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Antarctica 2024
  • We are Living the Dream

Antarctica 2024

We are cruising Antartica, visiting Ushuaia, Falkland Islands and South Georgia, a bucket list for many years. Fingers crossed we have the Drake Lake not the Drake Shake. Stayed tuned for lots of photos of the penguins, seals and hopefully whales. Read more
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    February 13, 2024
    We are Living the DreamAntarctica 2024Traveler

    Antarctica

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The continent of Antarctica makes up most of the Antarctic region. The Antarctic is a cold, remote area in the Southern Hemisphere encompassed by the Antarctic Convergence. The Antarctic Convergence is an uneven line of latitude where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the warmer waters of the world’s oceans. The Antarctic covers approximately 20 percent of the Southern Hemisphere.

    Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent in terms of total area. Antarctica is a unique continent in that it does not have a native human population. There are no countries in Antarctica. Seven countries made defined claims to Antarctic territory prior to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. The treaty does not legally recognize any claims.

    The Antarctic also includes island territories within the Antarctic Convergence. The islands of the Antarctic region are Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands, claimed by the United Kingdom. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, administered by the United Kingdom and claimed by Argentina. Peter I Island and Bouvet Island, claimed by Norway. Heard and McDonald Islands, claimed by Australia. Scott Island and the Balleny Islands, claimed by New Zealand.    Read more

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    Geography

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The Antarctic Ice Sheet dominates the region. It is the largest single piece of ice on Earth. This ice sheet even extends beyond the continent when snow and ice are at their most extreme. The ice surface dramatically grows in size from about three million square kilometers at the end of summer to about 19 million square kilometers by winter. Ice sheet growth mainly occurs at the coastal ice shelves, primarily the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ronne Ice Shelf. Ice shelves are floating sheets of ice that are connected to the continent. Glacial ice moves from the continent’s interior to these lower-elevation ice shelves at rates of 10 to 1,000 metres per year.

    Antarctica has a number of mountain summits, including the Transantarctic Mountains, which divide the continent into eastern and western regions. A few of these summits reach altitudes of more than 4,500 meters. The elevation of the Antarctic Ice Sheet itself is about 2,000 meters and reaches 4,000 meters above sea level near the center of the continent.

    Without any ice, Antarctica would emerge as a giant peninsula and archipelago of mountainous islands, known as Lesser Antarctica, and a single large landmass about the size of Australia, known as Greater Antarctica. These regions have different geologies.

    Greater Antarctica is composed of older, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Lesser Antarctica is made up of younger, volcanic and sedimentary rock. Lesser Antarctic is part of the “Ring of Fire,” a tectonically active area around the Pacific Ocean. Tectonic activity is the interaction of plates on Earth’s crust, often resulting in earthquakes and volcanoes. Mount Erebus, located on Antarctica’s Ross Island, is the southernmost active volcano on Earth.

    The majority of the islands and archipelagos of Lesser Antarctica are volcanic and heavily glaciated. They are also home to a number of high mountains.

    The oceans surrounding Antarctica provide an important physical component of the Antarctic region. The waters surrounding Antarctica are relatively deep, reaching 4,000 to 5,000 meters in depth.    Read more

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    Climate

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Antarctica has an extremely cold, dry climate. Winter temperatures along Antarctica’s coast generally range from -10° to -30°C. During the summer, coastal areas hover around 0°C but can reach temperatures as high as 9°C.

    In the mountainous, interior regions, temperatures are much colder, dropping below -60°C in winter and -20°C in summer. I

    Precipitation in the Antarctic is hard to measure. It always falls as snow. Antarctica’s interior is believed to receive only 50 to 100 millimeters of water (in the form of snow) every year. The Antarctic desert is one of the driest deserts in the world.

    The Antarctic region has an important role in global climate processes. It is an integral part of Earth’s heat balance. The heat balance, also called the energy balance, is the relationship between the amount of solar heat absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere and the amount of heat reflected back into space.

    Antarctica has a larger role than most continents in maintaining Earth’s heat balance. Ice is more reflective than land or water surfaces. The massive Antarctic Ice Sheet reflects a large amount of solar radiation away from Earth’s surface. As global ice cover decreases, the reflectivity of Earth’s surface also decreases. This allows more incoming solar radiation to be absorbed by Earth’s surface, causing an unequal heat balance linked to global warming, the current period of climate change.

