1. The territory of Antarctica does not belong to anyone - not to any country in the world.
2. Antarctica is the southernmost continent.
3. The area of Antarctica is 14 million 107 thousand square kilometers.
4. Antarctica has been depicted on maps since ancient times even before its official discovery. Then it was called "Unknown Southern Land" (or "Australis Incognita").
5. The warmest time in Antarctica is February. The same month is the time of the “shift change” of scientists at research stations.
6. The area of the Antarctic continent is about 52 million km.
7. Antarctica is the second largest after Australia.
8. Antarctica has no government and official population.
9. Antarctica has a dialing code and its own flag. On the blue background of the flag, the outline of the continent of Antarctica itself is drawn.
10. It is generally accepted that the first human scientist in Antarctica was the Norwegian Carsten Borchgrevink. But here historians disagree, because there is documentary evidence that Lazarev and Bellingshausen were the first to set foot on the continent of Antarctica with their expedition.
12. Antarctica has its own currency, which is valid only on the continent.
13. In Antarctica, the lowest temperature in the world is officially recorded - 91.2 ° C below zero.
14. The maximum temperature above zero in Antarctica is 15°C.
15. The average temperature in summer is minus 30-50°C.
16. No more than 6 cm of precipitation falls per year.
17. Antarctica is the only uninhabitable continent.
18. In 1999, an iceberg the size of London broke off from the continent of Antarctica.
19. Beer is included in the mandatory diet of workers at scientific stations in Antarctica.
20. Since 1980, Antarctica has been accessible to tourists.
21. Antarctica is the driest continent on the planet. In one of its regions - the Dry Valley - there has been no rain for about two million years. Oddly enough, there is no ice at all in this area.
22. Antarctica is the only habitat for emperor penguins on the planet.
23. Antarctica is an ideal place for those who study meteorites. Meteorites falling on the territory of the continent, thanks to the ice, have been preserved in their original form.
24. The continent of Antarctica has no time zone.
25. All time zones (and there are 24 of them) can be bypassed here in a few seconds.
26. The most common form of life in Antarctica is the wingless midge BelgicaAntarctida. It is no more than one and a half centimeters long.
27. If the ice of Antarctica ever melts, the level of the world's oceans will rise by 60 meters.
28. In addition to the above - the global flood can not be expected, the temperature on the continent will never rise above zero.
29. There are fish in Antarctica whose blood does not contain hemoglobin and red blood cells, so their blood is colorless. Moreover, the blood contains a special substance that allows it not to freeze even at the lowest temperatures.
30. No more than 4 thousand people live in Antarctica.
31. There are two active volcanoes on the continent.
32. In 1961, on April 29, in less than two hours, Leonid Rogozov, a doctor on a Soviet expedition to Antarctica, performed an operation on himself to remove appendicitis. The operation went well.
33. Polar bears do not live here - this is a general misconception. It's too cold for bears.
34. Only two types of plants grow here, and flowering ones. True, they grow in the warmest zones of the mainland. These are: Antarctic Meadow and Kolobantusquito.
35. The name of the mainland comes from the ancient word "Arcticos", which literally translates as "opposite the bear." This name was given to the mainland in honor of the constellation Ursa Major.
36. Antarctica has the most powerful winds and the highest level of solar radiation.
37. The cleanest sea in the world in Antarctica: the transparency of the water allows you to see objects at a depth of 80 meters.
38. The first person born on the continent is Emilio Marcos Palma, an Argentine. Born in 1978.
39. In winter, Antarctica doubles in area.
40. In 1999, doctor Jerry Nielsen had to self-administer chemotherapy after discovering he had breast cancer. The problem is that Antarctica is a deserted place and isolated from the outside world.
41. In Antarctica, oddly enough, there are rivers. The most famous is the Onyx River. It flows only during the summer - it's two months. The length of the river is 40 kilometers. There are no fish in the river.
42. Blood Falls - located in the Taylor Valley. The water in the waterfall has acquired a bloody hue due to the high content of iron, which forms rust. The water in the waterfall never freezes because it is four times saltier than regular sea water.
43. On the continent were found the bones of herbivorous dinosaurs, which are already about 190 million years old. They lived there when the climate was warm, and Antarctica was part of the Gondwana continent.
