[Global Report] Antartica, most Desolate Region on Earth

作者: Doria J. Garms-Sotelo on 7 August , 2012.
类别: All, Opinion

The Weather

At the end of April, the sun will disappear for 4 months (Huxley, 1977). During this time the temperature can drop to -55C. Since Antarctica is in the southern hemisphere, their winter is during the northern hemisphere’s winters. During the winter if one goes ventures into the outdoors, they could suffocate and die.

The Explorers

(Photo : Enchanted Learning, 1999)

James Weddell (1787 – 1834) was an English explorer, naturalist, and geographer who sailed on three expeditions to the Antarctic (Enchanted Learning, 1999). He discovered the Weddell Sea near the South Pole in 1823. He also set an 80-year record for the farthest southern latitude reached in February 1823.

Sir James Clark Ross (1800 – 1862) was a British explorer and naval officer (Enchanted Learning, 1999). In 1841, he discovered the Ross Sea, and the Victoria Barrier, which was later, renamed the Ross Ice Shelf

Roald Amundsen (1872 – 1928) was a Norwegian polar explorer who was the first person to fly over the North Pole in May 1926 and was the first person to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911 traveling by dog sled (Enchanted Learning, 1999). He died in a plane crash trying to rescue an Italian explorer.

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1872 – 1922) was a British explorer (born in Ireland) and a member of the Royal Naval Reserve (Enchanted Leaning, 1999). Shackleton was involved in many expeditions attempting to reach the South Pole.

Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (1944 – ) is an English explorer and author who had led over 30 expeditions to the North and South Poles and many other remote places (Enchanted Learning, 1999). In 1982, he led the first polar circumnavigation of the Earth. In 1993, he made the first unsupported walk across the continental of Antarctica (no dog sleds were used).

Life in Antarctica

There are no bears like in the Arctic, but there are plenty of penguins and seals as well as whales.

(Photo: Doria J. Garms-Sotelo)

Plants are almost unheard of.

Global Warming

Global warming in Antarctica will pose a serious threat to the rise of water level (Maps of the World, 2012). Since most of Antarctica is covered by ice, the impact of global warming is more acutely felt there.

With the increase in the number of automobiles, air pollution has been on the increase in the last 20 years (Maps of the World, 2012).

Since 1974, seven gigantic ice shelves have gotten reduced by 13,500 square kilometers (Maps of the World, 2012). It has also resulted in death by many penguins.

Korea and Antarctica

King Sejong Scientific Research Station was opened in 1988 as a permanent research station for the Korea Antarctic Research Program (KARP) (Polar Conversation, 2010). It is used year round. It is located on the Barton Peninsula of King George Island.

The goal of the program is to increase biological knowledge of the Antarctic ecosystems and of the organisms of the region, and to assess and predict the possible effects of environmental change and human impacts on them.

This research program supports scientists to understand the Antarctic and its role in global processes (Korea Polar Research Station, 1999). Research is done at the station and on board various vessels in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Highlights of the research include multidisciplinary biology and ocean sciences. The overall objectives are to investigate living resources in the area and to study how the environment changes in the fluctuations associated with the global warming and the annual depletion of the ozone layer above Antarctica.

Traveling to Antarctica

A 10 day cruise from Ushuaia to Antarctica will start you at around US$4,000 with REI Adventures (www.rei.com/adventures) or Quark Expeditions (www.quarkexpeditions.com) and 14 days with National Geographic Expeditions starting at

(Photo: Doria J. Garms-Sotelo)

around US$11,000 (www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/antarctica-cruise/detail). One day flights start at US$4,950 from Chile with Victory Cruises (www.victory-cruises.com/fly_antarctica.html).

My Experiences in 2004

One day my family found an incredible deal to travel to Antarctica by cruise. We would fly to Buenos Aires and then to Ushuaia for a 21 day cruise. This would be the longest cruise I had ever been on. Traveling for 2 days through the Drake Passage without seeing any land was the real start to the experience. The Drake Passage was the roughest water I had ever traveled through.

After 2 days at sea, we landed on the white continent. Penguins greeted us. They are very friendly and loud. One is not allowed to touch them.