    The waters surrounding Antarctica are a key part of the “ocean conveyor belt,” a global system in which water circulates around the globe based on density and on currents. The cold waters surrounding Antarctica, known as the Antarctic Bottom Water, are so dense that they push against the ocean floor. The Antarctic Bottom Water causes warmer waters to rise, or upwell.

    Antarctic upwelling is so strong that it helps move water around the entire planet. This movement is aided by strong winds that circumnavigate Antarctica. Without the aid of the oceans around Antarctica, Earth’s waters would not circulate in a balanced and efficient manner.    Read more

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    Flora and Fauna

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Lichens, mosses, and terrestrial algae are among the few species of vegetation that grow in Antarctica. More of this vegetation grows in the northern and coastal regions of Antarctica, while the interior has little if any vegetation.

    The ocean, however, teems with fish and other marine life. In fact, the waters surrounding Antarctica are among the most diverse on the planet. Upwelling allows phytoplankton and algae to flourish. Thousands of species, such as krill, feed on the plankton. Fish and a large variety of marine mammals thrive in the cold Antarctic waters. Blue, fin, humpback, right, minke, and sperm whales have healthy populations in Antarctica.

    One of the apex, or top, predators in Antarctica is the leopard seal. The leopard seal is one of the most aggressive of all marine predators. This three-metre 400kg animal has unusually long, sharp teeth, which it uses to tear into prey such as penguins and fish.

    The most familiar animal of Antarctica is the penguin. They have adapted to the cold, coastal waters. Their wings serve as flippers as they “fly” through the water in search of prey such as squid and fish. Their feathers retain a layer of air, helping them keep warm in the freezing water.    Read more

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    Cultural Geography

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    While the Antarctic does not have permanent human residents, the region is a busy outpost for a variety of research scientists. These scientists work at government supported research stations and come from dozens of different countries. The number of scientists conducting research varies throughout the year, from about 1,000 in winter to around 5,000 in summer.

    Researchers from a variety of scientific backgrounds study the Antarctic not only as a unique environment but also as an indicator of broader global processes.

    Geographers map the surface of the world’s coldest and most isolated continent. Meteorologists study climate patterns, including the “ozone hole” that hovers over the Antarctic. Climatologists track the history of Earth’s climate using ice cores from Antarctica’s pristine ice sheet. Marine biologists study the behaviour of whales, seals, and squid. Astronomers make observations from Antarctica’s interior because it offers the clearest view of space from Earth.

    Even astrobiologists, who study the possibility of life outside Earth’s atmosphere, study materials found in the Antarctic. In 1984, a meteorite from Mars was found in Antarctica. The markings on this meteorite were similar to markings left by bacteria on Earth. If this meteorite, millions of years old, actually has the remains of martian bacteria, it would be the only scientific evidence for life outside Earth.    Read more

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    McMurdo Station

    Antarctica’s Research Station's

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Antarctica is a unique cultural place that is best defined by daily life at its diverse research stations. McMurdo Station is a U.S. research center on the southern tip of Ross Island, a territory claimed by New Zealand. McMurdo is the largest station in Antarctica, capable of supporting 1,250 residents. Most of these residents are not scientists, but work to support station operations, construction, maintenance, and daily life. McMurdo has more than 80 buildings and operates like a small city. It has world-class laboratory and research facilities but also a firehouse, dormitories, stores, and the continent’s only ATM.

    Like all Antarctic research stations, McMurdo has a specific method of receiving necessary supplies. Once a year, cargo ships bring more than five million kilograms of equipment and supplies, ranging from trucks and tractors to dry and frozen foods, to scientific instruments. These cargo ships can only reach Winter Quarters Bay, McMurdo’s harbor, during summer, when the pack ice can be breached by U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers. Additional supplies and personnel are flown in from Christchurch, New Zealand, when weather permits.    Read more

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    Research Station's

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Base Esperanza, Argentina’s largest Antarctic facility, is located in Hope Bay on the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The station is known for a number of Antarctica “firsts.” It is the birthplace of Emilio Marcos Palma, the first person to be born in Antarctica. Base Esperanza also houses the first Catholic chapel (1976) and first school (1978) built on the continent. In 1979, Base Esperanza became the continent’s first shortwave radio broadcaster, connecting the research station with Argentina’s continental territory.

