Antarctica
The coldest, windiest and driest continent, Antarctica contains 90 percent of all of the ice on Earth in an area just under one and a half times the size of the United States. Lying in the Antarctic Circle that rings the southern part of the globe, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent. The continent is divided into two regions, known as East and West Antarctica. East Antarctica makes up two-thirds of the continent, and is about the size of Australia. Ice in this part of the continent averages 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) thick. West Antarctica, on the other hand, is a series of frozen islands stretching toward the southern tip of South America, an extension of the Andes Mountains prominent on the warmer continent. The ice of Antarctica is not a smooth sheet but a continuously changing expanse. Glaciers inch across the continent, cracking and breaking the ice. Crevasse fields with cracks hundreds of feet deep span the continent, hidden by only a shallow layer of snow. Icebergs fall along the coast, where shelves and glaciers break off into the sea.
Despite its thick ice, Antarctica is classified as a desert because so little moisture falls from the sky. The inner regions of the continent receive an average of 2 inches (50 millimeters) of precipitation — primarily in the form of snow — each year. More rain falls in the Sahara desert. Although little liquid falls from the sky, Antarctica still boasts colossal blizzards. Like sandstorms in the desert, the wind picks snow up from the ground and blows vast white blankets. Winds can reach up to 200 mph (320 km/h). Because it lies in the Southern Hemisphere, seasons in Antarctica are the opposite of seasons in the north. Summer runs from October to February and winter covers the remainder of the year. Antarctica has no trees or bushes. Vegetation on the continent is composed of mosses, lichen and algae. Penguins, whales and seals live in and around Antarctica, as do fish and krill. The male Emperor penguin is the only warm-blooded animal to remain on the continent through the freezing winter while nesting on the single egg laid by its mate. (The female spends nine weeks at sea and returns in time for the egg to hatch.) There are no indigenous populations of people on the frozen continent. The frozen southern region was the last continent discovered. It wasn't spotted until 1820. American sealer John Davis was the first to state he landed on Antarctica in 1821, although some historians dispute his claim. As part of its effort to claim a portion of Antarctica, Argentina sent a pregnant woman to the continent. In January 1979, Emile Marco Palma became the first child born in on the southernmost continent. The area of Antarctica is approximately 5.4 million square miles (14 million square kilometers). At least two active volcanoes exist in Antarctica. The highest, Mount Erebus (12,448 feet; 3,794 meters) boasts a permanent lake. The other lies on Deception Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Although eruptions in 1967 and 1969 damaged science stations there. Millions of years ago, Antarctica had a much warmer climate and boasted evergreen forests and a variety of animals. Fossils of this earlier period provide scientists with clues about life before Antarctica became a vast icy shelf. Melting Antarctica's ice sheets would raise oceans around the world by 200 to 210 feet (60 to 65 m). source: www.livescience.com
The coldest, windiest and driest continent, Antarctica contains 90 percent of all of the ice on Earth in an area just under one and a half times the size of the United States. Lying in the Antarctic Circle that rings the southern part of the globe, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent. The continent is divided into two regions, known as East and West Antarctica. East Antarctica makes up two-thirds of the continent, and is about the size of Australia. Ice in this part of the continent averages 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) thick. West Antarctica, on the other hand, is a series of frozen islands stretching toward the southern tip of South America, an extension of the Andes Mountains prominent on the warmer continent. The ice of Antarctica is not a smooth sheet but a continuously changing expanse. Glaciers inch across the continent, cracking and breaking the ice. Crevasse fields with cracks hundreds of feet deep span the continent, hidden by only a shallow layer of snow. Icebergs fall along the coast, where shelves and glaciers break off into the sea.
Despite its thick ice, Antarctica is classified as a desert because so little moisture falls from the sky. The inner regions of the continent receive an average of 2 inches (50 millimeters) of precipitation — primarily in the form of snow — each year. More rain falls in the Sahara desert. Although little liquid falls from the sky, Antarctica still boasts colossal blizzards. Like sandstorms in the desert, the wind picks snow up from the ground and blows vast white blankets. Winds can reach up to 200 mph (320 km/h). Because it lies in the Southern Hemisphere, seasons in Antarctica are the opposite of seasons in the north. Summer runs from October to February and winter covers the remainder of the year. Antarctica has no trees or bushes. Vegetation on the continent is composed of mosses, lichen and algae. Penguins, whales and seals live in and around Antarctica, as do fish and krill. The male Emperor penguin is the only warm-blooded animal to remain on the continent through the freezing winter while nesting on the single egg laid by its mate. (The female spends nine weeks at sea and returns in time for the egg to hatch.) There are no indigenous populations of people on the frozen continent. The frozen southern region was the last continent discovered. It wasn't spotted until 1820. American sealer John Davis was the first to state he landed on Antarctica in 1821, although some historians dispute his claim. As part of its effort to claim a portion of Antarctica, Argentina sent a pregnant woman to the continent. In January 1979, Emile Marco Palma became the first child born in on the southernmost continent. The area of Antarctica is approximately 5.4 million square miles (14 million square kilometers). At least two active volcanoes exist in Antarctica. The highest, Mount Erebus (12,448 feet; 3,794 meters) boasts a permanent lake. The other lies on Deception Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Although eruptions in 1967 and 1969 damaged science stations there. Millions of years ago, Antarctica had a much warmer climate and boasted evergreen forests and a variety of animals. Fossils of this earlier period provide scientists with clues about life before Antarctica became a vast icy shelf. Melting Antarctica's ice sheets would raise oceans around the world by 200 to 210 feet (60 to 65 m). source: www.livescience.com
The Route - Total Distance Traveled: 1679 nautical miles (3110km)
The Landings
Voyage Schedule