- your direction is north.

No. Just like parallel lines on a flat surface, any two lines of latitude that you

choose are the same distance apart everywhere, they never cross, and they

never touch. That's why they're often called "parallels" of latitude.