Features of the nature of Antarctica. Geographical location of Antarctica Description of the geographical location of Antarctica

Antarctica is the coldest continent on the planet. In the conditions of the polar night in winter there is a strong cooling of it. And in summer, the ice and snow cover of Antarctica reflects almost 90% of solar radiation. In inland areas, even in summer, average daily temperatures are around -30°C, and in winter they reach -70°C. The Vostok station recorded the lowest temperature on our planet (-89.2°C). On the coast of the mainland it is much warmer: in summer the air temperature is about 0°C, and in winter there are moderate frosts - up to -10... -25°C. As a result of strong cooling, a baric maximum is formed in the center of the continent - an area of ​​​​high atmospheric pressure, from which constant katabatic winds blow towards the oceans. They are especially strong in a strip 600-800 km wide when moving away from the coast. The ice cover in Antarctica is constantly replenished due to snowfall and its subsequent crystallization on the ice surface. On average there is about 200 mm of precipitation per year. And in the central regions of the mainland their number is several tens of millimeters. From the inner regions of the ice dome, the ice gradually spreads to the outskirts. In summer, huge blocks of ice break off from the edge of the ice sheet in the form of tabletop and pyramidal icebergs and slide into the water, and then are carried away by currents into the ocean.

The main part of the territory of Antarctica belongs to the zone of Antarctic deserts, which is practically devoid of vegetation and wildlife. The oases of Antarctica can be considered as centers of life on an icy continent. The modern vegetation of the continent is represented by lower plants: mosses - 80 species, lichens - 800 species, as well as microscopic algae. And in the region of the Pole of Cold, bacteria were found in the snow. The fauna of Antarctica is connected with the oceanic waters washing the continent. In summer, dozens of bird species nest on the coast and on coastal cliffs - petrels, albatrosses, skua gulls and penguins. Among the latter, the most typical are Adélie penguins, which make long journeys into the interior of the continent, and large emperor penguins. The coastal waters are home to whales, sperm whales, killer whales, and various types of seals. There is a lot of plankton in coastal waters, especially small crustaceans (krill). Fish, whales, pinnipeds, and birds feed on it. Antarctic waters are a catchment area for cetaceans, pinnipeds, nototheniids, and krill. But to date, the marine resources of Antarctica have been greatly depleted and many species of animals, such as whales, are under protection. There is no permanent population in Antarctica. Its international status is such that it does not belong to any state. Only scientists from all countries of the world can engage in scientific research on the continent, and individual tourist and sports expeditions break the icy silence of the vast expanses of the continent.

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Antarctica - geographical location, discovery, research, modern status of the continent
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Climatic conditions

The nature of Antarctica has the coldest climate on earth. In 1983, the absolute minimum was officially recorded - minus 89.2 degrees. In winter, temperatures range from -60 to -75 degrees. In summer it rises to -50. And only on the coast the climate is milder: the average temperature ranges from 0 to -20 degrees.

Precipitation is possible only in the form of snow, which is compressed under its own weight, forming new layers of ice.

However, Antarctica has rivers and lakes. They appear in the summer, and in the winter they are again covered with an ice crust. Today, scientists have discovered 140 subglacial lakes. Of these, only one does not freeze - Vostok.

Flora of Antarctica

The flora of the continent is extremely poor. The natural features of Antarctica are explained by its harsh climate. Most of all algae grow here - about 700 species. The ice-free plains and coast of the mainland are covered with lichens and mosses. There are only two flowering plants on this harsh land - colobanthus quito and Antarctic meadow.

Colobanthus Quito refers to This is a low herbaceous plant that has a cushion shape with small pale yellow and white flowers. The height of an adult plant does not exceed five 5 centimeters.

Antarctic meadow grass is a cereal plant. It grows only in areas of the earth illuminated by the sun. These inconspicuous bushes grow up to 20 centimeters. The plant tolerates frost well. Even during flowering it is not harmed by frost.

The flora of Antarctica, represented by a few plants, has adapted to the eternal cold. Their cells contain little water, all processes are slow.

