Antarctica
Earth's southernmost, coldest, and least-populated continent.
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent, situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, holding the record for the lowest ground-based temperature on Earth at −89.2 °C, though satellite measurements have recorded a frigid −98.6 °C in East Antarctica. About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in its ice sheet.
Lore & Background
The name 'Antarctica' was adopted in the 1890s, first used by Scottish cartographer John George Bartholomew, derived from the Greek 'anti-' (opposite) and 'arktikos' (of the Bear, northern).
Reader's Guide
Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty System, which prohibits military activity, mining, nuclear explosions, and nuclear waste disposal. Despite its remoteness, human activity significantly affects Antarctica through pollution, ozone depletion, and climate change. The melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet poses the greatest uncertainty in century-scale sea level rise projections and impacts the Southern Ocean overturning circulation, affecting Southern Hemisphere climate and ocean productivity. The continent's ice shelves and subglacial lakes, such as Lake Vostok, are key sites for scientific study of climate history and extremophile life.
Did You Know?
- About 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica, which if melted would raise global sea levels by almost 60 metres.
- Mount Erebus on Ross Island is the world's southernmost active volcano, known for its persistent Strombolian activity and a long-lived lava lake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Antarctica?
Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, positioned almost entirely below the Antarctic Circle and ringed by the Southern Ocean. It holds the geographic South Pole and ranks as the fifth-largest landmass on the planet.
What are Antarctica's core attributes?
The continent covers roughly 14.2 million square kilometres, is blanketed by an ice sheet averaging 1.9 km in thickness, and recorded the planet's coldest temperature at −89.2 °C. It is simultaneously the driest and windiest continent on Earth.
What is Antarctica's role in the global system?
About 70% of all Earth's freshwater is locked within Antarctica's ice sheet, making it the single largest fresh-water reservoir on the planet. Its enormous ice mass also plays a critical part in regulating global sea levels and ocean circulation.
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