Synthesis on Antarctica- pretty interesting.
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millie
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Synthesis on Antarctica- pretty interesting.
The Antarctic: The nothing land
Have you ever thought of going somewhere to get away from everything? Antarctica may be the place you should go since there is hardly anything there. Its climate makes it very cold and barren. Also no people live there year round because it is stark and only a few plant and animals can survive there.. It is a unique continent and since there have been few explorations it is mysterious to us.” Antarctica is one of the coldest, most barren, and mysterious continents on the earth because of its lack of people, animals, and plants, also because of exploration, and climate.
The climate is one thing that makes Antarctica the coldest most barren continent on the planet. Antarctica is one of the most wintry continents on the planet. Its temperatures are always below freezing and almost the whole land mass is frozen. There is only a small area of barren rock. It’s the 5th largest continent and is about 1.4 times larger than the United States. It’s barren and stark because of this the living conditions are not fit for any humans. Antarctica holds the record for wind speed, freezing temperatures, and altitude.(Ward) “The lowest temperature recorded on Earth was recorded at the Vostok station in Antarctica and was -128.6°F. Mawson station in Antarctica is the windiest place on earth. Maximum recorded gust: 154 mph.” Antarctica has 70% of all the world's freshwater frozen as ice and 90% of the entire world's ice. (Ward) This shows that Antarctica is the coldest, windiest continent. The altitude is also a cause for the cold climate. “The lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Sub Glacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater.” (CIA-World Factbook) This is an example of the Antarctic’s low altitude areas. In the summer more solar radiation happens at the South Pole then anywhere on the earth. (CIA- World Factbook) This shows that its climate is unique. Antarctica is also changing in the climate and land structure because of rising temperatures. It is said that the temperatures have risen 9 degrees in a century changing the landscape. (Marshall) Antarctica’s shape has been changing because of global warming and because of that some people fear that Antarctica will slowly start getting smaller and smaller. (Bone) The land is covered mostly by permafrost and surrounded by water. (Zoom school) It is located not too far from South America. “It is only a 2 ½ hour flight from the tip of south America to the tip of the World.” (Bone) Some scientists have compared the land of the Antarctic to be much like the land on Mars. (Rau, 24) This all shows that the land of Antarctica is unique and cold. The high winds, cold weather, and unique land cause this continent to be stark and frozen.
Because of the harsh living conditions there is not much plant and animal life which causes this continent to be bleak. There are only a few species of animals that live and thrive in Antarctica. They are all animals that don’t live on land the whole time. There are also only a few species of plants because of the climate. The plants that grow there are shrub-like and close to the ground. The conditions here make it hard for plants to grow. The only plants that grow here are moss, algae, or lichens. There are only two flowering plants that can survive there and they only grow in sheltered areas. (Groiler Online) Some animals in Antarctica are fish, whales, sharks, seals, arctic terns, and penguins. Much of the marine life feed on Krill which are tiny shrimp like fish. Some hunters go to Antarctica to hunt seals and whales. They hunt the whales for oil and the seals for fur. (Markle, 11) Leopard seals also live in the waters of Antarctica and are one of the top predators. Although most people think they do, polar bears do not live in the South Pole. One of the most watched animals there are the Emperor Penguins. Penguins are said to be ‘serious survivors’ in Antarctica. (Marshall) There are around 40 colonies of emperor penguins in Antarctica. The mating season is also watched closely. When the female lays the egg she goes back to the ocean to get food and the male keeps the egg warm on top of his feet. Then they pass the egg off and he goes and gets food. (Marshall, Butterfield, 28) Although there aren’t very many species of plants and animals here, the ones that do live here are very unique and are able to withstand the harsh climate. Antarctic waters and land are always freezing and make it hard for very many species to thrive; this causes Antarctica to seem deserted.
There are no people that have ever lived in Antarctica permanently because of the bitter environment because this continent to be desolate. The surroundings in Antarctica are too extreme for humans to survive here for long periods of time. There are no natives to Antarctica and the only people that spend months at a time here are researchers or scientists. There are no permanent residents currently and never have been in Antarctica. There is no government structure there because there are no inhabitants. In the summer there are around 4,000 scientists and around and 1,000 in the winter. There are also around 30,000 tourists. People can travel there on cruises during the summer time also. People usually go there by ship and stay for around 2 weeks exploring different research areas. They usually travel from place to place by helicopters, snowmobiles, skis, or on foot. (Rau, 25) (Ward) There are some fisheries located there and there is a tourism season. People either take a ship or a plane there. There are 25 airports in Antarctica. (CIA-world FactBook) The only people that stay here long are explorers. No people dwell here which causes some to look at it as a barren wasteland.
People didn’t even know Antarctica existed until the 1820’s and even today there has been little exploration over certain areas which cause this continent to be a mystery to most.
