It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland. Antarctica, the world’s southernmost continent, is almost wholly covered by an ice sheet and is about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square km) in size. Without any ice, antarctica would emerge as a giant peninsula and archipelago of mountainous islands, known as lesser antarctica, and a single large landmass about the size of australia, known as greater antarctica. It is almost completely covered in ice Antarctica covers the earth’s south pole Antarctica is the coldest place on earth
The average temperature in the winter is minus 34.4 celsius (minus 30 degrees fahrenheit). Visit the definitions and notes page to view a description of each topic. Antarctica, a continent of unparalleled ice and stark beauty, is earth’s southernmost landmass, representing a vital frontier for scientific research and a testament to nature’s formidable power. Situated almost entirely south of the antarctic circle and surrounded by the southern ocean (also known as the antarctic ocean), it contains the geographic south pole Despite its massive size, antarctica has no permanent population due to its harsh climate, icy terrain, and remote location. Antarctica has gained ice in recent years, despite increasing average global temperatures and climate change, a new study finds
Antarctica has long been seen as a remote, unchanging environment Sea ice is shrinking rapidly, the floating glaciers known as ice shelves are melting faster, the ice sheets.
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