Self-development 

Modern studies of the Antractida. Protection of Nature. Exploration of Antarctica


Antarctica (the opposite of the Arctic) is a continent located in the very south of the Earth, the center of Antarctica approximately coincides with the geographic south pole. Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Southern Ocean (in Russia this ocean is often considered as the southern parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans). The area of ​​the continent is 12.4 million km² (another 1.6 million km² are ice shelves). Antarctica was discovered on January 16 (January 28), 1820 by a Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, who approached it at the point 69°21′ S. sh. 2°14′ W (G) (area of ​​the modern Bellingshausen Ice Shelf). The first to enter the continental part on January 24, 1895 were the captain of the Norwegian ship "Antarctic" Christensen and the teacher of natural sciences Karlsten Borchgrövink.

Antarctica is the coldest of all continents. In terms of territory, Antarctica occupies far from the last place among other parts of the world. Its area - about 1400 million km 2 - is almost twice the area of ​​Australia and one and a half times the area of ​​Europe. With its outlines, Antarctica slightly resembles the Arctic Ocean. Antarctica is very different from all other continents. A thick layer of ice covers almost the entire continent. Thanks to the colossal glaciation, Antarctica is the highest continent on earth, its average height exceeds 2000 m, over 1/4 of its surface is located at an altitude of more than 3000 m. Antarctica is the only continent on which there is not a single permanent river, and nevertheless, 62% of the earth's fresh waters are in the form of ice.

Fig.1. Antarctica (satellite image)

If the ice sheet of this continent began to melt, it could feed the rivers of our planet, with the water content that they have for more than 500 years, and the level of the World Ocean, from the water that entered it, would rise by more than 60 meters. The magnitude of glaciation can be judged, if only because this ice is enough to cover the entire globe with a layer about 50 meters thick.

If you remove the entire ice sheet from Antarctica, it will be similar to all other continents with complex terrain - mountain structures, plains and deep depressions. An important difference from other continents is the complete absence of state borders and permanent population. Antarctica does not belong to any state, no one lives there permanently. Antarctica is a continent of peace and cooperation. Within its limits, any military preparations are prohibited. None of the countries can declare it their land. Legally, this is enshrined in an international treaty, which was signed on December 1, 1959. and entered into force on June 23, 1961, Antarctica does not belong to any state. Only scientific activities are allowed.

The deployment of military installations, as well as the entry of warships and armed vessels south of the 60th degree of latitude, are prohibited.

In the 80s of the XX century, Antarctica was also declared a nuclear-free zone, which excluded the appearance of nuclear-powered ships in its waters, and nuclear power units on the mainland. Now the parties to the treaty are 28 states (with the right to vote) and dozens of observer countries. However, the existence of a treaty does not mean that the states that acceded to it have renounced their territorial claims to the continent and adjacent space. On the contrary, the territorial claims of some countries are formidable. For example, Norway claims a territory ten times larger than its own (including the island of Peter I, discovered by the Bellingshausen-Lazarev expedition). Great territories declared their Great Britain.

Australia considers almost half of Antarctica to be its own, into which, however, the “French” Adélie Land is wedged. Presented territorial claims and New Zealand. Great Britain, Chile and Argentina claim practically the same territory, including the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. The United States and Russia took a special position, declaring that they could, in principle, put forward their territorial claims in Antarctica, although so far they have not done so. At the same time, both states do not recognize the claims of other countries.

History of the study of the continent

The first existence in the cold south of the continent was suggested by James Cook. However, a very difficult ice situation did not allow him to reach the shores of the continent. This was done on January 16 (January 28), 1820, by a Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. After that, the study of the coast of the continent and its interior began. Numerous studies were done by English expeditions led by Ernest Shackleton (he wrote the book The Most Terrible Campaign about them). In 1911-1912, a real race to conquer the South Pole unfolded between the expeditions of the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the Englishman Robert Scott. Amundsen was the first to reach the South Pole, a month after him, the party of Robert Scott arrived at the coveted point and died on the way back.