People didn’t even know Antarctica existed until the 1820’s and even today there has been little exploration over certain areas which cause this continent to be unknown to most of mankind. The four most important Antarctic explorers were Roald Amundsen, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott, and Richard E. Byrd . Antarctica has a lot of areas that scientists aren’t even able to reach because of extreme weather conditions making some areas a total mystery. “Antarctica was imagined by the ancient Greeks. The first time anyone set foot on Antarctica was in 1821 by Robert Cook.” (Ward) Most of the exploration started in the 20th century and scientific research took a larger start in WWII. (Ward.) Robert Scott was the first explorer to reach the South Pole in 1911. “Robert Falcon Scott, Journal, 17 January 1912, wrote Great God! this is an awful place. Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.” (Marguet) “Captain James Cook, Journal, February 1775, wrote about Antarctica. ‘Lands doomed by nature to be everlasting frigidness and never once to feel the warmth of the sun rays, whose horrible and savage aspect I have no words to describe; such are the lands we have discovered, what may we expect from those to be which lie more to the South, for we may reasonably suppose we have seen the best as lying more to the North, whoever has resolution and perseverance to clear up this point by proceeding farther than we have done, I shall not envy him the honour of the discovery but I will be bold to say that the world will not be benefited by it.’” (Marguet) Seven countries have made territorial claims and have set up scientific camps and research centers. “In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961.” (CIA-World Factbook) Today more people are still going there and developing more and more technology to help understand this frozen land. “The first surprise on landing in a Chilean military C130 transport aircraft is that my BlackBerry works. I check my e-mail and call my startled wife in New York to tell her that I am surrounded by luminous turquoise-tinted icebergs.” Says James Bone a researcher stationed at Eduardo Frei Montalva Base. (Bone) There have been a lot of research bases set up and but still there is so much more to see. Some think that Antarctica is just a chunk of ice but others think there is so much more mystifying land left to be explored which cause this ‘hunk of ice’ to also be a place of wonders.
Antarctica is frigid, and empty, but because of its mystery it still catches our attention. The climate makes this continent bitter and stark. The plants and animals are rare in order to survive in that environment and because this Antarctica doesn’t have a large variety of animals or plants. There are no people there because of the freezing temperatures. Antarctica is still a land of mystery to us because we are unable to explore some places, but there are research stations set up there. Antarctica is cold and bare, but also mysterious and beautiful but you may just have to check it out for yourself.
Have you ever thought of going somewhere to get away from everything? Antarctica may be the place you should go since there is hardly anything there. Its climate makes it very cold and barren. Also no people live there year round because it is stark and only a few plant and animals can survive there.. It is a unique continent and since there have been few explorations it is mysterious to us.” Antarctica is one of the coldest, most barren, and mysterious continents on the earth because of its lack of people, animals, and plants, also because of exploration, and climate.
The climate is one thing that makes Antarctica the coldest most barren continent on the planet. Antarctica is one of the most wintry continents on the planet. Its temperatures are always below freezing and almost the whole land mass is frozen. There is only a small area of barren rock. It’s the 5th largest continent and is about 1.4 times larger than the United States. It’s barren and stark because of this the living conditions are not fit for any humans. Antarctica holds the record for wind speed, freezing temperatures, and altitude.(Ward) “The lowest temperature recorded on Earth was recorded at the Vostok station in Antarctica and was -128.6°F. Mawson station in Antarctica is the windiest place on earth. Maximum recorded gust: 154 mph.” Antarctica has 70% of all the world's freshwater frozen as ice and 90% of the entire world's ice. (Ward) This shows that Antarctica is the coldest, windiest continent. The altitude is also a cause for the cold climate. “The lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the Bentley Sub Glacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater.” (CIA-World Factbook) This is an example of the Antarctic’s low altitude areas. In the summer more solar radiation happens at the South Pole then anywhere on the earth. (CIA- World Factbook) This shows that its climate is unique. Antarctica is also changing in the climate and land structure because of rising temperatures. It is said that the temperatures have risen 9 degrees in a century changing the landscape. (Marshall) Antarctica’s shape has been changing because of global warming and because of that some people fear that Antarctica will slowly start getting smaller and smaller. (Bone) The land is covered mostly by permafrost and surrounded by water. (Zoom school) It is located not too far from South America. “It is only a 2 ½ hour flight from the tip of south America to the tip of the World.” (Bone) Some scientists have compared the land of the Antarctic to be much like the land on Mars. (Rau, 24) This all shows that the land of Antarctica is unique and cold. The high winds, cold weather, and unique land cause this continent to be stark and frozen.