44. If Antarctica was not covered with ice, then the height of the continent would be only 410 meters.
45. The maximum ice thickness is 3800 meters.
46. There are many subglacial lakes in Antarctica. The most famous of them is Lake Vostok. It is 250 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide.
47. Lake Vostok was hidden from mankind for 14,000,000 years.
48. Antarctica is the sixth and last discovered continent.
49. About 270 people have died since the discovery of Antarctica, including a cat named Chippy.
50. There are more than forty permanent scientific stations on the continent.
51. Antarctica has a huge number of abandoned places. The most famous is the camp founded by Robert Scott from Britain in 1911. Today, these camps have become a tourist attraction.
52. Shipwrecked ships were often found off the coast of Antarctica - mostly Spanish galleons of the 16th-17th centuries.
53. In the region of one of the regions of Antarctica (Wilkis Land) there is a giant meteorite impact crater (500 kilometers in diameter).
54. Antarctica is the highest continent of the planet Earth.
55. If global warming continues, trees will grow in Antarctica.
56. Antarctica has huge reserves of natural resources.
57. The biggest danger for scientists on the continent is open fire. Due to the dryness of the atmosphere, it is very difficult to put out.
58. 90% of the ice reserves are in Antarctica.
59. Over Antarctica, the world's largest ozone hole - 27 million square meters. km.
60. 80 percent of the world's fresh water is concentrated in Antarctica.
61. In Antarctica, there is a famous ice sculpture of natural origin, called the “Frozen Wave”.
62. In Antarctica, no one lives permanently - only in shifts.
63. Antarctica is the only continent in the world where ants do not live.
64. The largest iceberg on the planet is located in the waters of Antarctica - it weighs approximately three billion tons, and its area exceeds the area of the island of Jamaica.
65. Pyramids similar in size to those of Giza have been discovered in Antarctica.
66. Antarctica is surrounded by legends about Hitler's underground bases - after all, it was he who closely explored this area during the Second World War
67. The highest point of Antarctica is 5140 meters (Sentinel Ridge).
68. Only 2% of the earth “peeps out” from under the ice of Antarctica.
69. Due to the gravity of the ice of Antarctica, the southern belt of the earth is deformed, which makes our planet oval.
70. Currently, seven countries of the world (Australia, New Zealand, Chile, France, Argentina, Great Britain and Norway) are trying to divide the territory of Antarctica among themselves.
71. The only two countries that have never claimed the territory of Antarctica are the USA and Russia.
72. Above Antarctica is the clearest patch of sky, best suited for space exploration and observing the birth of new stars.
73. Every year in Antarctica, a hundred-kilometer ice marathon is held - a race in the area of Mount Ellsworth.
74. Mining has been banned in Antarctica since 1991.
75. The word "Antarctica" is translated from Greek as "the opposite of the Arctic."
76. A special breed of tick lives on the surface of Antarctica. This mite can secrete a substance similar in composition to an automobile “anti-freeze”.
77. The famous Hell's Gate canyon is also located in Antarctica. The temperature in it drops to 95 degrees, and the wind speed reaches 200 kilometers per hour - these are unsuitable conditions for humans.
78. Before the Ice Age, Antarctica had a hot, tropical climate.
79. Antarctica affects the climate of the entire planet.
80. The installation of military installations and the installation of nuclear power plants is strictly prohibited on the continent.
81. Antarctica even has its own Internet domain - .aq (which stands for AQUA).
82. The first conventional passenger plane arrived in Antarctica in 2007.
83. Antarctica is an international conservation area.
84. The surface of the McMurdo dry valley in Antarctica and its climate are very similar to the surface of the planet Mars, so NASA occasionally conduct test launches of their space rockets here.
85. 4-10% of polar scientists in Antarctica are Russians.
86. A monument to Lenin was erected in Antarctica (1958).
87. New bacteria, unknown to modern science, were discovered in the ice of Antarctica.
88. Scientists on Antarctic bases live so friendly that as a result many interethnic marriages have been concluded.
89. There is an assumption that Antarctica is the lost Atlantis. 12,000 years ago, the climate on this continent was hot, but after the asteroid hit the Earth, the axis shifted, and the continent along with it.
90. An Antarctic blue whale eats about 4 million shrimp in one day - that's about 3,600 kilograms.
91. There is a Russian Orthodox Church in Antarctica (on the island of Waterloo). This is the Church of the Holy Trinity near the Arctic station of Bellingshausen.
