antarctica - immanuel lutheran school26-34 36 50 09 9 permanent station summer station unmanned...

AntarcticaThe Bottom of the World

Geography

● 5,400,000 square miles● 5th largest continent● On the South Pole● 98% of surface is ice● No permanent

residents

More Fun Geography Facts

Climate

● Average -10° C to -60°C (14 to -76°F)● 10°C on the coast (50° F)● -128° F is the coldest ever on earth● Desert-only inches of precipitation a year● Strong winds- katabatic

Landscape

● Crevasses● Mountains● Plains● Glaciers

Animals of Antarctica

● Fish● Birds● Mammals● Invertebrates

Plants

● Lichens● Land algae● Mosses● Some flowers

Who Owns Antarctica???

● 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty on December 1, 1959

● Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and Soviet Union

● 41 more nations have joined since then● 29 countries make the decisions

Scientific Discovery

United States Research Stations

● Palmer, McMurdo and Amundsen-Scott South Pole

● McMurdo is the largest in Antarctica

http://www.antarctica.gov.au/webcams