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Antarctica
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On Antarctica is filled with anecdotes of humour, tragedy, fire, war, wildlife, tourism, mountaineering, celebration, base-life, yachting, travel, science, sex and even spies! The book is an extraordinary but true account of life on remote Antarctic bases where people live with few companions; no neighbours, no shops, no help, no hospitals and no way out. Read how Antarctica was affected by the Falkland Island war with new, original material never before released. Read about the Petermann tragedy and the desperation of isolation in Antarctica. Read what they do in Antarctica to survive those winter nights and celebrate those special occasions. Read about life On Antarctica, mesmerising, a book outstandingly written with scores of illustrations and photographs.
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Weather observations in Antarctica have been recorded only for the last 150 years. Detailed climatic monitoring began in the late 1950's. Most Antarctic stations today are equipped with sophisticated weather monitoring technology and are manned by professional meteorologists who perform observations around the clock. Automated stations and remote sensing equipment provide a wealth of previously unattainable data and help to paint a more accurate picture of Antarctic weather continent-wide. Satellite measurements and photographs of the continent continue to reveal valuable information concerning cloud cover, storm movement, ice formation and distribution patterns, and a variety of other environmental characteristics.
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Antarctica has the distinction of being the most peaceful place on Earth. No wars have ever been fought on Antarctica. No sovereign country rules it. Tourists and scientists don't need a passport, a visa, or anyone's permission to visit. This "Zone of Peace" is dedicated to science, with a multinational treaty that prohibits mining or acting on land claims.
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Antarctica has no permanent residents, but a number of governments maintain permanent research stations throughout the continent. The number of people conducting and supporting scientific research and other work on the continent and its nearby islands varies from about 4,000 in summer to about 1,000 in winter. Many of the stations are staffed year-round.
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Antarctica's serenely primitive wilderness faces an uncertain future as debate continues over the question of tapping into the continent's wealth of mineral resources. Beginning in the early 1950s, scientists began to notice the value inherent in such an unusual and largely undiscovered continent and began establishing research stations there. By 1958, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) saw twelve countries establish over 60 bases, both on and around the Antarctic continent, with some countries claiming parts of Antarctica as sovereign territory. The countries initially involved in the scientific body known as the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) included the United States, Chile, Argentina, Norway, France, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Belgium, Russia and Japan. SCAR now includes Germany and Poland as members of the organization which aims to coordinate a number of scientific and working group programs and to further facilitate the sharing and planning of scientific information relating to Antarctic research, such as Climate Change.
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Year-round life on land in Antarctica is sparse and primitive. North of the Antarctic Peninsula a complete cover of vegetation, including moss carpets and only two species of native vascular plants, may occur in some places. For the rest of Antarctica, only lichen, patches of algae in melting snow, and occasional microorganisms occur. In summer... numerous migrating birds nest and breed in rocks and cliffs on the continental margins, to disappear north again at the beginning of winter. South of the Antarctic Convergence, 43 species of flying birds breed annually. They include petrels, skuas, and terns, cormorants, and gulls.
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Antarctica