Location
The closest continent to Antarctica is ___________
_____________.
South America
TRUE or FALSE
Antarctica is the driest continent in the world.
TRUE
Daily Double: What is the form of precipitation the continent receives?
What ice form covers the continent of Antarctica?
Ice Sheet
What plant grows in most of the coastal waters?
Seaweed
Who was the first person to set foot on Antarctica?
Captain John Davis
What is another name for the Antarctic Ocean?
Southern Ocean
What is the name of the world's windiest place?
Commonwealth Bay
Daily Double: What are the typical wind speeds?
How much of the world's ice is located in Antarctica's ice sheet?
90%
WHat is the name of the bird that has a wingspan of 11feet?
Albatross
Which Greek philosopher believed a huge land had to be in the southern hemisphere to balance the then known land in the northern hemisphere?
Aristotle
Antarctica is the ______ largest continent.
5th
What was the world's lowest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica?
128.6*F
What is the definition of an ice shelf?
large floating piece of permanent ice
Daily Double: Explain the difference between an ice shelf and an ice sheet
What animal was almost hunted to extinction for their fur and oil?
Seals
What mineral was discovered in Antarctica to lead explorers to believe the continent had once been a semitropical climate?
Coal
DD: Which explorer made this discovery and where?
The highest point on Antarctica is _______________ _________________.
Vinson Massif
What year and where in Antarctica was the lowest temperature recorded?
1983 at the Russian Vostok Station
Daily Double: What month do the world's lowest temperature occur?
How are glaciers formed?
over hundreds of years, as new snow falls, it presses the older snow into the ice...
Daily double: what force drives glacier movement
What do Weddell seals use to locate their food?
Sonar
DD: Who is the Weddell seal named after?
WHo was the first explorer to actually reach the South Pole? (not just Antarctica)
Roald Amundsen
The 2 largest Ice Shelves in Antarctica are _______________ and ______________________.
Ronne Ice Shelf and Ross Ice Shelf
Antarctica's temperature varies depending upon what 4 variables.
season, latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean
What are floating masses of ice called?
Icebergs
DD: What percent of an iceberg is visible above the surface of the water?
What is the most important animal in Antarctica?
Krill
DD: what species is Krill?
What was the purpose of the Antarctic treaty and how many nations signed the document?
to make the continent a non-military zone; 12 nations