The Coldest and Windiest Place on Earth...
The Continent
Antarctica is the fifth largest of the seven continents and has the title as being both the coldest and windiest continent on Earth. The continent is 95 percent under ice cover and is officially considered a desert - even though it holds 70% of the earths fresh water!
Antarctica totals 14.2 million sq. km in the summer and doubles in size during the winter months due to the amount of ice that forms around the continent. It is the highest of all continents as a result of its ice cover, which gives Antarctica an average elevation of about 2300m (about 7500 ft). Antarctica surrounds the South Pole and is almost circular in shape with an arm - the Antarctic Peninsula - extending almost to South America.
There are a number of research stations in Antarctica. The South Pole Station, which sits on almost two miles of solid ice, is home to about 160 residents in the summer and reduces to less than 30 during the winter. McMurdo Station, located on the southern tip of Ross Island is home to about 1,000 summer summer residents and 150 winter residents.
A Long History of Exploration Reaching the South Pole has long held a fascination for explorers but until the 1900's was not considered an attainable goal.
As early as 1902, Robert Scott attempted the first expedition, the "Discovery" expedition to the South Pole, realizing a record latitude of 81"17' south. In 1908, Ernest Shakleton, a member of Scott's first expedition, led the "Nimrod" expedition, which fell 97 miles short of reaching the Pole but successfully achieved a new furthest south record.
 In 1910, Scott attempted the "Terra Nova" expedition. Unknown to him, Norwegian, Roald Amundsen, also captivated by the idea of reaching the South Pole, began his expedition at the same time. Scott's journey was plagued with travel hardships and poor weather, and the morale of the team was terribly damaged. When Scott's expedition finally reached the Pole on January 17, 1912, they were devastated to discover that Amundsen had reached the Pole on December 15, 1911, beating them by a full month. Frail from travel and shaken by defeat, Scott and his crew perished in the Antarctic on their return trek.
For More Information...
Good Historical Overview
· The New South Polar Times
The New South Polar Times is a newsletter written
by the staff of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station,
South Pole, Antarctica.
Recommended Reading!
View a selection of books on the topic of Exploration in the Antarctic. You can even purchase copies of these books online at a 20% discount to cover price!
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 Read Gareth's Book:
South Pole: 900 Miles on Foot
Review Other
Recommended Books
Interesting Links:
· Antarctic Exploration
· The New South Polar Times
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Biography (Main)
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