Interesting facts about Antarctica

Antarctica – Continent, who opened later than the rest. Sixth mainland It is the coldest place on the planet and is a snow-covered desert, cited by a multi-meter layer of ice. There are no countries and peoples here, but only research stations and polar shovels. Antarctica is of interest to mystery and weak learning. Air here without dust, devoid of odors, sterile clean. There is a bath where Temperature +120 degrees Celsius, And during the bath procedure, people pop up for three minutes on 80-degree frost on the street. Just imagine: there is a lake "East", frozen to a depth of 3769 meters. In Antarctica Very few animal species, Only on the coast you can see several types of birds. Other interesting facts about this corner of the planet can be found in this article.

Antarctica does not belong to any country in the world

Many world powers over the past two centuries challenged the right of ownership of Antarctic. But the disputes ended not the war, but by signing the peaceful "Antarctic Treaty". The document entered into force in 1959, 48 states popped him. According to the agreement reached, the most stern mainland of the planet It is considered a "natural reserve dedicated to scientific activities and the world".

Antarctica opened Russian travelers

Antarctica among all the continents is open last, it happened About one hundred years ago. Opening of the Ice Continent – The merit of Russian navigators. The Russian Empire set at the beginning of the XIX century the task of turning the country into a mighty marine power. To achieve the result of the Russian government Expedition financed Faddey Bellinshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. These travelers on the ship "East" and "Mirny" in 1819 went to the southern polar seas. Ships more than once turned on the edge of death. On January 16, 1820, they advanced to the south much further than James Cook and William Smith, and reached the weakly Schobrlen Ice Desert. Sailors did not step on the shore of the unknown land and conscientiously reported that Only saw "Mainland Ice". They guessed that it was not just a block of ice and heaps of snow, but the most southern mainland of the earth. When approaching the coast, the whole team shouted "Coast! Coast!", Felt a huge delight from the work done. Seafarers in honor of the opening of Antarctica poured on the glass Punch, and flags were raised on the ships.

The most severe climate

Antarctica – The coldest mainland. On July 21, 1983, the polar meteorological stations recorded the absolute record of the planet for the temperature minus: the air temperature in Antarctica was lowered to minus 89.2 degrees Celsius. And the satellites of the US NASA service claim that the temperature in August 2010 (August is here – the winter month) 93.2 degrees Celsius went here. Summer here from December to February, at this time of year warms up to minus 30 … minus 50 degrees. And on the coast, where penguins live, the temperature in the summer rises to +5 degrees.

There are no time zones in Antarctica

People who came to Antarctica may face a complicated mystery – there are no time zones here. Everyone can choose their time and will be right. Here at the same time can be 8 am or 17 o’clock in the evening. In order not to get confused in this puzzle, most often scientists and researchers who came to this mainland prefer old Live on the hourly belt of the native city.

Antarctica used to be the same hot as California

Antarctica now is the coldest mainland. But not in all periods of the geological history of the Earth, the continent was frosty and covered with ice boulders. Before Antarctica was very warm, covered with jungle, populated dinosaurs. It was about 45 million years ago, then the average air temperature on this continent reached seventeen degrees above zero. Researchers discovered here Petrified remains of ancient animals, What confirms scientific theory of scientists.

Imperial penguins

On the coast of Antarctica there is life, here inhabit Several species of animals. The symbol of the mainland is the imperial penguins – beautiful and graceful birds that are fused on two paws, right like people. They are very large and heavy, Not able to fly. Weigh imperial penguins from 20-45 kilograms. Parents take turns erase the egg, while the "second half" leaves for a large distance in the side of the ocean for fish and squid, which are brought in the body and exhibit chicks and spouse. The first of these birds found the discovers of Antarctica Bellingshausen and Lazarev. Penguins are very bugles and careful, they are impossible to turn. When a person approaches, they throw a nest with eggs or chicks to run into different directions, away from those who came. Due to the small number of enemies, these birds live up to 25 years.

Antarctica – Continent with existing volcanoes

In the coldest mainland There are quite a few volcanoes, and two of them – existing. Activity Mountains Erebus surprises many, it is the most southern volcano of all existing. It is located on Ross Island and is unique in the outlines and features. Like any volcano, it exists gases that go through the crater and ventilation holes. Erebus is very beautiful, he has many curved ice statues that Very bizarre forms.

Another volcano is located on Deception Island. For more than half a century ago, whaling teams and scientists who abandoned the scientific station 50 years ago, when the volcano began to explore the flame from the crater. Nowadays – This is a very beautiful corner of Antarctic.

