Antarctica
The
Coldest
Continent

Antarctica is a continent at the southern most part of the
earth. It contains the south pole and is surrounded by the
southern ocean. The Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans all
touch Antarctica.

Antarctica is the 5th largest continent. It is also the coldest,
windiest, and driest continent. It is actually considered to be
a desert due to the small amount of rain that falls. A desert
does not have to be covered in sand or in a hot place.

The temperature in Antarctica has reached -129
degrees farenheit. There are no people who live there
permanently. Antarctica is so cold that people could
not live there.

People in Antarctica live on research stations. These
people are scientists. This is a photograph of the
Neumayer Research Station. The Neumayer station can
sleep up to 40 people.

The coldest months are
June, July, August and
September. The
temperature is around -
22F.
The warmest months are
December and January
(the summer months).
The temperature is around
30 F although it can get
warmer.
Usually they only have
about 2 days of rain in the
whole year.

There are no schools in Antarctica as it is too cold for
children to live there year round. However, some children
live at the stations with their families and go to school at
the station.

In winter, so much
ice forms around
the continent's
coastlines that it
doubles in size.
Antarctica has
most of the
world's ice. Almost
the entire
continent is
covered in a thick
layer of ice.
Antarctica is a
white continent.

Not many animals can live in Antarctica because it
is so cold. In fact, the only animals that live on
Antarctica are insects, spiders and small
creatures. However, the sea is filled with life. Can
you guess which sea animal is in this photograph?

Some types of
penguins live in
Antarctica.
Penguins do not fly
but swim instead.
They love to eat
krill and fish.
Penguins spend half
their life in the
water and half
their life on land.
Gentoo Penguin

Emperor penguins are the only penguins to lay their eggs
on the ice. All other penguins lay their eggs on land or in
nests. After the female lays the egg, the male keeps it
warm for 2 months. He doesn't even eat during that time.

Emperor penguins huddle together to stay warm. The
penguins in the middle are the warmest. When they are warm
enough, they move to the outside to let other penguins take a
turn in the middle.

Leopard seals have black-spotted coats. They spend most
of their time in the cold water looking for penguins to eat.
Seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber which
protects them from the cold.

Whales are the world's largest mammals, found in
Antarctica.There are up to 8 whale species to encounter
in Antarctica. Humpbacks are the most sighted, followed

Killer whales also known as Orca whales can also be found in
Antarctica.

Krill are very important sea animals because they are
eaten by whales, seals, penguins and squid.

The Snow Petrel is one of only three birds that lives in
Antarctica.

An ice shelf is thick
floating ice which is
flat on top.
An iceberg is ice
that breaks off
from the ice shelf.
Icebergs are
everywhere in
Antarctica.
Ross Ice Shelf

Here you can see the flat top of the Ross ice shelf.

Did you know that underneath some ice shelves
there are subglacial volcanoes? These volcanoes
are contributing to the ice melt that is occurring in
West Antarctica.

The orange areas mean the temperature is getting warmer
in parts of Antarctica. Warmer temperatures mean the ice
is melting and the sea level is getting higher. No one really
knows how this will affect the rest of the world in the
future.

We must reduce global warming to protect
the habitat of animals in Antarctica.
Ice melting from a glacier

Protect the animals'
habitats. They need
the ice to survive.
Protect our earth for
the future.
Reduce global warming by
turning off the lights when
you leave the room.
You can make a difference!

the end