Untitled Document
 Last
week, we learned that Antarctica is the coldest place in the world.
In fact, it is also the windiest
place on Earth. And it is the world's highest continent with an average elevation about 2,300 meters
above sea level. There are
so many other amazing things about Antarctica. Keep reading and find
them out!
Did you know that 90 percent of the ice on Earth is located in Antarctica?
There is so much ice there! Surprisingly, 98 percent of Antarctica
is covered in ice. That's why it's the coldest place on Earth! The
coldest temperature ever reported was -89.4°C.
The Antarctic is as dry as the Sahara Desert. You may think it snows
a lot in Antarctica. It's hard to believe, but there is very little
actual snowfall there. In fact,
it is the largest desert on Earth. Most people think that a desert
is a hot, dry, sandy place. But the true
meaning of a desert is any
geographical location that receives very little rainfall.
 In the
winter time, the ocean around Antarctica freezes for thousands of
kilometers in all directions. The annual freezing of the ocean
around Antarctica creates deep ocean currents worldwide. Differences in ocean temperature
are what cause weather all over the
world. Some scientists warn that if the global climate gets too warm, it
could affect the formation of Antarctic ice
and change the climate all over the world.
Scientists from all over the world come to Antarctica to study about
the amazing land. South Korea also has its research station there. It
is called the King Sejong Station세종기지. The station was established
on February 17 in 1988. It is located on the King George Island. There,
Korean scientists are studying the general change of the natural environment.
Some scientists live on Antarctica for part of the year to conduct their research. But
very few scientists stay there more than six months at a time. This is because
the sun rises and sets only once a year at
the South Pole! This means that there are six months of daylight, followed by six
months of darkness. During the winter
when there is no sun, it's dark all day long! Can you imagine living
in darkness 24 hours a day? |
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