I. Antarctica Chapter 18

A. Final Frontier Fossils on Antarctica show that dinosaurs and mammals once live here 98% - Of Antarctica is covered with ice Only major landmass without permanent human settlement 70% - Of the earth’s fresh water is trap within the ice

Land of Snow & Ice

B. Ice, Ice Baby 5,600-7,200 – Feet of ice that cover most of the land Polar Desert – Largest and coldest desert on earth Average temperature in Antarctica is around -71 F  Receives less than 2 inches of precipitation per year

Wave Frozen in Midair

C. More Ice Ice Shelf – Layer of ice above the ocean that is connected to land on one side Convergence Zone – Area where Antarctica’s cold waters meet the warm waters of the ocean Results in huge storms and winds over 120 MPH

D. Resources Penguins, fish, whales, and many birds live in the water around Antarctica Krill – Shrimp like animals that provide most of the food supply Scientist believe that resources like gold and oil are located on the continent

Penguins at Home

E. Sharing the Wealth Antarctic Treaty – 43 countries agreed not to take resources or test nuclear weapons Over 20,000 scientists come to study the continent each year Hope to learn how life was like millions of years ago

U.S. Resource Base Resource Base Video

F. Global Warming Global Warming – Theory that worldwide temperatures are rising because of human activities and burning fossil fuels Average temperatures have risen over 4.5 F in the past 50 years 2002 – A part of the ice shelf broke off 1st time this has happened in the last 11,000 years

Collapse of the Ice Shelf

                                                                                                                                                                            

Sorry about your home in the North Pole!

River of Glacier Ice 2007

Glacier Melting – January 2008

Global Warming