10 Surprising Facts About Antarctica

[Puck it]

[h=1]Did not know the last.

10 Surprising Facts About Antarctica[/h]

1. The first confirmed sighting of the continent by humans was in 1820.
2. If Antarctica’s ice sheets melted, the worlds oceans would rise by 60 to 65 meters (200 – 210ft) - everywhere.
3. Antarctica is the best place in the world to find meteorites.
4. The lowest ever temperature recorded was at the Russian Vostok station on Antarctica. It was -129.28°F (- 89.6°C)
5. The ice can be more than 2.4 miles thick in some places.
6. Between 60 and 70% of all of the world’s fresh water.
7. Only about 0.4 percent of Antarctica is not covered by ice.
8. The largest land animal in Antarctica is an insect, a wingless midge, Belgica antarctica, less than 1.3cm (0.5in) long.
9. The Dry Valleys of Antarctica is the driest place on the planet. In fact, the Dry Valleys went 2 million years without rain!
10. There is no time zone in Antarctica. Scientist communities in Antarctica tend to keep either the time relating to their home lands.

 

[ScottySkis]

That is very cool info.

 

[drjeff]

My father in law, who has a Ph.D in orinthology (he's a bird guy ) has been to Antarctica twice. I've seen a slew of pictures from his travels all over the world over the years, and by far my favorite one's were of his trips to Antarctica and its glaciers and Emperor Penguins!

It's on my bucket list of places that I want to see (plus maybe some skiing in Chile or Argentina on the way down/back )

 

[Cannonball]

Very cool info.

The only one that seems odd is #8. Do they not consider penguins to be land animals? They don't fly and although they spend a lot of time in the water it seems like they spend more on land.

 

[Puck it]

Very cool info.

The only one that seems odd is #8. Do they not consider penguins to be land animals? They don't fly and although they spend a lot of time in the water it seems like they spend more on land.

Their food supply is from the ocean.

 

[skirick]

Can you ski there?

 

[Cannonball]

Can you ski there?

Yes. The brits ignored it, but Amundsen understood. And people have been skiing it ever since.

 

[Cannonball]

Their food supply is from the ocean.

So is mine, but I still consider myself a land animal.

 

[Puck it]

So is mine, but I still consider myself a land animal.

You are a snowboarder!

 

[twinplanx]

What if Antarctica were actually the top of the world & all our maps/globes are upside down?

 

[Conrad]

Very cool info.

The only one that seems odd is #8. Do they not consider penguins to be land animals? They don't fly and although they spend a lot of time in the water it seems like they spend more on land.

Basically sums up what I was going to say.