Fig.2. Ice of Antarctica

From the middle of the 20th century, the study of Antarctica began on an industrial basis. Numerous permanent bases are being created on the continent by various countries, conducting meteorological, glaciological and geological research all year round. There are about 45 year-round scientific stations in Antarctica. Currently, Russia has five operating stations and one field base in Antarctica: Mirny, Vostok, Novolazarevskaya, Progress, Bellingshausen, Druzhnaya-4 (base). Three stations are in a mothballed state: Molodyozhnaya, Russkaya, Leningradskaya. The rest no longer exist: Pionerskaya, Komsomolskaya, Sovietskaya, Vostok-1, Lazarev, the Pole of Inaccessibility.

From 1957 to 1959, the International Geophysical Year was held, 65 countries agreed to send their expeditions to Antarctica, build scientific stations and conduct various studies. More than 60 research stations have been built in Antarctica. Scientists from many countries of the world work there. In 1959, an international treaty was signed on Antarctica, according to which it is forbidden to build industrial and military facilities there. The entire continent is provided to scientists for research, which is why Antarctica is called the continent of scientists.

The first Soviet expedition to Antarctica was led by Hero of the Soviet Union M. M. Somov. In early January 1956, the flagship of the expedition, the diesel-electric ship “Ob”, under the command of Captain I.A. Man, approached the Helen Glacier in thick fog and passed through a narrow passage between icebergs to the east of the mouth of the glacier to the Depot Bay of the Davis Sea. The search for a site for the construction of a scientific station began. A suitable site was found in the area of ​​Haswell Island.

In mid-February 1956, the grand opening of the first Soviet observatory on the coast of Antarctica took place. The observatory was named "Mirny" - in honor of one of the ships of the First Russian Antarctic expedition of Belingshausen - Lazarev. From the first days of the existence of the Soviet base, scientific research began in all the planned areas. The coast where the expedition settled was called the Shore of Truth.

Scientists have proven that Antarctica used to be a green city. And under the ice mountains, valleys, plains, riverbeds former rivers, bowls of former lakes. Millions of years ago there was no eternal winter on this earth. Here the forests murmured warmly and greenly, tall grasses swayed under the warm winds, animals gathered on the banks of rivers and lakes to drink, birds fluttered in the sky. Scientists suggest that Antarctica was once part of a giant continent called Gondwana. A few months later, the expedition undertook a sledge-caterpillar trek in depth. white spot” East Antarctica and organized the inland station “Pionerskaya” 370 km from the coast, at an altitude of 2700 m above sea level. On this slope of the ice dome, even in the most good weather a smoke wind blows, sweeping the snow.


Fig.3. Station "Vostok" (Russia)

The second Soviet Antarctic expedition led by A.F. Treshnikov advanced even further inland. The researchers came to the South geomagnetic pole and at a distance of 1400 km from the coast, at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level, built a permanent research station "Vostok". Everything necessary for the life and work of polar explorers is delivered from their homeland by several ships, in addition, winterers have tractors, tractors, airplanes, and helicopters.

Thanks to light aircraft AN-2 and the MI-4 helicopter, which helped to quickly get to any points on the coast, geologists in a short time studied dozens of rocky mountains - nunataks protruding from the ice sheet, surveyed the Mirny rocks and the Bunger Hills oasis and its environs. Biologists have flown around many offshore islands, producing a description of the flora and fauna of these areas. The vegetation here is lichens, mosses and blue-green algae. Not found in Antarctica land mammals, winged insects and freshwater fish. More than 100 thousand penguins, many petrels, skuas nest near Mirny, seals and sea leopards live in the waters.

The third Soviet Antarctic expedition worked during the International Geophysical Year. By this time, two more stations had been built - "Komsomolskaya" and in the area of ​​relative inaccessibility - "Soviet". Round-the-clock observations of the atmosphere were organized at the stations. The Pole of Cold of our planet was discovered. It is located near the Vostok station. Marked here average monthly temperature August - 71 C and the minimum temperature was recorded - 88.3 C. At such temperatures, the metal becomes brittle, diesel fuel turns into a pasty mass, kerosene does not flare up, even if a burning torch is lowered into it. During the work of the Fourth Soviet Antarctic Expedition, the new Lazareva station was also operating on the coast of the Queen Maud Land, but later it was rewritten 80 km inland and named Novolazarevskaya. The members of this expedition made a sledge-caterpillar traverse from Vostok station to the Geographical South Pole. In October 1958, Soviet pilots on an IL-12 aircraft made a transcontinental flight from Mirny, across the South Pole, to the American McMurdo base located off Ross Island. It was the first Soviet aircraft over the South Pole.


