Culture
The Frozen Continent: Exploring Antarctica
Explore the breathtaking and mysterious continent of Antarctica, the coldest, driest, and windiest place on Earth. Discover its unique wildlife, the history of brave explorers, and the vital role this...
The Frozen Continent: Exploring Antarctica
Culture •
0:00 / 0:00
Interactive Transcript
spk_0
Imagine standing at the bottom of the world where everything is ice as far as your eyes can see.
spk_0
The wind howls around you, penguins waddle past in groups.
spk_0
The sun shines all day long without ever setting.
spk_0
This is Antarctica, the coldest place on our planet.
spk_0
It's a land so amazing that it seems like it belongs on another planet,
spk_0
but it's right here on Earth waiting for you to learn about it.
spk_0
Antarctica is the fifth largest continent on Earth.
spk_0
It sits at the very bottom of the world around the South Pole.
spk_0
The continent is about the size of the United States and Mexico put together.
spk_0
That makes it bigger than Europe.
spk_0
But here is the really amazing part.
spk_0
Almost all of Antarctica is covered in ice.
spk_0
In fact, the ice is so thick that if it all melted,
spk_0
the ocean would rise enough to flood many cities around the world.
spk_0
Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.
spk_0
Scientists once recorded a temperature there that was minus 128 degrees Fahrenheit.
spk_0
That is so cold that your breath would freeze instantly.
spk_0
It's so cold that if you threw a cup of hot water into the air,
spk_0
it would turn into snow before it hit the ground.
spk_0
Antarctica is also the windiest continent.
spk_0
The winds there can blow faster than a car driving on the highway.
spk_0
And believe it or not, Antarctica is also the driest continent.
spk_0
Parts of Antarctica get less rain and snow than the Sahara Desert.
spk_0
The air is so dry and cold that it's hard for moisture to exist.
spk_0
The ice in Antarctica tells an amazing story.
spk_0
Scientists say that Antarctica has been covered by ice for 40 million years.
spk_0
That means the ice was there long before any humans walked the Earth.
spk_0
The ice formed over millions of years as snow fell and did not melt.
spk_0
Each year, new snow fell on top of old snow.
spk_0
The weight of all that snow pushed down on the layers below it.
spk_0
The air got squeezed out of the bottom layers and they turned into solid ice.
spk_0
This process happened again and again for millions of years until the ice became miles thick.
spk_0
In some places, the ice in Antarctica is almost three miles deep.
spk_0
Imagine stacking more than 15 Empire State buildings on top of each other.
spk_0
That is how thick the ice is in some spots.
spk_0
Under all that ice, there is actually land.
spk_0
Antarctica has mountains and valleys just like other continents.
spk_0
But they are hidden beneath all the ice.
spk_0
Scientists use special tools to see through the ice and map what the land looks like underneath.
spk_0
The ice in Antarctica is always moving.
spk_0
It flows like a very slow river from the center of the continent toward the ocean.
spk_0
When the ice reaches the ocean, big chunks break off and float away as icebergs.
spk_0
Some of these icebergs are enormous. They can be as big as entire cities.
spk_0
The ice in Antarctica holds more than two thirds of all the freshwater on Earth.
spk_0
That is an incredible amount of water frozen in one place.
spk_0
For thousands of years, nobody knew Antarctica existed.
spk_0
It was too far away and too cold for people to reach.
spk_0
But explorers were curious about what might be at the bottom of the world.
spk_0
In 1820, explorers finally spotted Antarctica for the first time.
spk_0
But landing on it and exploring it was much harder.
spk_0
The early explorers who went to Antarctica were very brave.
spk_0
They sailed in wooden ships through dangerous icy waters.
spk_0
They had no modern equipment to keep them warm.
spk_0
They had no radios to call for help if something went wrong.
spk_0
Many of these early expeditions ended in tragedy.
spk_0
But the explorers kept trying because they wanted to learn about this mysterious, frozen land.
spk_0
One of the most famous races in history happened in Antarctica.
spk_0
In 1911, two groups of explorers were racing to be the first people to reach the South Pole.
spk_0
One group was led by a Norwegian explorer named Rold Amonson.
spk_0
The other group was led by a British explorer named Robert Scott.
spk_0
Both teams were traveling across the ice on foot, pulling sleds full of supplies.
spk_0
Amonson and his team reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911.
spk_0
They planted a Norwegian flag and celebrated their victory.
spk_0
They had won the race.
spk_0
About a month later, Scott and his team arrived at the South Pole.
spk_0
They were disappointed to find that Amonson had beaten them.
spk_0
But the worst was yet to come.
spk_0
On their way back, Scott and his entire team died in the harsh Antarctic weather.
spk_0
It was a tragedy that shocked the world.
spk_0
Their story reminds us how dangerous Antarctica can be.
spk_0
Another famous explorer was Ernest Shackleton.
