Antarctica occupies one tenth of the land in the universe and is bigger than Europe. The continent's enormously barren and formidable landscape can see minus 89 degrees Celsius temperatures and 192 mph winds. The Southern Ocean encircles this massive land mass.
These Antarctic marine ecosystem supports some of the richest nutrient flows on the planet and is home to whales, seals and dolphins. Micro forage, also known as krill, breed under the thick ice in the area. Krill is the main food source for whales, seals, penguins, and is also eaten by humans in Japan.
Any creatures living in Antarctica must become accustomed to the dry, windy and cold weather conditions that grow to extremes on that continent. The continent features not only the greatest altitude anywhere, but also has a severely limited amount of rain both on the coast and inland. Seals, penguins, tundra vegetation and many types of algae are examples of plants and animals that have adapted to the cold environment of Antarctica.
However, Antarctica has a very special and unique natural feature that makes it important to each and every one of us. Antarctica has a high pressure atmosphere which means the molecules which compose the atmosphere are highly concentrated, thus the Greenhouse Effect over Antarctica is more pronounced. The planet's surface heats more quickly at the poles as the sun's power is consumed more readily.
The surrounding atmosphere is comprised of almost eighty percent nitrogen. Lesser amounts of methane and carbon dioxide are also there. The gases and water vapour are warmed by soaking up the earth back radiation. This is essentially how the greenhouse effect works.
The more severe climate areas by the equator take in the various gases more quickly than the more moderate weather locations. For this reason of increased temps 4 - 5 times greater, it is clear that Antarctica plays a crucial role in the study of the greenhouse effect.
The surface of Antarctica is layered with ice - approximately three miles deep. Snow accumulated over millions of years and compacted to form an ice cap. Ancient ice preserves air bubbles that contain atomic isotopes from ages past and these can be studies by modern scientists.
The notorious gap in the ozone layer is a result of injecting many coolants into the surrounding atmospheric area with severe negative consequences. These refrigerants combine poorly with ozone. The rise in temperatures has resulted in large pieces of broken or shaved ice shelves.
These shelves, once separated, will gradually head in a northerly direction and melt away. This melting causes a rapid reduction of the polar icecaps and results in a corresponding rise in the level of the sea. In another adverse effect, the melting decreases the size of the krill's breeding and feeding habitat.
When all of Antarctica's ice melts, sea levels are expected to increase to over 180 feet. That is the equivalent of skyscrapers in New York being surrounded by water at the 20th floor as it is in Venice. Low-lying countries like islands of the South Pacific would be completely engulfed by water.
Those who have made the trip to Antartica testify that the continent is absolutely stunning to look at. The wildlife there has little to no fear of humans. Viewing the grandeur of the scenery in conjunction with the trusting innocence of Antarctica's creatures, is an exhilarating experience.
Present and future generations need to bond together and work to preserve the pristine splendor of Antarctica. However, the destruction of this continent has been ongoing for a very long time, and irrevocable damage is being done to it. Fortunately, many nations have joined forces and are now working together so some small steps toward conservation, preservation and preserving sustainability have already been taken.
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