Antarctica: The Peculiar World

Abstract

The continent Antarctica, which was officially discovered in the year 1820, obtained its name from the Greek term antarktikos = being situated opposite to the arctic, which comprises the Northern ice region on the globe. The Antarctica of our days represents a land area of about 13–14 million square kilometers being covered by very thick ice layers (up to 4700 m), which laterally overlap often considerably for many miles the icy waters around this fifth continent. This antarctical ice represents around 80–90 % of the ice on earth (= respectively about 70 % of the freshwater). The land mass of this continent includes numerous large lakes (up to 2500 m deep), which are all covered by this enormous ice shield. However, besides its outer icy aspect Antarctica includes a belt of active volcanos, which stretches over the continent from Victorialand to the Antarctic peninsula. The biggest volcano is the 3800 m high Mount Erebus on Ross Island.