The Antarctic
A deep dive into what remains to be the most mysterious continent.
Antarctica is a sight to behold. Frigid landscape of snow cliffs, alternating with planes of ice, a place so seemingly hostile that any form of life seems highly improbable. Home to diverse but fragile ecosystems, the continent plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate and ocean currents.
The Antarctic and Antarctica are terms that are easily confused. To clarify, the first one is the region that includes the continent itself, the Kerguelen Plateau, which is located some 2500 kilometers north, and a handful of much smaller islands of the region. Conversely, Antarctica is a massive sheet of ice and snow with the South Pole in its centre. The name itself comes from the Greek ‘antarktikos’, which means ‘the opposite of the Arctic’. However, the literal translation would be ‘no bears’. This can be slightly confusing until you learn that the word Arctic is derived from ‘arktos’ with the meaning ‘bear’. The bear in question is the constellation of Ursa Major, which has stars that are said to have helped sailors of the past navigate towards the Arctic. Incidentally, the Arctic has polar bears, and Antarctica does not.
Although the existence of the southern continent had been hypothesized by ancient scholars, it wasn’t until the early 19th century that the first confirmed sighting of the Antarctic mainland occurred. In 1820, a Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev composed of two ships, Vostok (East) and Mirniy (Peaceful), were the first to see the continent in person, followed closely by one led by British naval officer, Edward Bransfield. These initial sightings led to increased interest to the region, culminating in the famed explorations of James Clark Ross and Sir Ernest Shackleton, who made significant contributions to our understanding of the continent.
Due to its extreme location off the equator, the Antarctic region has only two distinct seasons – summer and winter, both with striking seasonal variation. Located in the southern hemisphere, its seasons are the opposite of what you would think of them. During summer months its sees virtually no sunlight – the sun sets in late April. From then on, you get increasingly cold weather with temperature going as low as 85°C; Contrastingly, September to March is the warmer season with sun almost always in the sky and, owing to this, the local animals such as seals and penguins much more active. The mid-seasons grace the continent with a sunrise and a sunset respectively, both lasting for weeks.
Despite being a gigantic glacier, technically Antarctica falls into the climatic category of a desert. Even though in our minds desert is something hot and sultry, this is not exactly what makes a desert. One striking similarity between the sandy dunes of Sahara and the endless snow-covered plains of Antarctica is the amount of annual precipitation. The region gets as little as 10 mm of rainfall a year. To put that figure into perspective, that is about 50 times less than world’s average figure. Because the continent is exposed to such miniscule amounts of rain, nothing prevented ice and compacted snow from growing thicker over the course of millions of years. No rain and low temperatures, in turn, lead to very dry air with very low humidity levels. The place also has the strongest winds on the planet, with gusts reaching in excess of 300 kilometers an hour. This is mostly due to its stark seasonal change and the way these affect the movement of air masses.
The continent has no indigenous people – men and women that populate it fall into two general categories: scientists and tourists. The majority of them reside there on a semi-permanent basis, usually during the summer season. They concern themselves with various researches, from astronomy and biology to something more exotic, such as glaciology and oceanography. The second, much larger group of people are tourists that come from all across the world with their own aims in mind. Some – to marvel at the fields of glittering snow that span all the way to the horizon; others – to get first-hand experience of the last unconquered bastion of savage nature. There are individuals who have the Antarctic in their bucket list of places to visit – often after they have been almost everywhere else. However, the lion’s share choose to limit their exposure to a view from the comfort of their cruise ship, admiring the greatness, while also keeping a safe distance from the harsh realities of the place.
All the scientific activity happening in the region has to abide by the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol, both in an effort to keep it as a place for peaceful researches that should have environmental concerns as top priority. The former, signed in 1959 by 12 countries, aims to preserve Antarctica for peaceful and scientific purposes. It sets aside territorial claims, promotes scientific cooperation, and prohibits military activities. The Madrid Protocol, an addition to the treaty in 1991, designates Antarctica as a natural reserve, keeping a close eye on its ecosystems. The reason why the researches focus on the environmental aspect is because of the region’s pivotal role in the entire planet’s wellbeing. Antarctica’s vast ice sheets and glaciers reflect a significant portion of solar radiation back into space, helping to maintain the planet’s overall temperature balance. The frigid waters surrounding Antarctica act as a massive heat sink, absorbing and storing a great deal of warmth from the atmosphere. That is just the tip of the iceberg though. The formation of dense, cold seawater near Antarctica drives the global thermohaline circulation, also known as the ocean conveyor belt, indispensable at distributing heat around the world. This circulation system influences regional climates and weather patterns, affecting everything from precipitation levels to the intensity of tropical storms. This is why safeguarding the Antarctic region and ensuring its longevity is vital for our planet’s well-being.
Questions 15-20
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 15-20 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
15 Antarctica is larger in size than The Antarctic.
16 The name of the northernmost continent originates from a celestial body.
17 No bears can be found in the Antarctic.
18 The Antarctic gets colder during winter months.
19 An unusual weather condition has led to accumulation of landmass.
20 No aboriginal population exists in the Antarctic.
Questions 21-23
Choose the appropriate letters A-C and write them in boxes 21-23 on your answer sheet.
21 What is said about the scientists of the Antarctic?
A They leave the continent during winter months
B The focus of their research constantly changes
C Their work has limitations imposed by international agreements
22 Most tourists coming to see the Antarctic
A have already seen all other continents.
B do not get off the ship.
C enjoy the grand views of the place.
23 Why is it important to save the Antarctic?
A It creates fruitful scientific environment
B It aids world ocean water circulation
C It is a vital part of the global ecosystem
Questions 24-28
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 24–28 on your answer sheet.
The Arctic still mystifies humanity today. Many things about it can be quite puzzling at first glance. Judging by its 24 levels it is a desert, although entirely covered by snow. The seasons are opposites of what we have, and its day and night cycle is one year long. Its 25 are ferocious and merciless, reaching highest velocities on the planet.
The continent’s 26 had been predicted long before it was discovered in the beginning of the 19th century. Because of its unwelcoming climate and remote location, more serious scientific endeavour there took place almost a century later. The reason this region is of utmost importance to us is simple: its 27 act as a shield against the harmful radiation Earth is exposed to. If these were to perish entirely, it would upset the intricate temperature balance and threaten our 28 .
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