Fig.4. Aerial view of Beardmore Glacier in 1956

At the end of 1959, during the Fourth Soviet Antarctic Expedition, researchers made an outstanding trip on all-terrain vehicles. This trip took place in the most difficult sector of Antarctica along the route Mirny-Komsomolskaya-East-South Pole. On December 26, 1959, a Soviet train from all-terrain vehicles arrived at the Amundsen-Scott station, where the Soviet polar explorers were warmly welcomed by the Americans. The participants of the campaign performed the traditional trip around the world around the earth's axis, which took only a few minutes. During this trip, our scientists measured the thickness of the ice sheet using the seismoacoustic method. It turned out that under the station "Vostok" the thickness of the glacier is 3700, and the South Pole - 2810 m, from the station "Pionerskaya" to the South Pole extends a vast subglacial plain lying at sea level. It was named the Schmidt plain - in honor of the famous Soviet polar explorer - Otto Yulievich Schmidt. The results of research by scientists from different countries of the world were combined into one common system. Based on them, maps of the under-ice relief and the thickness of the ice sheet of Antarctica were compiled.

International cooperation makes it possible to combine the work of scientists and contributes to a better study of the nature of Antarctica. At the American station "Amundsen" - "Scott", for example, Soviet scientists often visit and work, and at the Soviet station "Vostok", located at the South geomagnetic pole, American scientists spend the winter and work. Now reaching the South Pole is a relatively simple matter. American researchers are always here, dozens of planes fly here every year, correspondents, congressmen and even tourists arrive here.

Soviet expeditions go to Antarctica every year. New stations were built - Molodezhnaya, Bellingshausen in West Antarctica, Leningradskaya on Victoria Land, not far from the Ross Sea. The richest scientific materials are collected. So, for example, seismic observations made it possible to register earthquakes on the Antarctic continent, albeit very weak ones.

Geological structure

Geologists have established that the bowels of Antarctica contain significant minerals - iron ores, coal, traces of ores of copper, nickel, lead, zinc, molybdenum were found, rock crystal, mica, graphite were found.

The Transantarctic Mountains, crossing almost the entire continent, divide Antarctica into two parts - West Antarctica and East Antarctica - having a different origin and geological structure. In the east there is a high (the highest elevation of the ice surface is ~4100 m above sea level), an ice-covered plateau. The western part consists of a group of mountainous islands connected by ice. On the Pacific coast are the Antarctic Andes, whose height exceeds 4000 m; the most high point continent - 4892 m above sea level - the Vinson massif of the Sentinel ridge. In West Antarctica there is also the deepest depression of the continent - the Bentley depression, probably of rift origin. The depth of the Bentley depression, filled with ice, reaches 2555 m below sea level.

West Antarctica is a younger and more dissected region, formed over the past 500 million years by the addition of small continental microplate fragments to the Antarctic plate. The largest are the Ellsworth Mountains, the Antarctic Peninsula and Mary Bird Land. The collision of these microplates with the Antarctic plate led to the formation of the mountains of western Antarctica.

ice sheet

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice sheet on the planet and is approximately 10 times larger than the nearest Greenland Ice Sheet. It contains ~30 million km³ of ice, that is, 90% of all land ice. The ice sheet is shaped like a dome with an increase in the steepness of the surface towards the coast, where it passes into ice ledges or ice shelves. The average thickness of the ice layer is 2500-2800 m, reaching a maximum value in some areas of East Antarctica - 4800 m. The accumulation of ice on the ice sheet leads, as in the case of other glaciers, to the flow of ice into the ablation (destruction) zone, which is the coast continent; ice breaks off in the form of icebergs. The annual volume of ablation is estimated at 2500 km³.


