Antarctica Research Paper

Antarctica has one of the only two polar ice caps on the planet Earth. It is called the Antarctic ice sheet and it covers about 98% of the Antarctic continent. Wikipedia says this is the largest ice mass on Earth; it covers about 5.4 million square miles, and is

The life cycle of the Emperor Penguin begins in January-March the younglings feed. In April the younglings have a sixty to one-hundred mile march to rookery. In May the Penguins begin to mate, the egg will hatch within forty-five to fifty days. In June to July the male Emperor Penguins incubate the eggs from the mother. In August the eggs begin to hatch. In September to October they feed from the mother that

Emperor penguins tend to hunt for quick, midwater squid as well as fish and therefore they need to be capable of diving to relatively deeper and remain submerged for longer period of time, in relation to other penguin species. Emperor penguins can dive to depths of approximately 550-565 metres towards the sea floor which is known as the “twilight zone “where less light is able to penetrate the surface of the water. Emperor penguins are also able to hold their breath for approximately 22-27 minutes. Both of these aspects enable the emperor penguin to stay submerged in the water and locate a source of food that other penguins cannot. Therefore, both swimming and diving adaptations are vital to the Emperor penguin’s ability to sustain life for the adult and newly born Emperor penguins, as without them it would be much more difficult for them to survive their surroundings without a food

Currently Antarctica is completely covered with ice, containing about 90% of total ice found in our planet. Antarctic is geographically divided into Western Ice Sheet

Firstly, To identify the way in which high-latitude areas are as much a part of the geographical imagination of place as they are actual locations, perhaps, global warming lead to open routes to these areas. For visitors form most of the world, it is this imagined place with its associated images and history that acts as a major drive for the desire to travel to the far north and south. Yet, at the same time, it must be remembered that, especially Antarctica, we are dealing with the places where there no native’s population to guide and sense of understanding the place will be difficult not only for tourists but also for researchers and expeditors. Such areas are likely to reflect lots of inconvenient factors while

This is because the female Emperor desires a partner who is able to survive throughout the unfavourable environment during the long fasting period whilst incubating the egg produced by the female. Once the female lays her egg, both parents alternate between incubating and protecting the eggs as well as caring for the chicks once they’re hatched while the female hunts for food. So, while the female returns to sea in order to forage food, the male is left to fend for him and his egg and consequently chicks, this can last for approximately 2 months and the male penguins can potentially lose up to 45% (potentially 20 kilograms) of their overall body fat over the breeding season. Therefore, it is incredibly important for a female to find a fat partner, as the larger the partner, the longer he will be able to fast while she forages for food, and protect their eggs and consequently their chicks. To emphasize and flaunt their size, the male Emperor penguins produce a call of sorts in order to attract a suitable female, whilst performing and waving their flippers/wings around in order to draw attention to themselves. Dependant on the density of the male’s layer of fat surrounding its voice box and consequently the overall size of the male’s chest cavity, the tone of the call produced will either be suitable or unsuitable decided on said

Emperor penguins are known to be the largest of all penguins, an average bird stands 45 inches tall. The emperor penguins are slow and dignified, it’s a beautiful bird with a blue grey back that shades into a black tail, and a characteristically white belly flushed with yellow. Penguins interact with humans in a interesting but different way. The Emperor penguins are near the top of the Southern Ocean’s food chain. Their varied menu changes with the season, some prey items are more important than others. An adult emperor penguin eats 2-3 kilograms each day. When they need to be fatten up before or at the start of the breeding season, they can eat as much as 6 kilograms per day. Before returning to the colony breeding penguins have to fill up to feed their baby chicks, and the colonies are

Some question how an Antarctic Treaty System could be so direct and successful in protecting the area, while the Arctic groups and legislation struggle to determine power, rights, and ruling jurisdiction. The most obvious differences between the two territories are that the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by water with no permanent residents, while the Arctic is a body of water surrounded by land with an indigenous population. Although some argue that they have very similar environments, the difference in physical geography and topography is what results in such monumental differences in their treatment in international politics. The political geography of the Arctic Circle contributes to the application of the Law of Seas (UNCLOS III), whereas in the Antarctic there are no sovereignty claims and therefore no single country or combination of countries can claim jurisdiction over parts of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.

Once the penguin reaches for to 4-5 years of age he/she is sexually mature thus ready to mate. To start this ritual, the penguins will migrate 60-100 miles inland to their designated breeding grounds around early spring. This breeding site will contain emperor penguins from various colonies and can hold up to a thousand penguins ready to breed. Once there, the males will begin to court females by giving a mating call. These calls are very eccentric and unique to the penguins, and they usually last about 2 seconds in length (Aubin and Jouventin, 2002). When the female penguin decides she is interested, she and the male will mimic each other’s posture for a few minutes. Once the female chooses the male as her mate, she will then follow him throughout the colony. Before they mate however, they undergo the final part of the ritual in which both penguins face each other and they will both deeply bow to one another to the point where their beaks touch the floor. From that moment onwards, these penguins will be able to differentiate their mates through their vocal calls (Aubin and Jouventin, 2002). One unique thing about emperor penguins is that they are one of the few organisms that are monogamous. These penguins are so loyal that there is less than a 15% chance of them being infidel to their partner by next breeding

The ice sheet nearly covers the whole continent of Antarctica. Covering nearly fourteen million square kilometres. It is one of the two polar caps on the earth. At the thickest point the ice sheet is 4,776 metres deep and at average 2,160 metres deep. Approximately 61% of fresh water on the earth is held in the Antarctic ice sheet. During the snow season constant snow falls and layers of melted ice thicken, with the pressure pushing flakes together. Finally the flakes break down and become compacted, resulting in the ice sheet.

The geography of Antarctica influences the way the country is governed because it’s covered completely in ice. Because is this, Antarctic doesn’t have it’s own official government, language, or culture. Antarctica, a vast continent on the South Pole, is many kilometers away from the equator, and isn’t very warm, ever. That’s why the only people who live on Antarctica are never permanent and are simply biologists and other branches of science. That’s the one of the only things people are allowed to do in the cold space of Antarctica.

The most common mountains in this region are the Transantarctic Mountains. It stretches for more than 3,200 km and it subdivides the Antarctic continent into two: the eastern and the western side. It has the highest peak with an elevation of 4,528m. The highest peak is Mount Kirkpatrick. They were first discovered by Captain James Ross in 1841.The origin of this mountains are as a result of volcanic activities and consists of sedimentary layers lying upon a basement of granites and

Penguins eat krill, squid, or fish depending on the species, and only eat while at sea. During their time on land, penguins are fast. Part of what prevents a penguin from being able to fly is their large bodies. Penguins’ larger bodies facilitate in diving deeper and longer. Unfortunately, their heavier bodies make them too heavy to fly. A larger body also helps keep penguins insulated in the freezing cold waters they dive into. Their unique body shape is streamlined for gliding through the water. “The fastest species is the Gentoo Penguin, which can reach swimming speeds up to 22

There are possible solutions to climate change and its effects on Antarctica but if not taken there will be grave consequences of inaction. A solution to climate change is reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. A solution to climate change is reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. Another possible solution is to start more green initiatives. Corn

Have you ever misapprehended the Arctic and Antarctica for the same thing? If you have, the mistake is reasonable. They both have extremely cold temperatures and are just on opposite sides of the globe. They have snow all year, and fantasies are made about igloos and eskimos. Although there are similarities, there are two sides to the same coin.