The Environment
The Environment
Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean provide scientists with a unique place to study what is happening with the environment and global warming. Using ice cores drilled out from deep in the Antarctic ice sheet, they can find information about the world’s climate and weather going back thousands of years.
Both the Antarctic and Arctic regions provide us with an excellent example of what pollution is doing to our global environment. Ice is melting and breaking away at alarming rates and threatening these delicate ecosystems. Studying these effects will help scientists develop models that may lead to solutions for dealing with pollution and climate change.
Some interesting facts about Antarctica and the Environment:
- The ozone hole above Antarctica covers 27 million km2.
- Antarctic ice which at its thickest reaches 5 km in depth, comprises almost 70% of the earth’s fresh water!
- If all of the ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels would rise between 50 and 60 m. This may not seem like a lot, but coastal cities like New York, London and Hong Kong would be flooded.
We can all do our part by trying to be environmentally friendly in our day-to-day activities. This way we can help ensure that the penguins (in the South) and the polar bears (in the North) will thrive in their natural habitats.
For more great movies and info about the South Pole and the Environment, including videos from a bunch of schoolkids that went to Antarctica this past year, please visit our expedition leader, Doug Stoup’s website Ice Axe Kids
