In the next section, we will see how Antarctica fits into the context of the southernmost part of Earth.
Sea ice is frozen salt water. The area of sea ice varies considerably throughout the year. The ice maximum is in September during southern winter. The minimum is in February.
Fresh Frozen Reservoir
The Transantarctic Mountains divide the continent into East and West sections. At 2,175 miles long (3,500 km), the Transantarctic range is one of the longest mountain ranges on Earth.
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest of all the continents. The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica was minus-128.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-89.2 degrees Celsius) at the Russian Vostok station in 1983.
Antarctica has no indigenous population. A number of research stations are scattered across the continent. At its peak, in the summer, the continent's population swells to nearly 4,000 people. In winter, that number drops to around 1,000.
Very few vertebrate-animal species live in Antarctica. Several types of penguins, petrels, seals and whales call the region home. Eight species of mite and three species of springtail (hexapods similar to insects) have been found. Mosses, lichens, algae and microorganisms exist there, resorting to a dormant state when conditions become too extreme.
By the Mesozoic era, Gondwana had split up and the lands of Antarctica and Australia, still joined, had moved to the south polar region. The Earth as a whole had a warmer climate than it does today, so several species of dinosaur flourished in Antarctica from about 140-to-100-million-years ago.
By the 18th century the concept of Terra Australis was abandoned because no such southern land mass had been found. The name "Australis" was applied to what is now called Australia. In 1820 the first confirmed sighting of Antarctica was made, and by 20 years later it was established that Antarctica comprised an entire continent and not just a group of islands.
The first explorers to reach the South Pole were led by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, beating a competing British party led by Robert Scott. Both parties crossed the Ross Ice Shelf to approach the pole. Amundsen's party traveled nearly 800 miles (1285 km), reaching the pole on Dec. 14, 1911. The party returned along the same route with no casualties. The competing party led by Robert Scott traveled a route 60 miles (96 km) longer, reaching the pole 34 days after Amundsen. Scott and his entire party perished on the return trip.