92. Apart from penguins, there are no land animals in Antarctica.
93. In Antarctica, you can observe such a phenomenon as mother-of-pearl clouds. This happens when the temperature drops to 73 degrees Celsius below zero.
Ecology
No place in the world compares to the vast white desert, where there are four main elements: snow, ice, water and rocks. The grandeur of its ice shelves and mountain ranges further emphasizes the splendor of nature.
Everyone who comes to the most isolated continent must make a difficult journey or a long flight. Of course, we are talking about Antarctica - a stunning place where all the extremes of our Earth seem to be concentrated. Here are 10 of the most amazing facts about this mysterious continent.
1. There are no polar bears in Antarctica
Polar bears do not live in Antarctica at all, but in the Arctic. Penguins inhabit most of Antarctica, but it is unlikely that a penguin will meet a polar bear in natural conditions. Polar bears live in areas such as northern Canada, Alaska, Russia, Greenland and Norway. It's too cold in Antarctica because there are no polar bears. However, recently, scientists are starting to think about how to populate polar bears in Antarctica, as the Arctic is gradually melting.
2. There are rivers in Antarctica
One of them is the Onyx River, which carries meltwater to the east. The Onyx River flows to Lake Vanda, located in Dry Valley Wright. Due to extreme climatic conditions, it only flows for two months during the Antarctic summer. Its length is 40 km, and although there are no fish, microorganisms and algae live in this river.
3. The driest place on Earth
One of the most interesting facts about Antarctica is the contrast between the dry climate and the amount of water (70 percent fresh water). This continent is the driest place on our planet. Even the hottest desert in the world receives more rain than the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. In fact, the entire South Pole receives about 10 cm of precipitation per year.
4. Residents of Antarctica
There are no permanent residents in Antarctica. The only people who live there for any period of time are those who are part of the temporary scientific communities. In summer, the number of scientists and support staff is about 5,000, while in winter no more than 1,000 people remain to work here.
5. Who owns Antarctica?
There is no government on Antarctica, and no country in the world owns this continent. Although many countries have attempted to claim ownership of these lands, an agreement has been reached that grants Antarctica the privilege of being the only region on Earth that is not ruled by any country.
6. Looking for meteorites
One of the interesting facts about this continent is the fact that Antarctica is the best place to find meteorites. Apparently, meteorites that hit the Antarctic ice sheet are better preserved than anywhere else on Earth. Fragments of meteorites from Mars are the most valuable and unexpected discoveries. Probably, the speed of release from this planet had to be about 18,000 km / h, in order for the meteorite to reach the Earth.
7. Lack of time zones
It is the only continent without time zones. Scientific communities in Antarctica tend to stick to the time that is associated with their native land, or check the time according to the supply line that supplies them with food and essentials. Here you can go through all 24 time zones in a few seconds.
8 Animals Of Antarctica
It's the only place on earth where you can find emperor penguins. These are the tallest and largest of all penguin species. Emperor penguins are also the only species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, while the penguin Adele compared to other species, it breeds in the southernmost part of the mainland. Of the 17 penguin species, 6 varieties are found in Antarctica.
Despite the fact that this continent is also hospitable for blue whales, killer whales and fur seals, Antarctica is not rich in land animals. One of the largest life forms here is an insect, a wingless midge. Belgica antarctica, about 1.3 cm long. There are no flying insects due to extreme windy conditions. However, black springtails can be found among the colonies of penguins, which jump like fleas. In addition, Antarctica is the only continent that does not have native ant species.
9. Global warming
The largest land mass covered with ice is Antarctica, where 90 percent of the world's ice is concentrated. The average thickness of ice on Antarctica is about 2133 m. If all the ice on Antarctica melts, the world's sea level will rise by 61 m. But the average temperature on the continent is -37 degrees Celsius, so there is no danger of melting yet. In fact, most of the continent will never get above freezing.
10. The biggest iceberg
Iceberg B-15 is one of the largest icebergs on record. Its length is approximately 295 km, its width is about 37 km, and its surface area is 11,000 square meters. km, which is larger than the island of Jamaica. Its approximate mass was approximately 3 billion tons. And after nearly a decade, parts of that iceberg still haven't melted.
Many people quite often confuse Antarctica and the Arctic. Geography experts will say that the Arctic is in the north, and Antarctica is in the south. Fans of Natinal Geographic will add that in the Arctic there are polar bears, and in Antarctica there are penguins, and these animals never intersect.
