Antarctic Facts

  • Antarctica is on average the coldest, driest, windiest, and highest continent on Earth.

  • A continent surrounded by ocean, Antarctica is the opposite of the Arctic, which is an expanse of ocean surrounded by continents.

  • If melted, the ice sheets covering Antarctica would raise global sea level by almost 70 meters (230 feet).

  • In the long, dark winter, temperatures at the South Pole may plunge to -58ºC (-73ºF). Even in the summer, temperatures of -26ºC (-16ºF) can lead to frostbite and hypothermia.

  • Antarctica's harsh climate is similar in some respects to that of Mars. NASA tests equipment there to prepare for planetary expeditions.

  • Once Scott and his men left, it was 44 years before another person set foot at the South Pole.
<em>Race to the End of the Earth</em> Online Educator's Guide