Interesting facts about the continent of Antarctica - it is almost all the information about it.Since the opening of the sixth continent in 1820, Russian explorers Bellingshausen and Lazarev took almost two centuries.Every year on the icy continent learns something new, and most of it is so different from the familiar to the layman, which immediately enters the lists titled "Antarctica: interesting facts, findings, discoveries."In the list below, the information given on the sixth continent of different nature, the ability to show how unique southern land.
international agreement
You can start with the fact that Antarctica - the only continent on the planet that does not belong in whole or in part any of the countries.In 1959 he was awarded the relevant contract, frozen for a long period of time, any territorial claims.Free zone of military operations designed for international scientific research - that is Antarctica.Interesting facts about her position on the world stage - is also the existence of a sixth continent's own flag on the background of the lack of statehood and any institutions of government and citizenship.
Today icy continent are over forty year-round polar stations, five of which belong to Russia.In this expedition and research are often international in nature.
Antarctica: interesting facts about the climatic conditions
In the summer months the number of explorers, workers on six continents reaches 5000.In winter, it is reduced to 1 000. All the researchers are faced with the harsh conditions of Antarctic climate.The temperature on the vast majority of the territory does not rise above -20 º.In Antarctica, the South Pole is cold near the Russian station "Vostok".Here, in 1983 it was fixed temperature -89.2 ° C.
Besides extreme cold, in the open spaces of the sixth continent explorers faced with unusual dryness of the air, which is famous for Antarctica.Interesting facts - is the ratio of the water enclosed in the ice cap of the continent (70% of the planet's fresh water) and low humidity in the atmosphere.In the year falls here only 10 cm of precipitation.On the continent, discovered the so-called McMurdo Dry Valleys.They are spread over an area of 8000 kilometers.The peculiarity of the valley is that they are almost completely ice-free because of the very strong winds blowing here.Their speed of researchers estimated up to 320 km / h.In some of the valleys no precipitation over the past two million years.
Reservoirs
Antarctica - a place of contrasts.Despite such dry air and low temperature, its expanses of the river can be found.The name of one of them - Onyx.It flows only during the two summer months, and then freezes.Onyx sends its waters to Lake Vanda, which is located in one of the dry valleys (again a contrast!).
lists with the title "10 interesting facts about Antarctica" often include reports of subglacial reservoir discovered in the vicinity of the station "Vostok".This lake attracts the attention of many scientists today, with a wide variety of disciplines.However, this is a topic for another article.In addition to the reservoir area of the sixth continent has found more than 140 subglacial lakes.
Interesting facts about animals in Antarctica: the fish
climate impact is certainly felt not only polar but also all living organisms that exist in these conditions.An example of the amazing adaptation to the harsh climate - a fish icefish.Their blood contains red blood cells and thus hemoglobin, so it has a characteristic red color.The assimilation of oxygen occurs at a slightly different pattern than the relatives of "ice" fish.Invigorating the gas dissolves directly in the blood.Are found on six continents and other fish species.They all have a blood substance similar in their properties to automotive antifreeze: it does not allow the liquid to freeze even at the most extreme temperatures.
And that's not all miracles are prepared for human Antarctica.Interesting facts for children often contain references to another form of fish.A relative of cod familiar to us has a unique ability to hibernate for a very long period.It can be in a state of suspended animation until six months during the polar night.
Black and white Handsome
What can not boast of Antarctica?Interesting facts for kids collected a teacher or parent, and often include this point: on the continent, there is no polar bears.It is too cold for them.On six continents, in general, there are no fully terrestrial animal.
most popular representatives of the fauna in Antarctica are penguins.Directly on the mainland they found only two kinds.It Adelie penguins and the famous emperor.Recently found only on the icy continent.They differ from fellow large size and "habit" to multiply during the polar night.
Two species (sub-Antarctic and Antarctic penguins) nest only on the Antarctic Peninsula, part of the continent, much outstanding in the ocean, and therefore characterized by a mild climate.
Insects
Interesting facts about animals in Antarctica include information not only on mammals and birds.Here you can meet and insects.Cruise of the class on the sixth continent is not: it is hardly possible to fly in conditions of gale-force winds.The largest insects, and along with land "residents" of the continent, considered mosquitoes ringing Belgica antarctica (feed on microorganisms, indifferent to the blood).These gnats are found nowhere else on Earth.They live mainly on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Found
Fauna sixth continent was interesting at all times.Few people today do not know that once Antarctica was covered with forests.In those days it was inhabited by dinosaurs.Findings confirming it has repeatedly been found in different areas of the continent.In the 90s of the last century a group of American paleontologists has found almost a dinosaur skeleton in the Transantarctic Mountains.After his recovery and the study proved that the bones belong to predatory lizard, later named Cryolophosaurus.Such skeletons have never been found in other parts of the world.Presumably Cryolophosaurus is the ancestor of an entire branch of the dinosaurs, called tetanurae, the remains of which were found on different continents.Apparently, the planet they settled it from Antarctica.
Giant
Another major discovery was made on the island of James Ross.There were discovered the remains of titanosaur, according to scientists who lived 70 million years ago.This herbivorous dinosaurs had a long tail and equally impressive size neck and massive body.Detected bone, probably belong to individuals, reaches thirty meters in length.This dinosaur lived not only in Antarctica, similar to the remains found on all continents.
Meteor rain
Bones ancient reptiles - are not the only interesting objects found on the icy continent.Here there are a large number of meteorites.In some parts of the layer of ice is literally full of patches of Space "aliens."It should be noted that the rate of fall of meteorites in Antarctica is not different from the average for the world as a whole (1 meteor per year per square kilometer).Damaging number of finds is due to other causes.Dark better meteors visible in the snow.In addition, the low temperatures of the continent contribute to their "conservation" and maintain virtually unchanged.The slow movement of glaciers to the coast, and their destruction leads to accumulation of meteoritic fragments in certain areas of the continent, the researchers calculated and regularly inspected by them.
a lot more striking findings hides Antarctica.Interesting facts about the continent regularly updated with new information after the return of the expedition.Existing data can be arranged in a very long list.So today Antarctica: interesting facts, photos of the landscape, these research results, etc., - attracted the attention of not only specialists, but also people on work not related to science.