Fig.5. Ice sheet of Antarctica

A feature of Antarctica is a large area of ​​ice shelves, low (blue) areas of West Antarctica), which is ~ 10% of the area that rises above sea level; these glaciers are the source of icebergs of record size, much larger than those of the fjord glaciers in Greenland; for example, in 2000, the largest known this moment(2005) Iceberg B-15 over 10,000 km². In summer (winter in the southern hemisphere), the area of ​​the ice sheet of Antarctica increases by 3-4 million km² due to the growth of ice shelves, primarily around the Antarctic Peninsula and in the Ross Sea.

The modern ice sheet of Antarctica was formed several million years ago, which was apparently facilitated by the rupture of the bridge connecting South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, which, in turn, led to the formation of the Antarctic circumpolar current (Western Winds current) and the isolation of Antarctic waters from the World Ocean - these waters make up the so-called Southern Ocean.

East Antarctica is an ancient Precambrian continental platform (craton) similar to those of India, Brazil, Africa, and Australia. All these cratons were formed during the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent. The age of the rocks of the crystalline basement is 2.5-2.8 billion years, the most ancient rocks of Enderby Earth are more than 3 billion years old.


Fig.6. Lemaire Canal

The basement is covered by a younger sedimentary cover formed 350-190 million years ago, mainly of marine origin. The layers with an age of 320-280 million years contain glacial deposits, but younger ones contain fossil remains of plants and animals, including ichthyosaurs and dinosaurs, which indicates a strong difference between the climate of that time and the modern one. Findings of heat-loving reptiles and fern flora were made by the first explorers of Antarctica, and served as one of the strongest evidence for large-scale horizontal plate movements, confirming the concept of plate tectonics.

seismic activity. Volcanism

Antarctica is a tectonically calm continent with low seismic activity, manifestations of volcanism are concentrated in western Antarctica and are associated with the Antarctic Peninsula, which arose during the Andean period of mountain building. Some of the volcanoes, especially island ones, have erupted in the last 200 years. The most active volcano in Antarctica is Erebus. It is called "the volcano guarding the way to the South Pole".



Antarctica was discovered later than the rest of the continents, since it is remote from all centers of human civilization. Even in ancient times, people assumed the existence of a large land area in the south, however, for many centuries travel here remained almost impossible. Only at the end of the Middle Ages, with the beginning of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, did the level of European navigation finally reach such a development that it became possible to cross the ocean on ships and discover new continents. The boundaries of “terra incognito” were shrinking, however, since the voyage of Columbus, for almost 200 years, no one has reached the southern polar seas of the planet. The era of Spain and Portugal dominating the sea has already passed, British and Dutch ships began to surf the oceans, but the legends about “terra australis” or southern land were still legends. And only with the travels of James Cook (photo) in 1768 - 1771 it was proved that, obviously, this southern continent is the mainland, discovered in 1606 by Billem Jansson, and later called Australia. The second expedition of James Cook in 1772 - 1775 finally dissuaded researchers that there might be some more lands in the south that could be discovered, since Cook's expedition was stopped by the ice surrounding Antarctica. His ships circled around the entire mainland, but could not reach the shores, although they crossed the Antarctic Circle several times. Cook wrote in his diaries that "the lands that may lie in the south will never be explored ... this country is doomed by nature to eternal cold." After the journey of James Cook for several decades, no more attempts were made to explore these territories. eternal ice, although in the period from 1800 to 1810 the British managed to discover several more islands in the subantarctic strip of the Southern Ocean. But only in 1819 was the first Russian expedition organized to explore the Antarctic. On the ships "Vostok" and "Mirny" under the leadership of Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. During the expedition, the ships approached the shores of the icy continent nine times, four times at a distance of less than 3-15 km. For the first time, they characterized large water areas adjacent to the mainland, described and classified antarctic ice, and also a characteristic of the climate of Antarctica was compiled, and 28 geographical names were plotted on its map, including the Alexander I Coast, discovered on January 15, 1821. As F.F. Bellingshausen: “I call this acquisition a coast because the remoteness of the other end to the south has disappeared beyond our vision ... A sudden change in color on the surface of the sea gives the idea that the coast is vast.” In the 60s. In the 20th century, it was proved that the Earth discovered by Russian navigators is not an island, but is connected to Antarctica by the George VI ice shelf.

