What is Antarctica's ocean like?

Answer 1

The South Pole is at 90 degrees S latitude and is located on the continent of Antarctica. Because Antarctica is a "polar" region, there is no precipitation, it has no lakes or rivers and is in fact the driest continent. Average temperatures in the Antarctic interior get down to -70 degrees Celsius during the winter months and -35 degrees Celsius in the warmer months. The coastal temperatures are much warmer with a range of -15 to -32 Celsius in Winter and -5 to +5 Celsius in Summer. The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air. Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5 cm of rain. Antarctica has some of the strongest winds on earth, with some winds reaching 320 kph. Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest, coldest, cleanest, most isolated and most peaceful continent on Earth.

Answer 2

The Southern Ocean, which surrounds the Antarctic continent, is the most productive ocean on earth, producing more protein than anywhere else.

In winter, the sea ice freezes to a depth between eight and 12 feet thick, and joins the ice sheet that covers 98% of the continent, essentially doubling the size of Antarctica.

The Southern Ocean food chain is the shortest on earth, with only about seven entries between the micro-organisms and the top ocean predators.

These waters remain liquid down to about 27 degrees F, because of the mineral content of the water.

Answer 3

Antarctica is a continent covering 10% of the earth's surface. It measures 5.405 million sq miles (14 million km²).