subject: Sources Believe Antarctica Is Rich With Resources [print this page] In order to ensure the availability of scientific research on Antarctica, it can only be utilized for science. When visiting Antarctica, the ice sheet that spans the continent tends to be its most visually enticing attribute, extending for hundreds of miles throughout the south pole, covering the land of the continent and far more. One ice shelf, which is as big as the State of Texas, is the Ross Shelf Ice. Studies of this ice mass combined with recent measurements have concluded that this shelf is moving north approximately 1800 feet every year.
Antarctica makes up approximately two percent of the planet's total water and approximately ninety percent of the world's ice. The most critical facet of maintaining ocean levels revolves around the great inland ice shelf's stability. If the majority of ice melted, sea levels would rise and destroy lives and property around the world.
If all this ice melted at once, then the sea levels would go up by more than 250 feet. Understanding the Antarctic ice's health is necessary. It does not matter at all if the ice is presently moving forward or retreating. It has been theorized that we can determine the history of geophysical events in the planet through the layers of ice, like the rings of a tree.
Ice layers and snow contains information from the past on nuclear explosions, the utilization of lead in gasoline, and the first major lead smelting. During the past 60 years, records have been taken and kept concerning the amount of common lead precipitated over the ice's surface. According to these findings, it's been discovered that more and more lead has become concentrated in the ice over the past ten years, and leaded gasoline being burned caused this particular phenomenon. A quick look at the serious nature of pollution can be seen with this issue.
Although no elements were contained in the polar snows, trace amounts of DDT have been discovered in seals, some fish, and penguins in Antarctica. The ice layers can also provide information on items from space that have breached the atmosphere and imbedded in the ice sheet over time. Assuming that additional research uncovers that these particles contain a revolving pattern, then predictions concerning the amount and type of space particles that vehicles will run into can be determined.
In Antarctica, the majority of the plant life are lichens. Mites and springtails are the common land animals. Flying insects cannot withstand the weather conditions in Antarctica, and the wingless fly is one of the largest land animals. The southernmost mammals, the Weddell seal as well as the flightless penguin, live in the encircling seas. In diving as far down as 1,500 feet and staying underwater as long as 30 minutes in his earnest search for food, the Weddell seal has amazed researchers.
Antarctica does have areas that are ice free, which the Adelie penguins take advantage of by nesting in those area during the summer months and moving north during winter months. No compass could compare with their ability to maintain a straight path. The use the sun, and their incredible biological abilities to do so. It took three Adelies ten months to travel the 2400 miles back to their rookery. Six had been transferred. There are more that were let go near the South Pole. After they were released, they studied their surroundings a while, fixed their gaze on the sun, and then headed off in precisely the right course for their home nests.
The planet's largest inhabitant lives off Antarctica. These great blue whales, who are nearly five times larger than any dinosaur that existed, need about a ton of shrimp to eat per day. The Arctic sports far fewer fish species than the Antarctic. Ten percent of the bottom-dwelling fish found in Antarctica can be found somewhere else in the world. This bodes well for the importance of the Antarctic Convergence.