But most importantly, Antarctica is a huge continent larger than Australia in area! But apart from basic knowledge, what do we know about it?
WuzzUp enlightens 🙂
1. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world.
2. The coldest place on Earth is a high ridge in Antarctica, where the temperature was recorded at -93.2 ° C. 
3. Some areas of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (an ice-free part of Antarctica) have not had rain or snow for the past 2 million years. 
4. Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles. 
5. In Antarctica, there is a waterfall with water red as blood, which is explained by the presence of iron, which oxidizes when it comes into contact with air. 
6. There is only one ATM throughout Antarctica. 
7. About 80% of our planet's fresh water reserves are located in the ice sheet of Antarctica. 
8. To go to work in Antarctica, every person needs to have their wisdom teeth and appendix removed. 
9. There are no polar bears in Antarctica (they are only in the Arctic), but there are a lot of penguins here. 
10. Antarctica is the only continent without a time zone. 
11. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent on the planet. 
12. Melting ice in Antarctica caused a slight change in gravity. 
13. There is a Chilean town in Antarctica with a school, hospital, hotel, post office, internet, TV and mobile phone network. 
14. The Antarctic ice sheet has been around for at least 40 million years. 
15. There are lakes in Antarctica that never freeze because of the heat coming from the bowels of the Earth. 
16. The highest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was 14.5°C. 
17. Since 1994, the use of sled dogs has been banned on the continent. 
18. Mount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost active volcano on Earth. 
19. Once upon a time (more than 40 million years ago) Antarctica was as hot as California. 
20. There are seven Christian churches on the continent. 
21. Ants, whose colonies are distributed over almost the entire land surface of the planet, are absent in Antarctica (as well as in Iceland, Greenland and several remote islands). 
22. The territory of Antarctica is larger than Australia by about 5.8 million square kilometers. 
23. Most of Antarctica is covered with ice, about 1% of the land is free from ice cover. 
24. In 1977, Argentina sent a pregnant woman to Antarctica so that the Argentinean baby would become the first person born on this harsh mainland. 
25. In 2000, the largest iceberg with an area of 11,000 square kilometers broke away from Antarctica. More than Jamaica! 
26. The average ice thickness is about 1.6 km. 
27. Wind speed in some places in Antarctica can reach 320 km/h. 
What is Antarctica? A huge continent covered in ice? Yes, but it's not that simple. In this post, we have collected 10 really interesting facts about the coldest place on earth that few people know.
In Antarctica there is a mountain range comparable in size to the Alps
These mountains are called the Gamburtsev Mountains after the name of the Soviet geophysicist and academician Georgy Gamburtsev, whose expedition in 1958 discovered their existence. The length of the mountain range is 1300 km, the width is from 200 to 500 km. The highest point is 3390 m. And now the most interesting thing: this whole thing rests under a huge layer of ice. On average, the thickness of the ice cover over the mountains is 600 meters, but there are areas where the ice thickness is more than 4 km.
In the subglacial lakes of Antarctica, there may be life that has evolved for millions of years completely separately from the rest of the Earth.
In total, more than 140 subglacial lakes have been discovered in Antarctica. But the most famous of them is Lake Vostok, located near the Soviet and later Russian Antarctic station Vostok, which gave the lake its name. Above the lake there is a four-kilometer thickness of ice, but it itself, thanks to the underground geothermal sources located under it, does not freeze. The water temperature in the depths of the lake is at the level of 10°C. It is precisely this thickness of ice, according to the assumptions of scientists, that could serve as a natural insulator that preserved unique living organisms that have developed and evolved completely apart all these millions of years.
There are no time zones in Antarctica
Antarctica is the only continent on the planet that is not divided into time zones and time zones. There is no specific proper time in Antarctica either. All scientists and expedition members living there are guided either by the time of their home country, or by the time of employees who deliver supplies to them.
Antarctica contains 70% of all fresh water on the planet, but it is the driest place on Earth
Paradoxical, but true. Although, if you look, there is nothing strange here. Fresh water reserves are, of course, ice. Well, the situation here is really bad with precipitation: only 18 mm per year. Even in the Sahara desert, 76 mm of precipitation falls per year.