Animals

The natural features of Antarctica have left their mark on the fauna of the continent. The animals of this icy country live only where there is vegetation. Despite the harsh climate, dinosaurs lived in Antarctica in ancient times.

Antarctic animals can be divided into two independent groups - aquatic and terrestrial. It should be noted that there are no animals permanently living on land in Antarctica.

The waters surrounding the mainland are rich in zooplankton, which is the main food for seals, whales, penguins and fur seals. Ice fish live here - amazing creatures that have adapted to existence in icy water.

Large animals of Antarctica include which attract large numbers of shrimp.

Blue-green algae and roundworms live in fresh lakes, and crustaceans and daphnia are found.

Birds

Antarctica is home to penguins, Arctic terns and skuas. The nature of the mainland does not allow more birds to live here. There are four species of penguins living in Antarctica. The largest population is imperial. Occasionally, petrels fly to the southern continent.

Mammals

Antarctica, whose nature is too harsh for animals to live in, can only boast of those species that are able to live both on land and in water. First of all, these are seals. In addition, leopard seals live on the coast and there are small sand or black and white dolphins, which whalers call

Predators of Antarctica

This continent is home to a wide variety of predators. Their diet mainly consists of planktonic crustaceans. Of these, it is necessary to highlight the leopard seal - the largest seal that feeds on krill. It lives at shallow depths. At the same time, it also has the reputation of a predator, which is capable of hunting large animals. Such hunting, however, is only seasonal and is intended to diversify the diet, which consists of squid and fish, but its basis is krill. A small number of these marine predators stay close to penguin rookeries and colonies. In most cases, these giants drift on ice floes along the peninsula and by the beginning of winter they gather in large numbers near South Georgia.

Leopard seals are real giants. The officially registered length is 3.8 meters, but larger animals have been encountered.

By autumn, leopards change their lifestyle and come close to the shore, along which inexperienced young fur seals and penguins descend.

Invertebrates

For whom the nature of Antarctica is completely suitable, it is invertebrate arthropods. Antarctica is home to 67 species of ticks and four species of lice. There are lice eaters, fleas and, of course, mosquitoes here. It should be noted that wingless ringing mosquitoes, which have a jet-black color, live only on the icy continent. These insects are endemic and belong to completely land animals.

The bulk of invertebrates and insects were brought to the southern continent by birds.

Tourism

Despite the harsh climate, about six thousand tourists come to Antarctica every year. Most of them go to the Antarctic Peninsula, where there is an airfield and a tourist base. In the 1990s, tourists began to visit the Ross Sea.

Antarctica is the coldest continent on the planet. In the conditions of the polar night in winter there is a strong cooling of it. And in summer, the ice and snow cover of Antarctica reflects almost 90% of solar radiation. In inland areas, even in summer, average daily temperatures are around -30°C, and in winter they reach -70°C. The Vostok station recorded the lowest temperature on our planet (-89.2°C). On the coast of the mainland it is much warmer: in summer the air temperature is about 0°C, and in winter there are moderate frosts - up to -10... -25°C. As a result of strong cooling, a baric maximum is formed in the center of the continent - an area of ​​​​high atmospheric pressure, from which constant katabatic winds blow towards the oceans. They are especially strong in a strip 600-800 km wide when moving away from the coast. The ice cover in Antarctica is constantly replenished due to snowfall and its subsequent crystallization on the ice surface. On average there is about 200 mm of precipitation per year. And in the central regions of the mainland their number is several tens of millimeters. From the inner regions of the ice dome, the ice gradually spreads to the outskirts. In summer, huge blocks of ice break off from the edge of the ice sheet in the form of tabletop and pyramidal icebergs and slide into the water, and then are carried away by currents into the ocean.