spk_0
After the race to the South Pole ended, Shackleton wanted to cross Antarctica from one side to the
spk_0
other. In 1914, he and his crew sailed toward Antarctica on a ship called the Endurance.
spk_0
But their ship got trapped in the ice and was slowly crushed.
spk_0
Shackleton and his men were stuck in Antarctica with no way to call for help.
spk_0
For months, they survived on the ice, eating seals and penguins.
spk_0
Finally, Shackleton and a few of his men sailed in a tiny boat
spk_0
across 800 miles of stormy ocean to get help.
spk_0
Amazingly, all of his crew members survived.
spk_0
Shackleton became a hero because he never gave up and brought all his men,
spk_0
home safely.
spk_0
Today, scientists from many countries live and work in Antarctica.
spk_0
They have built research stations where they can study the ice, the weather, and the animals.
spk_0
These scientists are learning important things about how Earth's climate is changing.
spk_0
No country owns Antarctica. Instead, many countries signed a treaty that says Antarctica
spk_0
should be used only for peaceful scientific research.
spk_0
This means that Antarctica belongs to everyone and should be protected.
spk_0
Even though Antarctica is freezing cold, many animals live there.
spk_0
The most famous Antarctic animals are penguins.
spk_0
Several different types of penguins live in Antarctica.
spk_0
Emperor penguins are the biggest. They can stand almost four feet tall.
spk_0
These penguins are amazing parents.
spk_0
The father penguin keeps the egg warm on his feet for two whole months during the coldest
spk_0
part of winter while the mother goes to find food. He doesn't eat anything during this time.
spk_0
When the baby chick hatches, the mother returns and the father finally gets to eat.
spk_0
Other types of penguins live in Antarctica too.
spk_0
A daily penguins have funny white rings around their eyes that make them look surprised.
spk_0
Chin strap penguins have a black line under their chin that looks like a helmet strap.
spk_0
Gen 2 penguins are the fastest swimmers.
spk_0
They can zoom through the water as fast as a car driving through a neighborhood.
spk_0
Penguins cannot fly in the air but they are excellent swimmers.
spk_0
They use their wings like flippers to swim underwater.
spk_0
They eat fish and small shrimp-like creatures called krill.
spk_0
Seals also live in Antarctica. There are six different types of seals in Antarctic waters.
spk_0
Leopard seals are fierce hunters with big teeth.
spk_0
They eat fish, squid, and even penguins.
spk_0
Wettel seals can dive very deep and hold their breath for over an hour.
spk_0
Crab-eater seals don't actually eat crabs. They eat krill.
spk_0
Elephant seals are enormous. The males can weigh as much as a car.
spk_0
All these seals have thick layers of fat called blubber that keep them warm in the icy water.
spk_0
Whales also visit the waters around Antarctica.
spk_0
Many different types of whales swim in the southern ocean that surrounds Antarctica.
spk_0
Blue whales, the biggest animals that have ever lived on Earth,
spk_0
feed in Antarctic waters during the summer.
spk_0
Humpback whales, orcas, and several other types of whales also come to Antarctica.
spk_0
They come because the water is full of krill.
spk_0
These tiny creatures exist in huge numbers and provide food for whales, seals, penguins,
spk_0
and many other animals. Birds also live in Antarctica. Besides penguins,
spk_0
they're albatrosses with wings that can stretch 11 feet wide.
spk_0
They're also petrules, scoos, and turns.
spk_0
These birds fly over the ocean looking for fish to eat.
spk_0
Some of them only come to Antarctica during the summer to have their babies.
spk_0
Life in Antarctica is not easy for animals.
spk_0
They have to survive the cold, the wind, and the long dark winters when the sun does not rise for
spk_0
months. But these animals have special ways to survive. They're thick fur, feathers, or blubber
spk_0
keep them warm. Many of them huddle together in groups to share warmth.
spk_0
They have adapted to this harsh environment over millions of years.
spk_0
Antarctica is important for the whole planet. The ice reflects sunlight back into space,
spk_0
which helps keep Earth from getting too hot. The cold water that forms around Antarctica
spk_0
flows through all the world's oceans and helps control the temperature of our planet.
spk_0
Scientists studying Antarctica are learning about climate change and how it might affect the
spk_0
rest of the world. Antarctica is a place of wonder and mystery. It's a land of ice and snow
spk_0
where brave explorers once raced to reach the South Pole. It's home to penguins, seals,
spk_0
and whales that have learned to survive in one of Earth's harshest environments.
spk_0
Antarctica is a continent that belongs to no one and everyone at the same time.
spk_0
Antarctica reminds us that our planet still has wild and beautiful places worth protecting.
spk_0
Maybe someday you will get to see this frozen wonderland for yourself.
spk_0
Until then, remember that at the very bottom of the world, there is a continent of ice waiting
spk_0
to share its secrets with those who are curious and brave enough to explore it.