Antarctica has the cleanest sea in the world
This is the Weddell Sea and it is considered to be the most transparent in the world. However, there is nothing surprising here either, because in Antarctica there is simply no one to pollute it. The water in the Weddell Sea is so clear that you can see objects in it at a depth of up to 79 meters. This almost corresponds to the transparency of distilled water.
Antarctic icebergs can be the size of an entire city
And that's putting it mildly. Just imagine: the largest iceberg that broke off here (of course, from those that managed to be registered) was 295 kilometers long and 37 wide. Once again: 295 kilometers!
Antarctica has its own domain name and phone code
Despite the fact that there is no permanent population in Antarctica, this continent has its own .aq domain name and a unique telephone code 672. And Antarctica also has its own, albeit unofficial, currency - the Antarctic dollar.
Contrary to popular belief, not all of Antarctica is covered in ice.
For many, Antarctica seems like an endless icy desert, where there is nothing but snow and ice. And for the most part, of course, it is. But in Antarctica there are quite extensive snowless valleys and even sand dunes. However, do not flatter yourself, there is no snow there, not because in these areas it is warmer than in others, on the contrary, the conditions there are even more severe. In the dry valleys of McMurdo, terrible katabatic winds blow at speeds up to 320 km / h. It is they who cause the evaporation of moisture and therefore there is neither snow nor ice here. Living conditions here are so close to Martian that NASA even conducted tests of the Viking landers in the McMurdo Valleys.
There are several active volcanoes in Antarctica
In general, Antarctica is a very calm place in terms of seismic activity. Although, it also has its own volcanoes and not only dormant, but also quite active. At least two of them have erupted within the last 200 years. And the most famous volcano of Antarctica, which is also the most active, is called Erebus, it is also often called "the volcano guarding the path to the South Pole."
Antarctica has the largest known asteroid crater
This crater is located in the region of Ulkis Land and has a funnel diameter of about 482 km. According to scientists, it was formed about 250 million years ago during the Permian-Triassic period as a result of an asteroid falling to Earth at least 48 kilometers in diameter. The dust raised during the fall and explosion of the asteroid led to centuries of cooling and, according to one hypothesis, the death of most of the flora and fauna of that era.
Antarctica is a place of incredible wonders and amazing secrets. Of the seven continents, this one was the last to be discovered by explorers. Antarctica is considered the least explored, populated and hospitable continent in the world, but it is truly the most beautiful and amazing place on planet Earth. Don't believe? Then read on.
1. The area of sea ice around Antarctica is rapidly increasing
The area of sea ice around Antarctica is increasing in some areas and simultaneously decreasing in others. The reason for these changes is the wind. For example, northern winds drive massive blocks of ice away from the mainland, causing it to lose part of the ice cover. It turns out that the amount of sea ice around Antarctica is increasing, while the glaciers that form the Antarctic ice sheet, on the contrary, are decreasing.
Such constant changes are difficult to compare with the increase in the size of Antarctica during the winter. The area of the mainland is about 14 million square kilometers. During the summer, it is surrounded by 2.9 million square kilometers of ice. In winter, this number increases by almost two and a half times.
2. Antarctica is an amazing place to collect space debris
Antarctica has ideal conditions for collecting meteorites. Dark boulders that have flown in from outer space usually merge with the ground, which is why people do not notice them - and then Mother Nature gets down to business - or are mistaken for ordinary stones. However, the white snow and bluish ice of Antarctica contrasts perfectly with the space debris that has fallen to the surface of the mainland, so it will not be difficult for researchers to detect it.
Low temperatures also contribute to the preservation of meteorites. Scientists have found many bodies of space origin in Antarctica, ranging in age from several million to billions of years, but they, surprisingly, were untouched. As a result of the natural drift of ice and the influence of strong winds, meteorites often end up in areas where collectors and scientists visit. Traveling to Antarctica to collect space debris is considered more profitable and cost-effective than going into space. In 1976, the United States of America adopted the "Search for Meteorites in Antarctica" program. For 38 years, American researchers have discovered about 16 thousand bodies of cosmic origin.
3. Marathons are held annually in Antarctica
Each year, Antarctica hosts two of the world's largest marathons, despite extreme weather conditions.
The Antarctic Ice Marathon has been held at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains since 2004. Participants from South America fly to the mainland in a private jet in order to run through snow and ice in temperatures of minus twenty degrees Celsius and wind speeds of 15 to 40 meters per second. However, runners can also face the severe and unpredictable katabatic wind. All this takes place at an altitude of 915 meters above sea level.