    Davis Station is Australia’s busiest scientific research station. It is located in an ice-free area known as the Vestfold Hills. Like most research stations in Antarctica, food is very important at Davis Station. Residents live and work closely together in facilities and outdoor environments that are often very monotonous. As such, food plays an important role in providing variety to residents like those at Davis Station.

    Food supplies are, however, very limited. The food supply for a year at Davis Station is rationed, per person per year. Residents live mostly on frozen and canned food. The chef is often thought of as one of the most important people at Davis Station. He or she must make sure to use all commodities in such a way that is both creative and sustainable. Some of the station’s most important events revolve around the chef’s creations, such as the Midwinter Dinner, a traditional, sumptuous feast first celebrated during the 1901-04 British Antarctic Expedition.

    Like many of Antarctica’s research facilities, Davis Station has a hydroponic greenhouse. Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants with water and nutrients only. Hydroponics requires excellent gardeners because produce is grown without soil. Fresh produce adds variety and nutrition to Antarctic meals. The greenhouse also serves as a sunroom for sunlight-deprived residents, especially during the long winter months.    Read more

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    Race for the Antarctic

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    For many European and North American powers, Antarctica represented the last great frontier for human exploration. Fueled by nationalist pride and supported by advances in science and navigation, many explorers took on the “Race for the Antarctic.”

    Explorers first skimmed the boundaries of Antarctica on sea voyages. By the early 20th century, explorers started to traverse the interior of Antarctica. The aim of these expeditions was often more competitive than scientific. Explorers wanted to win the “Race to the South Pole” more than understand Antarctica’s environment. Because early explorers confronted extreme obstacles and debilitating conditions, this period of time became known as the “Heroic Age.” Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Adrian Wilson, and Ernest Shackleton all competed in the Race to the South Pole.    Read more

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    Race to the South Pole

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    In 1911, Amundsen, of Norway, and Scott, of the United Kingdom, began expeditions with the aim of becoming the first man to reach the South Pole. Amundsen’s team set out from the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea on October 19, while Scott set out from Ross Island on November 1.

    Each team used different methods, with drastically different levels of success. Amundsen’s team relied on dog sleds and skiing to reach the pole, covering as much as 64 kilometers per day. Scott’s team, on the other hand, pulled their sleighs by hand, collecting geological samples along the way. Amundsen’s team became the first to reach the South Pole on December 15. The team was healthy, and successfully made the journey out of Antarctica. Scott’s team reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, suffering from malnutrition, snow blindness, exhaustion, and injury. They all died on their journey home.    Read more

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    Shackleton

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Hoping to one-up his predecessors, Shackleton, of the United Kingdom, attempted the first transcontinental crossing of Antarctica in 1914. Shackleton planned the trip by using two ships, the Aurora and the Endurance, at opposite ends of the continent. Aurora would sail to the Ross Sea and deposit supplies. On the opposite side, Endurance would sail through the Weddell Sea to reach the continent. Once there, the team would march to the pole with dog teams, dispose of extra baggage, and use supplies left by Aurora to reach the other end of the continent.

    The plan failed. The Endurance became frozen in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea. The pack ice crushed and sunk the ship. Shackleton’s team survived for roughly four months on the ice by setting up makeshift camps. Their food sources were leopard seals, fish, and, ultimately, their sled dogs. Once the ice floe broke, expedition members used lifeboats to reach safer land and were picked up on Elephant Island 22 months after they’d set out on their journey. Although some of the crew sustained injuries, they all survived.

    The journey of the Endurance expedition symbolizes the Heroic Age, a time of extreme sacrifice and bravery in the name of exploration and discovery. Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard, a polar explorer, summed up the Heroic Age in his book The Worst Journey in the World "For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organisation, give me Scott; for a Winter Journey, Wilson for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen, and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time.”    Read more

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    Antarctic Treaty

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The Antarctic Treaty supports territorial claims made before 1959, by New Zealand, Australia, France, Norway, United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina. Under the treaty, the size of these claims cannot be changed and new claims cannot be made. Most importantly, the treaty establishes that any treaty-state has free access to the whole region. As such, research stations supported by a variety of treaty-states have been constructed within each of these territorial claims, 47 states have signed the Antarctic Treaty.