Because of the harsh living conditions there is not much plant and animal life which causes this continent to be bleak. There are only a few species of animals that live and thrive in Antarctica. They are all animals that don’t live on land the whole time. There are also only a few species of plants because of the climate. The plants that grow there are shrub-like and close to the ground. The conditions here make it hard for plants to grow. The only plants that grow here are moss, algae, or lichens. There are only two flowering plants that can survive there and they only grow in sheltered areas. (Groiler Online) Some animals in Antarctica are fish, whales, sharks, seals, arctic terns, and penguins. Much of the marine life feed on Krill which are tiny shrimp like fish. Some hunters go to Antarctica to hunt seals and whales. They hunt the whales for oil and the seals for fur. (Markle, 11) Leopard seals also live in the waters of Antarctica and are one of the top predators. Although most people think they do, polar bears do not live in the South Pole. One of the most watched animals there are the Emperor Penguins. Penguins are said to be ‘serious survivors’ in Antarctica. (Marshall) There are around 40 colonies of emperor penguins in Antarctica. The mating season is also watched closely. When the female lays the egg she goes back to the ocean to get food and the male keeps the egg warm on top of his feet. Then they pass the egg off and he goes and gets food. (Marshall, Butterfield, 28) Although there aren’t very many species of plants and animals here, the ones that do live here are very unique and are able to withstand the harsh climate. Antarctic waters and land are always freezing and make it hard for very many species to thrive; this causes Antarctica to seem deserted.
There are no people that have ever lived in Antarctica permanently because of the bitter environment because this continent to be desolate. The surroundings in Antarctica are too extreme for humans to survive here for long periods of time. There are no natives to Antarctica and the only people that spend months at a time here are researchers or scientists. There are no permanent residents currently and never have been in Antarctica. There is no government structure there because there are no inhabitants. In the summer there are around 4,000 scientists and around and 1,000 in the winter. There are also around 30,000 tourists. People can travel there on cruises during the summer time also. People usually go there by ship and stay for around 2 weeks exploring different research areas. They usually travel from place to place by helicopters, snowmobiles, skis, or on foot. (Rau, 25) (Ward) There are some fisheries located there and there is a tourism season. People either take a ship or a plane there. There are 25 airports in Antarctica. (CIA-world FactBook) The only people that stay here long are explorers. No people dwell here which causes some to look at it as a barren wasteland.
People didn’t even know Antarctica existed until the 1820’s and even today there has been little exploration over certain areas which cause this continent to be a mystery to most.
People didn’t even know Antarctica existed until the 1820’s and even today there has been little exploration over certain areas which cause this continent to be unknown to most of mankind. The four most important Antarctic explorers were Roald Amundsen, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Robert Falcon Scott, and Richard E. Byrd . Antarctica has a lot of areas that scientists aren’t even able to reach because of extreme weather conditions making some areas a total mystery. “Antarctica was imagined by the ancient Greeks. The first time anyone set foot on Antarctica was in 1821 by Robert Cook.” (Ward) Most of the exploration started in the 20th century and scientific research took a larger start in WWII. (Ward.) Robert Scott was the first explorer to reach the South Pole in 1911. “Robert Falcon Scott, Journal, 17 January 1912, wrote Great God! this is an awful place. Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.” (Marguet) “Captain James Cook, Journal, February 1775, wrote about Antarctica. ‘Lands doomed by nature to be everlasting frigidness and never once to feel the warmth of the sun rays, whose horrible and savage aspect I have no words to describe; such are the lands we have discovered, what may we expect from those to be which lie more to the South, for we may reasonably suppose we have seen the best as lying more to the North, whoever has resolution and perseverance to clear up this point by proceeding farther than we have done, I shall not envy him the honour of the discovery but I will be bold to say that the world will not be benefited by it.’” (Marguet) Seven countries have made territorial claims and have set up scientific camps and research centers. “In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959, it entered into force in 1961.” (CIA-World Factbook) Today more people are still going there and developing more and more technology to help understand this frozen land. “The first surprise on landing in a Chilean military C130 transport aircraft is that my BlackBerry works. I check my e-mail and call my startled wife in New York to tell her that I am surrounded by luminous turquoise-tinted icebergs.” Says James Bone a researcher stationed at Eduardo Frei Montalva Base. (Bone) There have been a lot of research bases set up and but still there is so much more to see. Some think that Antarctica is just a chunk of ice but others think there is so much more mystifying land left to be explored which cause this ‘hunk of ice’ to also be a place of wonders.
Antarctica is frigid, and empty, but because of its mystery it still catches our attention. The climate makes this continent bitter and stark. The plants and animals are rare in order to survive in that environment and because this Antarctica doesn’t have a large variety of animals or plants. There are no people there because of the freezing temperatures. Antarctica is still a land of mystery to us because we are unable to explore some places, but there are research stations set up there. Antarctica is cold and bare, but also mysterious and beautiful but you may just have to check it out for yourself.
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Perrywinkle47
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OMG! The coldest temperature is -128 F, i cannot even imagine that much cold. I wonder what would the temperature be in summers though. Lol, yeah I always thought that only polar bears live there but no its the penguins who are the serious survivors there. It is indeed a mysterious place. Good read! Thanks for sharing the info.
