A full list may be viewed through the CIA World Factbook , but these are the countries with at least people in Antarctica during the peak summer:. Although widely thought of as not being owned by anyone, Antarctica is actually claimed by seven different countries - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Norway , New Zealand and the United Kingdom -- and all of these countries maintain a base on Antarctica.
The United States, Russia and Brazil have all reserved the right to claim territory in Antarctica and, although they have not yet made a claim, they also each maintain a permanent presence. With many governments maintaining permanent manned research facilities here, there is a small but not very stable population between 1, and 5,, depending on the season. This means Antarctica has a population density of just 0.
The first real semi-permanent residents of the area around Antarctica were sealers from Britain and America who used to spent at least a year in the area from onward. During the great whaling era until , the population of the area was 1, to 2, during the summer, and during the winter. The Antarctic region has an important role in global climate processes. Ice is more reflective than land or water surfaces. Interestingly, NASA scientist s have found that climate change has actually caused more ice to form in some parts of Antarctica.
They say this is happening because of new climate patterns caused by climate change. These patterns create a strong wind pattern called the " polar vortex. This effect is not seen throughout the Antarctic, however, and some parts are experiencing ice melt.
The cold waters surrounding Antarctica, known as the Antarctic Bottom Water , are so dense that they push against the ocean floor. The Antarctic Bottom Water causes warmer waters to rise, or upwell. Antarctic upwelling is so strong that it helps move water around the entire planet. This movement is aided by strong winds that circumnavigate Antarctica. Flora and Fauna Lichen s, moss es, and terrestrial algae are among the few species of vegetation that grow in Antarctica. More of this vegetation grows in the northern and coastal regions of Antarctica, while the interior has little if any vegetation.
The ocean, however, teems with fish and other marine life. In fact, the waters surrounding Antarctica are among the most diverse on the planet. Upwelling allows phytoplankton and algae to flourish. Thousands of species, such as krill , feed on the plankton. Fish and a large variety of marine mammal s thrive in the cold Antarctic waters. Blue, fin, humpback, right, minke, sei, and sperm whale s have healthy populations in Antarctica. One of the apex, or top, predators in Antarctica is the leopard seal.
The leopard seal is one of the most aggressive of all marine predators. This 3-meter 9-foot , kilogram pound animal has unusually long, sharp teeth, which it uses to tear into prey such as penguins and fish. The most familiar animal of Antarctica is probably the penguin. They have adapt ed to the cold, coastal waters.
Their feathers retain a layer of air, helping them keep warm in the freezing water. Cultural Geography A Culture of Science While the Antarctic does not have permanent residents, the region is a busy outpost for a variety of research scientists.
These scientists work at government -supported research station s and come from dozens of different countries. The number of scientists conducting research varies throughout the year, from about 1, in winter to around 5, in summer.
Researchers from a variety of scientific backgrounds study the Antarctic not only as a unique environment , but also as an indicator of broader global processes. Marine biologist s study the behavior of whales, seals, and squid.
In , a meteorite from Mars was found in Antarctica. The markings on this meteorite were similar to markings left by bacteria on Earth. If this meteorite, millions of years old, actually has the remains of Martian bacteria, it would be the only scientific evidence for life outside Earth.
McMurdo Station is a U. McMurdo is the largest station in Antarctica, capable of supporting 1, residents. Most of these residents are not scientists, but work to support station operations, construction , maintenance, and daily life. McMurdo has more than 80 buildings and operates like a small city. Like all Antarctic research stations, McMurdo has a specific method of receiving necessary supplies. Once a year, cargo ships bring more than 5 million kilograms 11 million pounds of equipment and supplies, ranging from trucks and tractors to dry and frozen food s, to scientific instruments.
Coast Guard icebreaker s. Additional supplies and personnel are flown in from Christchurch, New Zealand, when weather permits.
Base Esperanza also houses the first Catholic chapel and first school built on the continent. It is located in an ice-free area known as the Vestfold Hills.
Like most research stations in Antarctica, food is very important at Davis Station. Residents live and work closely together in facilities and outdoor environments that are often very monotonous.
As such, food plays an important role in providing variety to residents like those at Davis Station. Food supplies are, however, very limited. The food supply for a year at Davis Station is ration ed, per person per year.
Residents live mostly on frozen and canned food. The chef is often thought of as one of the most important people at Davis Station. He or she must make sure to use all commodities in such a way that is both creative and sustainable. Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants with water and nutrient s only. Hydroponics requires excellent gardener s because produce is grown without soil. Fresh produce adds variety and nutrition to Antarctic meals. The greenhouse also serves as a sunroom for sunlight-deprived residents, especially during the long winter months.
By the early 20th century, explorers started to traverse the interior of Antarctica. The aim of these expeditions was often more competitive than scientific. In , Amundsen, of Norway, and Scott, of the United Kingdom , began expeditions with the aim of becoming the first man to reach the South Pole. Each team used different methods, with drastic ally different levels of success.
The team was healthy, and successfully made the journey out of Antarctica. They all died on their journey home. Hoping to one-up his predecessors, Shackleton, of the United Kingdom, attempted the first transcontinental crossing of Antarctica in Shackleton planned the trip by using two ships, the Aurora and the Endurance , at opposite ends of the continent. Aurora would sail to the Ross Sea and deposit supplies. On the opposite side, Endurance would sail through the Weddell Sea to reach the continent.
Once there, the team would march to the pole with dog teams, dispose of extra baggage, and use supplies left by Aurora to reach the other end of the continent. The plan failed. The Endurance became frozen in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea. The pack ice crushed and sunk the ship. Their food sources were leopard seals, fish, and, ultimately, their sled dogs. Antarctica has no real permanent residents — just research stations and field camps staffed either seasonally or year-round. Yet in the summer season, if the weather is favorable, Antarctica usually hosts up to 5, people.
When the summer fades into winter, many stations get completely depopulated, and the ones with a permanent mission keep much smaller crews to keep the stations running. Currently, scientists, staff, and whoever else might happen to be in Antarctica stay in one of 70 bases 40 of which are year-round. Over 30 nationalities are usually represented on the continent, as can be seen in the excellent visualization from Ivan Lokhov of Datawrapper.
The biggest base in Antarctica is by far the McMurdo Station which is a United States Antarctic research station on the southern tip of Ross Island, an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica. The station also features repair facilities, dormitories, administrative buildings, a firehouse, power plant, water distillation plant, wharf, stores, warehouses, a science support center, as well water, sewer, telephone, and power lines.
It even has a few clubs, a brewery and a Burger King. The station also hosts tourists sometimes. Other stations, however, are much smaller and less equipped. Esperanza Base, for instance, is one of only two civilian bases in the Antarctic, but it can only host 55 people. The Vostok Base, one of the most remote permanent bases in the Antarctic, essentially consists of only a few buildings and it can only host 25 people.
Vostok is the coldest on earth in terms of mean annual temperature and arguably recorded the coldest temperature ever recorded by humans in degrees Celsius. Esperanza is the place where the warmest Antarctic temperature was measured: a whopping 20 degrees in Notably, there is a greenhouse at the South Pole station.
0コメント