If the Antarctic Ice Marathon is not to your liking, you can take part in the McMurdo Marathon, which is held on the Ross Ice Shelf, with the employees of the McMurdo Research Center (US Antarctic Program). Getting to Antarctica is quite a challenge, but even if marathon participants come here, everything will, of course, depend on weather conditions, which can be extreme and unpredictable even in summer.
4. The mainland of Antarctica is always happy with tourists from all over the world.
In Antarctica, there are all opportunities for the development of tourism. You can cross the Arctic Circle, spot penguin or whale colonies, follow in the footsteps of early explorers, go snorkeling, visit the McMurdo Research Center and more.
The No. 1 tourist attraction in Antarctica is the Antarctic Peninsula, popular for its accessibility and relatively mild climate. It is jokingly called "tropical" when compared with the rest of the continent.
The Antarctic Peninsula is located in the north of the mainland and is the wettest area in Antarctica. Here, among the untouched and majestic landscapes, seals and penguins live. An average of 35,000 tourists visit the Antarctic Peninsula every summer.
5. Antarctica is an uncharted land for us
In 1772, British explorer James Cook and his team crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time in history. They did not get to land; they were thwarted by huge floating icebergs that indicated the harshness of the environment. The first person to land on the coast of Antarctica was the American Captain John Davis. He did this in 1821.
Until 1911, no one else managed to reach the South Pole. The first successful expedition to Antarctica was made by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. Englishman Ernest Shackleton, the man who tried to do it before him, had to turn back when he was only 150 kilometers from his final destination. Briton Robert Scott managed to reach the South Pole a month after Shackleton's failed attempt, but he never returned home. Antarctica became the last place of his earthly refuge.
6. Territorial claims in Antarctica
When new territories are discovered, countries naturally seek to immediately claim their rights to them, and Antarctica is no exception. At the moment, seven countries claim land on the mainland. Argentina, Chile and Great Britain have claimed the same part of the continent and are now arguing among themselves about who owns it. The other four countries are Australia, France, New Zealand and Norway. The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, promotes peaceful cooperation between nations. With its provisions, 51 states agree.
7. Antarctica is often compared to the Sahara
Antarctica is a polar desert. It is the highest, windiest and driest place on planet Earth. The record low temperature in Antarctica - minus 54 degrees Celsius - was recorded in 1983 by researchers from the Russian scientific station Vostok.
98 percent of the mainland is covered with ice (they contain 70% of all fresh water on the planet). Although the average thickness of the ice is only 2200 meters, the East Antarctic Shield at its highest point reaches 4785 meters.
Antarctica is often compared to the Sahara because of its low average rainfall of one centimeter per year. Some scientists claim that it has not rained in Antarctica for two million years.
8. Antarctica - the place where the Blood Falls is located
In the McMurdo Dry Valleys, there is an unusual waterfall that flows from the Taylor Glacier and flows into the ice-covered West Bonney Lake. Its source is a salt lake, which is located under an ice sheet 400 meters thick. Salt keeps water from freezing, even at very low temperatures. This incredible water source was formed about two million years ago.
But perhaps the most unusual thing about the waterfall is its blood-red color (hence the name). The water source is not exposed to sunlight. The high content of iron oxide in it, along with microorganisms that receive vital energy by restoring sulfates dissolved in water, is the reason for such a unique color.
9. Life in Antarctica
In Antarctica, nematodes and mites live on land, and various microorganisms live in lakes. Terrestrial fauna is limited here. Life is more diverse on the subantarctic islands and under water - a thick layer of ice acts as an insulator that ensures the normal existence of marine life.
Penguins, seals, sea lions, whales, squids and euphausians (small crustaceans similar to shrimp) - this is not the whole list of animals living in Antarctica, despite its harsh climate. In milder regions, birds such as petrel, albatross and skua can be found. The snow petrel defends itself by regurgitating an oily stomach fluid at the enemy, which breaks down the protective layer of bird feathers, causing them to freeze.
10 Antarctica Once Had A Tropical Climate
Scientists have found that palm trees, araucaria, macadamia, baobabs and other plant species used to grow in Antarctica. And it was, according to rough estimates, 52 million years ago, when a tropical climate reigned on the mainland. Now the continent is a polar desert, but who knows what it will become in the future?
