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Antarctica and Its Valuable One-of-a-Kind Geographical Position

by admin on May.05, 2010, under Uncategorized

Antarctica is larger than or Europe and encompasses 10 percent of the world’s land mass. The continent’s enormously barren and formidable landscape can see minus 89 degrees Celsius temperatures and 192 mph winds. This continent lies in the Southern Ocean. As a person looking for antarctica travel packages you should visit that site.

 

The seas are blessed with the richest concentration of nutrition in the universe, sufficient to feed numerous whales, fish, etc. Trapped beneath the massive ice shelves, micro organisms, also more commonly known as krill, multiply. Whale, penguins, and seals eat krill primarily.  In Japan, it is also served in homes.

 

Because of the extreme cold, windy, and dry conditions, animals living in Antarctica must have special adaptations for the environment. Antarctica holds the highest average elevation for any continent, and is perhaps the driest with only approximately 200mm of precipitation along the coast each year. The many different species of algea, vegetation, and animals that have evolved to stand the extreme cold.

 

There is a very unique condition here in Antarctica that makes it critically valuable to mankind. The atmosphere is comprised of a variety of molecules, and the heavier ones have a tendency to settle near the poles of our planet, making the greenhouse effect more pronounced in these areas. Likewise, the absorption of the sun’s radiant energy is more concentrated at the poles, warming the earth’s surface. You will gain a deeper understanding about antarctica travel by checking out that resource.

 

Atmospheric make-up is comprised of about 79 percent nitrogen, with only 21 percent oxygen. There are also minute amounts of carvbon dioxide and methane. These gases, combined with water vapor, reflect radiation back toward the earth causing it to warm. Scientists call this the Greenhouse Effect.

 

Because of a phenomena known as the “slingshot effect”, carbon dioxide and methane accumulate more rapidly at the poles than they do in temperate regions. Because the temperature increase from Greenhouse effects is 4-5 times greater in Antarctica, this region makes an ideal location for research, especially into the Greenhouse Effect.

 

The ice blanketing Antarctica is almost three miles deep. Snow accumulated over millions of years and compacted to form an ice cap. Studies regarding prehistoric areas are possible in this region by drilling through the ice and studying core samples, more specifically the atomic isotopes and air bubbles contained within.

 

The well-known ozone layer breach is said to be the result of harmful CFC’s … an atmospheric imbalance caused by these toxic pollutants. These refrigerants combine poorly with ozone. As such, it has created a warming effect in the area, destroying ice shelves.

 

Once the ice pieces sever they float north and thaws. The sea level rises as the chunks thaw and add water to the ocean. Furthermore, this reduces the area where krill may grow.

 

It is estimated that the seas would rise over 180 feet if all the Antarctic ice melted. This could send rising to the 20th floor of skyscrapers in New York City! Countries that are more low lying, like Bangladesh and the archipelagos of the South Pacific, would disappear entirely.

 

Those who have made the trip to Antartica testify that the continent is absolutely stunning to look at. The animals are not disturbed by the presence of people in the area. It is an inspiring sight to view the mixture of animal innocence and nature’s beauty.

 

We must remain optimistic that people in our era and future eras will care for and maintain Antarctica and its unspoiled beauty. However, the destruction of this continent has been ongoing for a very long time, and irrevocable damage is being done to it. Numerous countries have formed a coalition for the express purpose of reversing this negative trend and saving the beauty of Antartica.

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