The Links below will lead you to a wealth of in-depth information. Choose any specific Antarctic life form (animal, plant, or microorganism) and prepare a 2 minute oral presentation for class. (20% of final WebQuest grade).
The Geoterms (and some of the text) for this Chapter are located at the bottom of this page (and they will be on the quiz).
The Geoterms (and some of the text) for this Chapter are located at the bottom of this page (and they will be on the quiz).
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The Landscape
The Antarctic continent is a land mass nearly twice the size of Australia covered with ice up to 4 km thick. The highest point is approximately 4 km above sea level. There is little exposed rock and, although millions of years ago there was heavy vegetation, today the only plants that grow are very small mosses and lichens. Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest and coldest continent in the world.
Antarctica is the also coldest continent on earth. The lowest temperature ever recorded was minus 89.2°C at Vostok. |
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Animals - Follow linksAntarctic animals are exposed to some of the coldest environments on earth. Animals survive in these harsh conditions by reducing the percentage of body heat that is lost to the environment. This can be by physical means (generally evolved over many generations) or patterns of behavior. http://www.penguinscience.com/education/adaptations.php
Hundreds of thousands of penguins gather to breed and feed. Whales, seals and albatross share the vast spaces. http://penguinranch.blogspot.com/ Krill, the most abundant animal in the world, occupies a central place in the Antarctic ecosystem and provides the basic food source for many Antarctic predators. There are few plants in Antarctica but what exists is significant. Brilliantly coloured lichens and mosses establish themselves in ice-free areas. The frigid sea provides haven for many varieties of microscopic life (phytoplankton). Penguins Animals Plants Microscopic organisms |
Introduction
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. The average temperature at the South Pole is -74°F. At this temperature, spilled coffee can turn to ice before it hits the ground. No one lives on this cold continent. Each summer, though, Antarctica warms up a bit. During these few warmer months, researchers from around the world travel to Antarctica to work.
Researchers come to Antarctica to study many things. One of the most important, however, is global warming. This is a slow increase in the temperature of Earth's surface. Climate records for the past 25 years show a worldwide surface temperature rise of about 0.4°F. However, this warming is not uniform. Some places are warmer. Some are cooler.
Many scientists believe that this warming relates to a process called the greenhouse effect. This occurs when gases in the atmosphere prevent heat from Earth's surface from escaping into space. The trapped heat, the scientists believe, makes the Earth warmer. Studies of ice bubbles trapped in polar ice show that amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing. Still, not all scientists think this increase explains Earth's warming. In fact, some aren't sure whether Earth is warming at all.
In this chapter, you will look at ideas about global warming and how it may be affecting Antarctica. You will also look at possible effects of global warming on the rest of the world.
The Geographic Setting
The South Pole is the southernmost point on Earth. Antarctica surrounds this point. This icy continent is larger than Australia or Europe. Almost all of its land is buried under glaciers. A majority of Earth's fresh water is frozen here as ice.
The Coldest Place on Earth
Antarctica can be unimaginably cold. On July 21, 1983, instruments in Antarctica registered a temperature of - l28°F. This temperature is the coldest ever recorded on Earth.
Why does Antarctica get so cold? It is the most distant continent from the equator. As a result, it receives less sunshine than other parts of the world. On some winter days, the sun never rises above the horizon. The small amount of solar energy that Antarctica does receive is mostly reflected by ice back into space.
Antarctica is also the driest continent. It receives less than two inches of precipitation per year. Few living things can survive in such a cold, dry biome, or large ecosystem. Only two flowering plants grow here. But a variety of animals thrive in the surrounding waters. They include seals, whales, penguins, and many other kinds of birds.
Glaciers cover about 98 percent of Antarctica. Much of this ice is well over a mile thick. Moving flows of ice called ice streams slide across the surface of this ice cap. These streams carry ice from the center of the continent to the sea. Upon reaching the coast, an ice stream flows outward into the ocean. There it forms an ice shelf, or floating sheet of ice, that remains attached to the continent. The Ross Ice Shelf, the largest of these ice shelves, is about the size of France. In some places, it is up to 3,000 feet thick.
