Sage-Tips

Why is Antarctica important geographers?

The continent of Antarctica is important to us because it has become an international science laboratory where scientists study its weather and climate, oceanology, meteorology, astronomy, ozone layer, marine life and geology. Locked up in its 4 km thick ice sheet is a record of past climate for the last 500,000 years.

Why is Antarctica the place to understand Earth’s present past and future?

Antarctica is a place to understand earth’s present, past, future because it holds in its ice-cores half million-year-old carbon records trapped in its layers of ice. Antarctica has rich variety of flora and fauna is a rich heritage of past.

Why is Antarctica’s ice important?

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets also influence weather and climate. Large high-altitude plateaus on the ice caps alter storm tracks and create cold downslope winds close to the ice surface. In addition, the layers of ice blanketing Greenland and Antarctica contain a unique record of Earth’s climate history.

What does Antarctica mean in history?

The name Antarctica is the romanised version of the Greek compound word ἀνταρκτική (antarktiké), feminine of ἀνταρκτικός (antarktikós), meaning “opposite to the Arctic”, “opposite to the north”.

What is Antarctica used for?

Scientists from all over the world visit Antarctica to study the climate, weather, geology, and wildlife of this unique region. Their research has helped to highlight global problems, such as climate change.

Is Antarctica a perfect place to study environment?

Answer: Antarctica, because of its simple ecosystem and lack of biodiversity, is the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions. The single-celled plants, phytoplanktons, are the grasses that nourish and sustain the entire Southern Ocean’s food chain.

How can we say that Antarctica is the best place to study and understand about Earth’s present past and future answer with reference to Journey to the End of the earth?

There was no life except huge variety of flora and fauna. According to him Antarctica is the only place on the earth that has never sustained human life and therefore, it is pure. It holds in it ice-core, half million year old carbon record and thus provides clues of our past, present and future.

Why is a visit to Antarctica important to Realise the effect of global warming?

Answer: By visiting Antarctica we can understand the earth’s past, present, and future. A visit there can teach the next generation to understand and value our planet. Antarctica also holds within its ice-cores half-million-years old carbon records which will help us to study climatic changes by global warming.

What are important facts about glaciers?

1) Glaciers are huge masses of ice that “flow” like very slow rivers. They form over hundreds of years where fallen snow compresses and turns into ice. 2) Glaciers form the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet. In fact, they store 75\% of the world’s fresh water!

Why Antarctica is called Antarctica?

The word Antarctica comes from the Greek language, antarktikos, which means “opposite to the Arctic”. In turn, Arctic comes from the Greek word arktikos, which means “of the bear”, in reference to the northern constellation called Osa Menor, in which is the Polar Star, which marks the North Pole.

Why is Antarctica important to the world?

Antarctica: Why It’s Important. Antarctica holds 90\% of the world’s ice and, what may seem as a cold and desolate place, is in fact one of the most important wildernesses on Earth and our greatest hope in the fight against climate change.

Is Antarctica a continent for Science?

Antarctica: a continent for science. Antarctica is a continent for science. Not owned by any one country (the only place on Earth that can claim that), it is nevertheless the home of over 70 scientific bases (representing 30 countries) which can justify the difficult logistics and expense of supporting human beings in an unpopulated wilderness.

Why do geologists study Antarctica?

Geologists study Antarctica to piece together the geological evolution of the earth, which has ramifications for our understanding of why climate has changed in the past and allows us to place our predictions for the future on a firmer footing.

What do we know about climate history in Antarctica?

Antarctic continental ice contains climate records extending back more than 800,000 years, which have been obtained from ice cores. Moreover, the Antarctic environment and biosphere are highly sensitive indicators of present-day environmental change.