Since that time, active exploration of the Antarctic territories began. In the summer of 1822-1823, the Scottish St. John's wort Wedell, under exceptionally favorable weather conditions, traveled from the island of South Georgia to 74 ° 15 'S. and at the end of February 1823 he sailed freely in the open sea, later named after him the Wedell Sea - the southernmost sea of ​​the Atlantic. Then, in the 1920s, the results of his voyage were taken as proof that there was no extensive land in the south, but upon further study in the 30s and 40s of the 19th century, this hypothesis was completely refuted. In 1838-1842, an American government expedition led by Charles Wilkes traveled along the coast of Antarctica, discovering a significant part of its coastline. His expedition traveled a long way - about 2800 km near the coast of Antarctica, famous for its strongest storms (later D. Mawson called it the "Abode of snow storms"). However, in the middle of the 19th century, the existence of the Antarctic continent was still in question. The journey of the English expedition of James Ross especially shook faith in its reality. On two ships "Erebus" and "Terror" in early October 1840, he went to south seas. During the expedition, he reached the 78th parallel, setting a sailing record in southern latitudes. Here on the island, which he named "High" (now Ross Island), his expedition discovered two twin volcanoes, named after the ships. Here - in the south of the sea, which received the name of Ross himself, the navigator discovered the land named after the Queen of England - Victoria Land. Ross correctly calculated that on this Earth, 300 km from the coast, there is a southern magnetic pole planet, however, incorrectly decided that Victoria Land is a large island, and not part of the whole mainland. During these years, Great Britain began to claim ownership of the southern "islands" more and more actively.

After the voyage of James Clark Ross, research in southern waters ceased for 30 years, and only in 1874-1875 did the English oceanographic expedition of Charles Whiteville Thompson set off here again on the Challenger steam corvette. The naturalist John Murray, who was present on it, having studied the samples raised and analyzed the discoveries of his predecessors, came to a firm conclusion that a large part of the land is located in the south of the planet. He was the first to map the coastline of Antarctica. On January 24, 1895, the Norwegian steamship Antarctic landed on the coast of Victoria Land. Here, a young biologist Karsten Borchgrevink, who quit teaching at the university and got a job as a simple sailor on this ship, for the sake of exploring Antarctica, discovered here several species of mosses and even three species of flowering plants in areas not occupied by ice, proving that even in Antarctica there is life. At the turn of the century, the development of the interior regions of the icy continent begins.

At the beginning of the 20th century, expeditions to the polar mountain ranges and glaciers of the mainland began one after another. Preparations begin to reach the South Pole of the planet. In 1909, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen is preparing for this very difficult and dangerous crossing of the icy continent. On January 14, 1911, the Norwegians landed on the coast of Antarctica in the Bay of Whales. Together with them, an British expedition led by Robert Scott set off to conquer the pole, arriving in Antarctica a few days earlier - on January 3rd. Amundsen's proposed route was 100 kilometers shorter than Scott's, however, he ran through more difficult terrain. But Amundsen calculated all the stages of the campaign with amazing accuracy. Between 80° and 85° every degree he set up warehouses with food and fuel, and to make them easy to find, he set up high milestones with flags. Amundsen's campaign began on October 20, 1911 with four comrades on a sleigh pulled by dogs. Beyond the 85th parallel, a heavy ascent began from the Ross Ice Shelf to the ridge, named by Amundsen in honor of the Norwegian queen, the Queen Maud ridge (later it was proved that this ridge belongs to the Transantarctic Mountains). When part of the food was already over, Amundsen ordered to kill extra dogs in order to feed them with the meat of other animals, however, the travelers themselves ate this meat, because the provisions were running out. The Norwegian expedition reached the South Pole on December 15, 1911. They pitched a tent on a high plateau, 2800 meters high, and raised the Norwegian flag there. Roald Amundsen and his companions became the first people to conquer the South Pole. On December 17 they turned north. They had to kill one dog every three days, so people and animals ate fresh meat until they reached the 85th parallel, where the first of the warehouses they left was located. Having traveled 2800 km both ways, they returned to Whale Bay on January 26, 1912 after a 99-day ice voyage.