    The Antarctic Treaty was an important geopolitical milestone because it was the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War. Along with the IGY, the Antarctic Treaty symbolized global understanding and exchange during a period of intense division and secrecy.

     The Antarctic Treaty System covers such topics as pollution, conservation of animals and other marine life, and protection of natural resources.

    The yearly Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting is a forum for the Antarctic Treaty System and its administration. 28 of the 47 treaty-states have decision making powers during these meetings. These include the 12 original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, along with 16 other countries that have conducted substantial and consistent scientific research there.    Read more

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    Antarctic Treaty

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The second half of the 20th century was a time of drastic change in the Antarctic. This change was initially fueled by the Cold War, a period of time defined by the division between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the threat of nuclear war.

    The International Geophysical Year (IGY) 1957-58 aimed to end Cold War divisions among the scientific community by promoting global scientific exchange. The IGY prompted an intense period of scientific research in the Antarctic. Many countries conducted their first Antarctic explorations and constructed the first research stations on Antarctica. More than 50 Antarctic stations were established for the IGY by just 12 countries Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and United States.

    In 1959, these countries signed the Antarctic Treaty, which established that the region south of 60°S latitude remain politically neutral no nation or group of people can claim any part of the Antarctic as territory countries cannot use the region for military purposes or to dispose of radioactive waste; and research can only be done for peaceful purposes.    Read more

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    Tourism

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Two important and related issues that concern the Antarctic region are climate change and tourism.

    Antarctic tourism has grown substantially in the last decade, with roughly 40,000 visitors coming to the region in 2010. Officials work closely with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) to establish better practices that would reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of tour ships. These include regulations and restrictions on numbers of people ashore, planned activities, wildlife watching, pre- and post-visit activity reporting, passenger, crew, and staff briefings and emergency medical evacuation plans. The ACTM and IAATO hope more sustainable tourism will reduce the environmental impacts of the sensitive Antarctic ecosystem.

    The Antarctic has become a symbol of climate change. Scientists and policymakers are focusing on changes in this environmentally sensitive region to push for its protection and the sustainable use of its scientific resources.

    - Population Density of Antarctica
    0.00078 people per square kilometer

    - Highest Elevation in Antarctica
    Vinson Massif (4,892 meters/16,050 feet)

    - Most Renewable Electricity Produced in Antarctica
    continent-wide (20%; wind, solar)

    - Antarctica's Largest Urban Area
    McMurdo Station, operated by the United States Antarctic Program: 1,000 people (summer) or 250 people (winter)

    - Largest Watershed
    Antarctic Ice Sheet 14 million square kilometers

    - The Hopwood's will be part of the tourists visiting in 2024.    Read more

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    Just about ready to go

    February 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Just waiting for our ride to the Airport. Trades will still be working while we are away so fingers crossed all goes to plan and the kitchen and ensuite are completed when we return. Let the holiday begin.Read more

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    Houston Airport

    February 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Flight was ok. The plane was not full, so the middle seat was free. Could not sleep, though, as the crew talked all through the flight. Once landed, we had to go through customs and security, which took 45 minutes we are transiting, so it seems a tad silly. Anyway, now waiting for our first lounge option to open as we wait 10 hours for our next flight.Read more

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    Houston we have lift off

    February 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    I'm glad that is over. Our second lounge access was not honoured for the final half of our 10 hour layover. Having fries and weird flavoured sauce before our next connection to Buenos Aries. This flight is 10 hours and layover 20 hours but we have booked a hotel so we should be more comfortable.Read more

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    Flying over the Andes

    Arrived in Buenos Aries

    February 14, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Very full flight and not very comfortable as the plane was smaller than the first leg. The view was very nice flying over the Andes lots of snow capped mountains. The airport was chaotic, customs was maybe 30min.Read more

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    Posada

    February 14, 2024 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Checked into our hotel as this layover is 20 hours. Very small but close to the international airport, however, 40min from the domestic airport, which is where we depart for Ushuaia. We did not think about this when we booked, especially as our flight tomorrow is at 4am.Read more

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