Not a single continent of our planet has attracted researchers like Antarctica. None of them have so skillfully been able to keep their many secrets to this day. This is a unique continent, it is completely different from the rest. Of course, its main difference from others is its extremely harsh climatic conditions, which have turned Antarctica into the coldest mainland. This was also facilitated by the fact that the continent is the highest on Earth, its surface rises 4000 meters above the ocean. And also the fact that it is almost completely located beyond the Arctic Circle. In Antarctica is the South Pole of our planet, and also the cold pole.
Research history
The existence of a large land beyond the Arctic Circle, people assumed in ancient times. On some maps of the Middle Ages, not only the full outline of the mainland is visible, but also details are marked that are strikingly similar to the real ones. Many attempts have been made to find the coldest mainland, but the Russian sailors Lazarev and Bellingshausen were the first to do this. It happened in 1820. The first people to visit the South Pole were the Norwegians, led by Roald Amundsen in 1911. But the real mainland began to be studied only in the second half of the 20th century. Then it became known that Antarctica is the coldest continent.
Modern research
The territory of the continent does not belong to any state, there is no permanent resident population. But the mainland is of interest to many countries of the world, and they built research stations for its research. Russia is no exception. Since 1959, Antarctica has transformed Antarctica into a huge natural science laboratory where scientists from different countries work together in a special International Treaty.
Relief
Researchers were able to establish that the basis of the sixth continent is the Antarctic platform. It is covered from above with a huge ice dome, the thickness of which sometimes reaches 4 km. And under it, as in other parts of the world, are mountains and plains, not much different from the rest. There are active volcanoes here, the highest of which is Erebus. There are many minerals in the bowels of Antarctica, but they are still poorly studied.
Why is Antarctica the coldest mainland?
The climate is unusually severe. -89.2 ° С - such a low temperature here was once recorded. This is the coldest place on our planet, called the cold pole, located near the Vostok polar station. The surface of the mainland, covered with snow and ice, reflects almost all incoming solar energy. An area of high atmospheric
pressure, air from its center moves to the periphery. This determines the strongest winds and very low temperatures. The entire land here is occupied by an icy desert.
Cruises to Antarctica
To make an unforgettable journey into the kingdom of eternal cold today has become possible for everyone. There are many travel companies that organize such trips. Tours usually last from 10 to 40 days, their cost depending on the chosen mode of transport reaches 60 thousand dollars.
Despite the severity of local conditions, there are many unusual and interesting places for tourists on the mainland. An example is the dry valleys of Victoria, Master and Taylor - these are indeed the driest places on Earth, there has not been any rainfall over the past two million years. There is no snow, no ice. The island of South Georgia will amaze with its unusual appearance, however, in the same way as the whole of Antarctica. A photo taken in this corner of the planet will for a long time remind of the coldest, but so beautiful continent with its severity.
