Why there are no dogs in Antarctica, what is a "bloody" waterfall and other well-known facts about the harshest continent

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

There are so many interesting and unexplored places on our planet that we know so little about. And one of these is Antarctica, a very harsh continent covered with centuries-old ice and a haze of mystery. Your attention - the most fascinating data about Antarctica - from the first romantic acquaintance to the set records.

1. An American scientist was the first to find his mate in Antarctica

One day in December, one of the American scientists, for fun, decided to use the Tinder app to find out if there were women in Antarctica. At first, the application did not produce any results, however, as soon as he expanded the search radius, he found what he was looking for. The sought-after girl was found nearby, in a 45-minute helicopter flight, who also used Tinder and marked the scientist as she liked. Thus, these two became the first known couple on this continent.

2. In some places in Antarctica there has never been snow or rain

Almost 1% of the territory of Antarctica, which is more than 4000 km, is occupied by an area where there is no snow, the so-called "dry valley". It is considered one of the harshest deserts in the world. Scientists also note that the area has probably never had any rainfall for over two million years. In addition, Australian scientists conducted their study, according to which the ice-free area could significantly increase due to climate changes around the globe, which will significantly affect the biological diversity on the continent.

3. There is a "bloody" waterfall in Antarctica

In fact, of course, there is no question of any blood. Over 5 million years ago, part of this continent was flooded, which is why, as a result of rising water levels, a salt lake was formed in its eastern part. A little later, glaciers formed on this lake. Since the water in it is several times saltier than the ocean water, because of this, the lake never freezes. In addition, the water under the Taylor Glacier, which feeds the salt lake, is incredibly rich in iron, which turns red in the course of a natural reaction with air.

4. Most meteorites were found on this continent

According to research by scientists, meteorites are falling everywhere. However, thanks to the dry and cold climate of Antarctica, meteorites that fell here do not corrode, and they are much easier to notice on the snow surface than if they fell somewhere in the distant jungle. In addition, ice and snow periodically melt, which reveals many interesting things underneath. So, since 1976, more than 20 thousand meteorite samples have been found on the territory of this continent.

5. Antarctica does not have its own time zone

Antarctica is officially considered uninhabited, and therefore it is not divided into time zones. However, research stations located on its territory use the time zones of their country from which they came, or the local time of the countries that are closest. For example, McMurdo station uses New Zealand time and Palmer station uses Chilean time.

6. The largest iceberg in size exceeded the island of Jamaica

This is considered the iceberg B-15, whose length was two hundred ninety-five kilometers, and the total area was 11 thousand square kilometers, which is 100 square kilometers more than the aforementioned island. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the 2000s, this iceberg, according to scientists, disintegrated, and then sank in the ocean.

7. Sled dogs are prohibited in Antarctica

In 1991, sled dogs were eagerly used on the territory of this continent. A group of Norwegian researchers, led by Roald Amundsen, transported supplies with the help of dogs. This was the first recorded expedition to reach the South Pole. After that, sled dogs were kept on the territory of Antarctica for a long time and they were willingly used for various tasks. However, in 1993, the authorities reconsidered their decision and decided to ban sled dogs in Antarctica, as scientists feared that they could transmit canine distemper to seals or simply escape from the enclosures and thereby affect wildlife.

8. More than three hundred lakes are hidden under the ice of Antarctica

More than three hundred large lakes have recently been discovered under the layers of ice. They are never covered with ice due to the fact that their waters are too warm and heated due to the temperature of the earth's core. These lakes form a single hydrological network hidden under the ice. So, some of them are literally interconnected and share water, while others are completely isolated, which means that the water in them is several thousand years old. Many scientists agree that microorganisms that have not been previously studied can probably be found in these lakes.

9. In Antarctica, the lowest temperature on the planet was recorded

In 2013, this figure was -93 degrees Celsius, but after a few years it was significantly revised. So, scientists have found that at the coldest point on the planet, the temperature can drop to -98 degrees, which was observed during winter and polar night. According to scientists, this temperature is considered an absolute record, which arose due to the special conditions - clear sky and dry air. Note that the highest temperature ever received in Antarctica was +17.5 degrees Celsius. This discovery was made in 2015 at the Argentinean Esperanza Exploration Base.

10. There are absolutely no ants and reptiles in Antarctica

Surprisingly, almost every piece of the Earth, regardless of location, has been colonized by some kind of ants. However, Antarctica and the Arctic, as well as several more remote islands with a harsh climate, can boast that there is not a single ant on their territory! In addition, this area is not inhabited by any reptiles, as well as snakes.

11. Antarctica has lost 3 trillion tons of ice due to global warming

Scientists from all over the world have calculated that Antarctica has significantly reduced its ice reserves over the past twenty-five years. Unfortunately, over the past five years, the melting of glaciers has only accelerated. According to the analysis of satellite images that were taken between 1992 and 2017, 84 international researchers have ruled that Antarctica is losing its ice sheets today three times faster than it was before 2012. And this is about 241 billion tons of ice annually.

12. Wind speed in Antarctica can be 200 miles per hour

This continent is considered one of the windiest on Earth, and is home to katabatic and slope winds. They are influenced not only by the cold climate, but also by temperature changes, as well as the relief of the continent itself. The highest wind speed was recorded in 1972 at one of the French research bases and it was 320 kilometers per hour.

13. Polar bears don't live in Antarctica

Many people think that these animals are distributed throughout the Arctic Circle, but this is not the case. Polar bears are found today in the Arctic, Norway, Canada, Russia, Greenland and even Alaska. However, they were never able to get to the South Pole, since their way there is blocked by temperatures that are tropical by their standards and there is no possibility that polar bears will ever inhabit this territory.

14. There are Christian churches in Antarctica

Even despite the harsh climatic conditions, people living there still find time to build places of religious worship. So, today on this icy continent there are already seven Christian churches, including the so-called Church of the Snows, the Chapel of Prince Vladimir and the Church of Santa Maria Reina de la Paz.