The main part of the territory of Antarctica belongs to the zone of Antarctic deserts, which is practically devoid of vegetation and wildlife. The oases of Antarctica can be considered as centers of life on an icy continent. The modern vegetation of the continent is represented by lower plants: mosses - 80 species, lichens - 800 species, as well as microscopic algae. And in the region of the Pole of Cold, bacteria were found in the snow. The fauna of Antarctica is connected with the oceanic waters washing the continent. In summer, dozens of bird species nest on the coast and on coastal cliffs - petrels, albatrosses, skua gulls and penguins. Among the latter, the most typical are Adélie penguins, which make long journeys into the interior of the continent, and large emperor penguins. The coastal waters are home to whales, sperm whales, killer whales, and various types of seals. There is a lot of plankton in coastal waters, especially small crustaceans (krill). Fish, whales, pinnipeds, and birds feed on it. Antarctic waters are a catchment area for cetaceans, pinnipeds, nototheniids, and krill. But to date, the marine resources of Antarctica have been greatly depleted and many species of animals, such as whales, are under protection. There is no permanent population in Antarctica. Its international status is such that it does not belong to any state. Only scientists from all countries of the world can engage in scientific research on the continent, and individual tourist and sports expeditions break the icy silence of the vast expanses of the continent.

Glacial terrain (8 min.)

You read in the textbook that about 1/3 of the continent's surface lies below sea level. Why do you think?

Scientists have found that the continent has sunk 0.5 km below sea level.

Remember what the science of ice in all forms and formations is called?

When drilling ice in Antarctica, glaciologists found that glaciation of the continent began about 360 million years ago.

The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest on the planet. It contains 90% of all land ice. (10 times more than in Greenland. Enough to cover the entire surface of the Earth with a 50-meter layer of ice)

Geographical task.

Scientists have calculated that if the Antarctic ice sheet completely melts, the level of the World Ocean will rise by almost 60 m. What consequences will this lead to?

The thickness of the ice sheet varies. Read the text of the textbook on p. 195. Answer the questions.

What is the average thickness of the ice sheet?

What is the maximum thickness of the ice sheet?

Look at the picture on the slide. Name in which part of Antarctica the thickness of the ice sheet reaches its maximum values?

Why do you think?

The figure shows that the ice sheet has the shape of a dome, raised in the central part. Due to its own gravity, the ice constantly moves from the interior to the coast. This is how outlet glaciers are formed.

Every year, they carry 20% of the ice discharged by Antarctica into the sea. Huge blocks of continental ice are carried away from the coast by currents in the form of icebergs. They reach enormous sizes (170 km x 40 km) and can swim for 10-12 years. In one of the icy mountains we saw frozen shelves with dishes. These were the remains of one of the American expeditions.

Flowing from the interior to the coast, ice constantly reclaims space from the oceans. Expanding at this rate, in 5000 years Antarctica would have doubled its area, and in 20 thousand years it would have connected with Africa, Australia and South America. But the ocean, in turn, tears off the ice from the mainland and carries it into warm waters.

Antarctica is the main area for iceberg formation on the planet.

Another type of glaciers characteristic of Antarctica is ice shelves. They form almost along the entire coast of the mainland.

Ice shelf - the marginal part of a sheet glacier facing the sea; one part rests on the shelf, the other represents an ice floating field.

Find the largest ice shelves on a physical map of Antarctica.

The largest ice shelf in Antarctica is the Ross Glacier. It is located in western Antarctica. The length of its northern edge reaches 950 km, and the height of the sheer ice ledge, called the Ross Barrier, in some places exceeds 70 m, which is approximately the height of a twenty-story building. Area 538 thousand square meters. km, the ice thickness reaches 700 m. Discovered in 1841 by the expedition of J.K. Ross.

On the periphery of the ice sheet there are ice-free areas, which are called Antarctic oases.

Read the text of the textbook on pp. 198-199.

What are Antarctic oases?

How are they formed?

The largest oasis in Antarctica is the Banger Oasis in Dronning Maud Land. Dimensions: 50 km by 20 km. Area about 750 sq. km.

The Schirmacher Oasis, where the Novolazarevskaya Antarctic station is located, was nicknamed a resort by polar explorers because the soil around it can heat up to +30 0 C.

Draw basic conclusions about the Antarctic ice sheet.

Working with cards

Ice sheet.

1. How much ice is there in the Antarctic ice sheet?
2. In which direction does continental ice move in Antarctica?
3. What is the average thickness of the ice sheet?
4. Why did polar explorers call the Schirmacher oasis a resort?
5. Name the largest and longest ice shelf on our planet.
6. Choose associations for the word “Iceberg”.

