We are all familiar with the names of the longest rivers located on seven continents. Africa is famous for the Nile, South America for the Amazon, Asia for the Yangtze River, and Europe for the Volga, etc. And what about Antarctica? Most likely, you are sure that no rivers can exist on this icy continent. Nevertheless, everything is possible on Earth!
Weather in Antarctica
Of course, this continent is the coldest place on the planet, with winter temperatures dropping to -70 ° C. However, this is not always just an icy desert. And although near the South Pole the temperature never rose above -12 ° C, the coast is slightly warmer. So, during a short Antarctic summer, the temperature on the Ross shelf reaches an average of -6 ° С.
As a result of global warming, the glaciers thaw slightly, forming freshwater streams that flow along the rocky polar valleys. There are quite a few such tiny streams in Antarctica. However, among them there is a 32-kilometer stream, called Onyx.
Some facts
Despite the fact that Onyx is just a stream of meltwater, it is commonly called a river. Along its length there are a number of monitoring stations. They track the environmental impact of Onyx. So, scientists have found that the stream is environmentally important for Antarctica, because its ecosystem has a beneficial effect on algae and small creatures like tardigrades and worms. In addition to US scientists who are researching the river as part of the Antarctic Program, earlier they were interested in their colleagues from New Zealand, who had their own semi-permanent camp. In addition, a seismic station is located on the Bull Pass mountain pass.
An animal that does not need oxygen. It lives in the muscles of salmon
Headaches and other evidence that depression does not affect the body
I sewed a leather strap, and the dress began to sparkle with new colors
Onyx is formed due to the melting of the Wright Lower Glacier and flows through one of the three McMurdo Dry Valleys. The meandering river on its way forms several small tributaries. In 1984, the water level was so high that a team of scientists from New Zealand was able to make the first river rafting in the history of Antarctica.