Antarctic meteorites

Aliens from space are regularly falling on our planet – Meteorites. Antarctica is no exception, but due to the fact that everything is white here, to detect space stones on the snow there is no easy. Over the past half a century, it is found here more than 10 thousand meteorites. Antarctic finds date back to 700 thousand years.

In Antarctica, the most fresh water on the planet

Antarctic Ice Mainland contains huge Freshwater deposits. Continent is a giant ice shell, almost 27 million cubic meters of ice. Over 13 million square kilometers are located Antarctic Plateau, Mountains and Valley. Here the ice is so fat that at some points it reaches thickness in half Jomolungma – the highest mountain of the planet. Not uncommon for geologists is the find of Antarctic ice Thickness 3-4 kilometers.

Antarctica is a desert

With the word "desert" in the head of most people Picture scrolled, Where in the air hangs a strong heat, a lot of sand, spiny cactuses grow and walk camel caravans. But in Antarctica, eternal frosts and no sand dunes! But scientists answer it that The desert does not have to be hot and sandy, The main sign of the desert is a small amount of precipitation that falls from the sky.

Over the past thirty years in Antarctica has all about 1 centimeter of precipitation for the whole year. It made it possible to grow for a 45-million period of time a thick layer of ice. Antarctica precisely because of the low amount of precipitation from the point of view of geography is classified as a desert region. Only closer to the coast drops a little more precipitation than in the center of the mainland, but it is also a meager meaning.

Antarctic Peninsula – Region, which is stronger than all heated on Earth

Our planet is susceptible to global climate warming. The average temperature is constantly increasing on Earth. Even in the north More hot days, In the spring here there is no snow, rather than a few decades ago. But on the planet there is a place where the air temperature grows rates five times higher than the average on the ground. This abnormally quick warming region – Antarctic Peninsula. Over the past half century, the temperature here has risen on three degrees Celsius, while on the planet – on average by 0.6 degrees.

Every way here leads to the north!

South Pole – This is the southernmost point of the planet. If a person is on this pole, all directions lead only to the north. But for some reason, scientists are used by the geographical terms "Western Antarctica" (here is the so-called Antarctic Peninsula) and Eastern Antarctica (the area of ​​the Ice Continent of South Australia), these are many leads to a dead end. But the answer here is simple: these names concern Zero Meridiana. For example, if a person stands face to Greenwich on the pole, the West will be left of him, and the East – to the right.

Red treeha lake

In Antarctica there is an amazing place – Bloody lake. This place in the eastern part of the mainland was still a hundred years ago, surprised researchers who saw the water of red and could not explain the cause of the natural phenomenon. Only in 2017, biologists explained that Oxidized Iron in Forto Lake react with oxygen, and rusting iron gives water a unique shade of bloody. And the water flowing from the glacier called the bloody waterfall.

The first autonomous auto race

In the winter of 2018-2019, the first autonomous fleet took place through Antarctica, whose participant was Valdis Pelsh – a famous showman and a TV presenter of the First Channel. Participation in the expedition was timed to 200th anniversary of the detection of the mainland. Travelers were preparing for the expedition three days, and the path itself more than 5,500 kilometers took 38 days. Video filming from the southern pole was regularly lit in the legendary news transmission "Time", as a result of the expedition, a scientific and popular film was removed.

According to Valdis Pelsh, it was unforgettable journey and the main event in his life. The expedition has passed a pole of relative inaccessibility and reached the cold pole in the East Station area. Preparation for the celebration of the anniversary of the opening of Antarctica took place on "excellent". Russians made a fleet in advance while there was no excitement around the anniversary date, and to glorify the whole world by showing the strength of the spirit and courage of bold Russians.

Video studies show that far Not all team members Polar travelers believed in success. Many believed that frosts and strong winds would prevent the spirit of the team. But everything went well, although the column of cars rushed into a snowy swamp, a lack of air was felt at high height, and Technique broke seriously several times.

No insects

Insects are the most popular animals on earth, but they are missing on the territory of the sixth mainland. In Antarctica lives only one type of insects – Bloomless Komar Belgic Antarctic. This mosquito does not know how to fly, it freezes for the winter, and in the spring – it hips off. This harsh insect can live without water, in severe frosts does not die, can do a whole month without oxygen. The mosquito described in 1900 was investigated by Cook and Amundsen, left it description in their notes of the traveler.

In addition, in Antarctica No microbes. Snow here is sterile and clean, so scientists living in tents are easily selected and eating a piece of bread, t.To. There are no dust on the mainland. Not in vain call this continent is the most amazing!