General characteristics of the nature of the continent

Note 1

Today everyone is well aware that the coldest continent on the planet is Antarctica, where the surface cools during the long polar night. In summer, ice and snow reflect $90$% of solar radiation, so the average daily temperature remains at around $30$ degrees. The lowest temperature is typical for Vostok station. Here is the cold pole of the Southern Hemisphere with a temperature of $89.2 degrees. It is much warmer on the coast - about $0$ degrees in summer, and winter frosts are quite moderate - $10$, - $25$ degrees. The formation of a baric maximum in the center of the continent is associated with cooling. This is an area of ​​high atmospheric pressure, from which constant katabatic winds blow towards the ocean. With a distance from the coast in the range of $600$-$800$ km, they are especially strong. The average annual precipitation on the mainland is $200$ mm, and closer to the center of the continent its amount decreases to several tens of millimeters. Under such climatic conditions, the Antarctic desert, devoid of flora and fauna, formed in the main part of Antarctica. Oases can be considered as centers of life on an icy continent.

The flora of Antarctica is represented by lower plants - $80$ species of mosses, $800$ species of lichens and microscopic algae. Bacteria were discovered in the snow near the Pole of Cold. The fauna is connected to the seas washing the mainland, where in summer dozens of bird species nest on the coastal cliffs - albatrosses, skuas, petrels, penguins. The most characteristic of the mainland are Adélie penguins and large emperor penguins. They can make long journeys deep into the continent. Sperm whales, killer whales, seals, and whales are inhabitants of coastal waters, which are rich in plankton, especially small crustaceans (krill). Previously, Antarctic waters were a hunting area for cetaceans, pinnipeds, and krill, but today, due to severe depletion, many species of animals are under protection.

Antarctica itself and the parts of other continents adjacent to it stand out as a special floristic kingdom. In the Mesozoic era, there was a large center of flora formation here. Changing climatic conditions led to its impoverishment and migration to more favorable northern regions.

Vegetable world

The peculiarities of the nature of Antarctica are explained by the harsh climatic conditions, and the flora of the continent is extremely poor. Algae are numerous, of which there are about 700 species. The plains and coast of the mainland are covered with mosses and lichens in summer.

But there are $2$ species of flowering plants on this harsh land - Colobanthus Quito, belonging to the carnation family, and Antarctic meadow grass. Colobanthus Quito is a low, herbaceous, cushion-shaped plant. Its flowers are very small, pale yellow and white. An adult plant has a height of no more than $5 centimeters and belongs to the cereal family. Both plants grow only on well-warmed rocky soil, despite the fact that they are adapted to harsh conditions and can withstand frost. Their growing season is short.

Blue-green algae, along with bacteria and mosses, cover the bottom of fresh water bodies, forming a dense mucous crust. Algae are among the oldest plants in Antarctica, the fossilized remains of which have been discovered on mineral surfaces. The entire surface of reservoirs in summer is covered with these plants, but they can even settle on melted snow. When in large concentrations, they form bright lawns. These microscopic algae are associated with the illusion of red snowfall, when strong gusts of wind lift them from the surface, lift them into the air and mix them with grains of snow.

In the Antarctic seas, there are giant algae with a length of $150$-$300$ m. They have the common name mactocytas, which means “large-celled”. Indeed, compared to other plants, algae have enormous cell sizes. Colonies of these amazing plants form real underwater forests.

The second most widespread representative of the flora of Antarctica after algae are lichens. These plants, which are a symbiosis of fungi and algae, belong to the lower class. Some representatives of this plant are more than $10$ thousand years old. Managing to grow among the rocks and catching the rare rays of the sun, plants carry out the process of photosynthesis.

