PENNSVALLEY
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Lesson 33:
The Land of Fire and Ice – Antarctica
Welcome to the land of “
-EST
.” Antarctica is our cold
est
, windi
est
, dri
est
, ici
est
, and high
est
continent.Theearth’s lowest temperaturewas recordedhereat -128.6°F.We cannot imaginehow cold
this is!
In size, Antarctica is our fifth largest continent.This landmass stretches out from the center of the
SouthGeographicPole.This is quite different from theNorthGeographicPolewhich is surrounded by
theArcticOcean.
ACTIVITY 1:
As you read the following information, use the numbers to help you label themap on the next page.
Refer to your school or classroom atlas reference, if needed.
• The
(1) SouthPole
is located in the center of Antarctica at 90° south latitude.
• The
(2) SouthMagnetic Pole
can be found over 1200miles from the South Pole. The coordinates
for this place are 140° east longitude and 65° south latitude.
• Most of Antarctica is locatedwithin the
(3) AntarcticCircle
at 66° south latitude.
• The
(4) TransantarcticMountains
run in an arc on thewestern side of Antarctica.
• At 12,451 ft.,
(5) Mount Erebus
, an active volcano, is found near theTransantarcticMountains.
• The
(6) AntarcticPeninsula
looks like a dinosaur’s tail jutting out toward the continent of
(7) South
America
and the country of
(8) Argentina
.
• The
(9) AtlanticOcean
is to the east of this peninsula.
• The highest point inAntarctica is
(10) VinsonMassif
at 16,066 feet.
•More than2,000milesaway from theSouthMagneticPole lay
(11)Australia
and the
(12) IndianOcean
.
• Northwest of theTransantarcticMountains lies the
(13) PacificOcean
.
Antarctica is known as the land of fire and ice. About 98 percent of the continent is covered in ice.
In someplaces, the ice canbe threemiles thick.This adds to theelevationof the land.Becauseof the
ice, 70 percent of theworld’s freshwater supply is located here.
Antarctica also is a cold polar desert. The region only receives two inches of moisture a year.
Because of the cold temperatures, little of the snow melts. As a result, the snow and ice keep on
adding up.The continent is home tomany glaciers and icebergs.
Oddly enough, Antarctica can have temperatures higher than 120°F. How can that be? These
temperatures refer to water temperature, not air temperature. Remember, Antarctica has a volcanic
region aroundMount Erebus. In fact, there are 23 active volcanoes inAntarctica.
Not all the ice melts. Do you know why? Antarctica is the size of the United States and Mexico
together.The volcanoesmelt snow and ice in very small areas of the continent.
There is no permanent community of people on Antarctica. Scientists maintain 16 year-round
researchstations.Theystudyavarietyof areas, suchaswildlife,weather, andenvironmental concerns
(such as global warming), to name a few.
There is littleeconomicactivity inAntarctica.However, one typeof activitydealswith tourism.About
10,000 people a year visit the continent. Also, fishing companies have to get licenses to fish in the
waters around the continent.Scientists have foundmineral resources onAntarctica, such as gold and
cooper.However, an international agreement stops all mining from occurring until 2041.
Antarctica
