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Antarctica

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4H71li3HE

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Warm-Up: What do you know about

Antarctica?

Geography

Climate

Coldest and windiest continent

Lowest recorded temperature -89.2C or -128.6F (1983)

Wind speed of 320 km/h (200 mph)

Calm periods last a few hours

“katabatic winds” winds that flow downwards from the interior toward the coast driven largely by gravity

Climate

Three climate regions

1. Interior extremely cold with little snowfall

2. Coastal Areas milder temperatures and much higher precipitation rates

3. Antarctic Peninsula warmer and wetter climate, above-freezing temps in summer

Antarctic Landscape

More than 98% covered with ice

70% world’s fresh water

Two main areas 1. East Antarctica 2. West Antarctica- extended of Andes Mountains

Transantarctic Mountains- mostly covered under ice

Rigid, glaciers and ice sheets

Classified as a desert- snow piles up, Sahara desert gets more rain

Plants and Animals

Mosses and algae

Whales

Seals- Leopard Seals

Penguin

Fish/Krill

Who lives there?

No native population or permanent residents

Whalers and sealers first people to set eyes on Antarctica

Research bases

Antarctic Treaty

1961 Antarctic Treaty claiming territory from many nations, peaceful scientific investigation

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Russia, United Kingdom, United States

First arms control agreement during Cold War

Headquarters in Argentina since 2004

Use page 137 in atlas to complete the map.