The colors of lichens are surprisingly varied - light green, orange, yellow, inconspicuous gray and even completely black. Lichens with black pigment are generally a rare phenomenon on the planet, but in Antarctica they are most common. This is explained by the fact that due to its dark color, the plant absorbs the maximum amount of sunlight and heat. The plant clings to the rocks so tightly that it is impossible to scrape it off with your hands, which is why they are called “scale lichens.” Lichens can also be deciduous, growing like miniature bushes. In the Antarctic climate, lichen growth takes a very long time because it is suppressed by low temperatures and strong winds.

Note 2

The poor species composition of the flora of Antarctica is characterized by endemicity due to the long-term isolation of the development of the continent, as a result of which a few plants have adapted to the eternal cold.

Animal world

The natural features of Antarctica have left their mark on the continent’s fauna, which can only live in places where there is vegetation. The fauna of the continent is conventionally divided into independent groups - aquatic and terrestrial, and it is important to note that there are no animals permanently living on land in Antarctica.

The terrestrial fauna is very poor; some worms, primitive crustaceans and wingless insects are found. In principle, insects do not need wings here - due to the constantly blowing strong winds, they simply cannot rise into the air. On the island land, scientists found several species of beetles, spiders, and one species of flightless butterfly. Of the birds living on land, the snowy plover, the pipit, and one species of duck are known, which nests on the island of South Georgia. The indigenous inhabitants of Antarctica include Adélie penguins, who spend most of their time in the ocean because the water temperature is higher. They come to the surface only for nesting. Males are very sensitive to the choice of a partner. Having chosen a female, the male brings her a pebble, chosen especially for her. By accepting this gift, the female becomes a companion for life. The chicks gather in a “nursery”, where they spend $2$ a month, and after this period they independently obtain their own food. A penguin's daily diet is $2$ kg of food. Penguins are not the only animals on the mainland.

The largest mammals, cetaceans, live in the seas surrounding Antarctica. They are divided into baleen and toothed whales. Baleen whales are especially well studied because they are the main target of whaling. This subgroup includes blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, and true whales. The largest of the whales, the blue whale (vomit), together with the fin whale, has the greatest commercial importance. They have an average length of $26m, but the longest whale killed in Antarctic waters reached $35m.

Large whales typically weigh up to $160 tons and produce $20 tons of net blubber. The food for these giants are small crustaceans that live in abundance in cold waters. Toothed whales include sperm whales, bottlenose whales, and killer whales, which are very dangerous predators. With the help of its sharp dorsal fin, the killer whale can inflict dangerous injuries even on a whale. Killer whales hunt in packs and do it successfully and sophisticatedly, attacking fur seals, seals, sperm whales, dolphins, and sea lions.

Killer whales have their own approach to each “victim”; for example, when hunting seals, they use ledges of the seabed as an ambush. In a group they dive under an ice floe when hunting penguins in order to immediately knock several individuals into the water. Large whales are hunted mainly by males, at the same time pouncing on the prey and preventing it from rising to the surface of the water. By attacking a sperm whale, killer whales, on the contrary, do not allow it to go into the depths of the sea. These animals are characterized by a developed social structure. They have so-called maternal groups, which include a mother with her calf, her adult sons and several other families headed by relatives of the main killer whale. Such a social group may include up to $20$ individuals who are sufficiently attached to each other. Each pack has its own dialect.

It is interesting that killer whales take care of crippled or old relatives, and their relationships within the pack are more than friendly.

The most common true seals include the Weddell seal, whose length can reach $3$ m. Its main location is a strip of stationary ice. Other species of seals are found on floating ice. These include the crabeater seal and the leopard seal, which has a peculiar spotted skin. Of the seals, the largest is the elephant seal, which has already been largely exterminated. On the Antarctic outskirts, the eared seal is found, so named because of its well-defined mane.

The bird world of Antarctica is unique. In summer, petrels, gulls, cormorants, and albatrosses fly here, with a wingspan of up to $3.5 m.

Note 3

In Antarctica, the thesis of evolution – “Survival of the fittest” – is fully confirmed. For the inhabitants of the mainland, life is a daily struggle with low temperatures, a struggle for the most convenient place to obtain food. Strong and formidable to their enemies, the animals of Antarctica are caring and friendly in their pack or colony. The continent's fauna is dangerous and harsh, but magnificent in its own way.