A Continent Reserved for International Research
In 1978 a pregnant woman boarded a plane in Argentina and flew to a research station in Antarctica. While there, she gave birth to a baby boy. He was the first human to be born on the continent. Yet he could not be a citizen of Antarctica. That's because Antarctica has no country or government. In the past, seven countries claimed parts of Antarctica. In 1959, those countries joined with others to sign the Antarctic Treaty. As part of this treaty, the seven countries agreed to set aside their claims. The treaty stated that Antarctica should be reserved for peaceful activities such as scientific investigation.
More than 4,000 people travel to Antarctica every year to take part in scientific studies. Scientists find Antarctica a good place to do research for many reasons. One reason is that it is the least populated continent on Earth. This helps researchers see how Earth has changed over time without the influence of human activity.
Also, Antarctica's glaciers serve as records of climate change. Researchers drill deep into the thick ice and pull up samples called ice cores. They study the cores to learn what the climate was like as far back as 420,000 years ago. Researchers use this information to help understand the warming and cooling of Earth over time.
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. The average temperature at the South Pole is -74°F. At this temperature, spilled coffee can turn to ice before it hits the ground. No one lives on this cold continent. Each summer, though, Antarctica warms up a bit. During these few warmer months, researchers from around the world travel to Antarctica to work.
Researchers come to Antarctica to study many things. One of the most important, however, is global warming. This is a slow increase in the temperature of Earth's surface. Climate records for the past 25 years show a worldwide surface temperature rise of about 0.4°F. However, this warming is not uniform. Some places are warmer. Some are cooler.
Many scientists believe that this warming relates to a process called the greenhouse effect. This occurs when gases in the atmosphere prevent heat from Earth's surface from escaping into space. The trapped heat, the scientists believe, makes the Earth warmer. Studies of ice bubbles trapped in polar ice show that amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing. Still, not all scientists think this increase explains Earth's warming. In fact, some aren't sure whether Earth is warming at all.
In this chapter, you will look at ideas about global warming and how it may be affecting Antarctica. You will also look at possible effects of global warming on the rest of the world.
The Geographic Setting
The South Pole is the southernmost point on Earth. Antarctica surrounds this point. This icy continent is larger than Australia or Europe. Almost all of its land is buried under glaciers. A majority of Earth's fresh water is frozen here as ice.
The Coldest Place on Earth
Antarctica can be unimaginably cold. On July 21, 1983, instruments in Antarctica registered a temperature of - l28°F. This temperature is the coldest ever recorded on Earth.
Why does Antarctica get so cold? It is the most distant continent from the equator. As a result, it receives less sunshine than other parts of the world. On some winter days, the sun never rises above the horizon. The small amount of solar energy that Antarctica does receive is mostly reflected by ice back into space.
Antarctica is also the driest continent. It receives less than two inches of precipitation per year. Few living things can survive in such a cold, dry biome, or large ecosystem. Only two flowering plants grow here. But a variety of animals thrive in the surrounding waters. They include seals, whales, penguins, and many other kinds of birds.
Glaciers cover about 98 percent of Antarctica. Much of this ice is well over a mile thick. Moving flows of ice called ice streams slide across the surface of this ice cap. These streams carry ice from the center of the continent to the sea. Upon reaching the coast, an ice stream flows outward into the ocean. There it forms an ice shelf, or floating sheet of ice, that remains attached to the continent. The Ross Ice Shelf, the largest of these ice shelves, is about the size of France. In some places, it is up to 3,000 feet thick.
A Continent Reserved for International Research
In 1978 a pregnant woman boarded a plane in Argentina and flew to a research station in Antarctica. While there, she gave birth to a baby boy. He was the first human to be born on the continent. Yet he could not be a citizen of Antarctica. That's because Antarctica has no country or government. In the past, seven countries claimed parts of Antarctica. In 1959, those countries joined with others to sign the Antarctic Treaty. As part of this treaty, the seven countries agreed to set aside their claims. The treaty stated that Antarctica should be reserved for peaceful activities such as scientific investigation.
More than 4,000 people travel to Antarctica every year to take part in scientific studies. Scientists find Antarctica a good place to do research for many reasons. One reason is that it is the least populated continent on Earth. This helps researchers see how Earth has changed over time without the influence of human activity.
Also, Antarctica's glaciers serve as records of climate change. Researchers drill deep into the thick ice and pull up samples called ice cores. They study the cores to learn what the climate was like as far back as 420,000 years ago. Researchers use this information to help understand the warming and cooling of Earth over time.