At this time, Robert Scott planned to get to the pole on a motor sleigh, Indian ponies and dogs. They set off on November 2, 1911. However, the technique failed Scott, the motor sled soon had to be abandoned, and the ponies had to be killed beyond the 83rd parallel when there was nothing to feed them. Dog teams were sent back at 84°, and the British themselves pulled the heavily laden sledges. Beyond the 85th parallel, Scott ordered four people to return, and at 87°30' another three. Only five people went further: Robert Scott, doctor Edward Wilson, officers Lawrence Oates and Henry Bowers, and non-commissioned officer Edgar Evans (pictured). The last 250 km were given to them especially hard. The sleigh had to be dragged through dry, loose snow, moving no more than 2 km per hour, and moving less than 10 km in a day. When the Pole was a few miles away, Scott wrote in his diary: “...saw a black dot ahead... [turned out to be] a black flag tied to a sledge run. The remnants of the camp were immediately visible nearby ... The Norwegians were ahead of us. They were the first to reach the Pole. Terrible disappointment!" On the way from their base to the Pole, the British set up ten intermediate depots of provisions and fuel. On the way back, their immediate goal was to get to the next warehouse as soon as possible in order to renew their fuel and fuel supplies. However, the strength of travelers quickly dwindled. Soon the youngest of them, Evans, began to feel signs of mental illness, he lagged behind, fell until he was completely exhausted. On February 17, he passed away. The way forward was even more difficult. Scott's team went astray more and more often. At the end of February, when "fuel became terribly scarce," severe frosts began. Scott's notes showed how their will to live was fading, and their despair was growing. But until the very end, they did not quit and dragged about 15 kilograms of the most valuable rock samples collected on the way to the pole. Friday 16 March or Saturday 17 March, Scott wrote in his diary: “Lost count of numbers, but the last one seems to be true. Our life is pure tragedy. Ots said, “I'll go for a walk. Maybe I won't be back soon." He went into a snowstorm, and we never saw him again ... we knew that ... Ots was going to his death, and dissuaded him, but ... realized that he was acting like a noble person ... ". March 29: “From the 21st a continuous storm raged… On the 20th we had fuel for two cups of tea each and two days of dry food. Every day we were ready to go… but there was no way to get out of the tent – ​​the snow carried and twisted like that. I don’t think we can hope for anything else now…” Robert Scott's last entry: "For God's sake, don't leave our loved ones." Search party found their snow-covered tent only in the spring - November 12, 1912. All the travelers of Scott's expedition died, he himself was the last to die, discarding the lapels of his sleeping bag and unbuttoning his jacket. This is where they were buried. On the memorial cross, installed in the ice in memory of the expedition, an epitaph was carved: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”. The whole of Great Britain was deeply distressed by the news of the death of its heroes. It is worth saying that Scott's last request found a response in the hearts of the British and was fulfilled. A significant amount collected throughout the country ensured a comfortable existence for the relatives of the dead travelers.

After the conquest of the South Pole by Amundsen and Scott, Antarctic exploration continued with renewed vigor. In December 1911, Douglas Mawson made his first expedition. For wintering, his expedition chose Adélie Land, as it turned out, the place with the most severe climate on Earth. Often the average daily winds here reached a speed of 44 m/s. Mawson had to observe winds of 90 m/s when the speed of a devastating hurricane was only 30 m/s. To all this was added the largest amount of precipitation in Antarctica - 1600 mm per year. The campaign of 1912-1913 almost became fatal for Mawson himself, his entire team died, and he himself returned to the base only five months later. However, during the expedition, the discoveries of Charles Wilks were confirmed, vast territories were explored, and the description of the information collected amounted to 22 volumes. In the 1920s, flights over Antarctica began to be made, which made it possible to explore the mountains and lands in the depths of the continent. Among the researchers of this time it is necessary to mention the American pilot Richard Byrd, the Norwegian captain Niels Larsen, the American engineer Lincoln Ellsworth.

The first Soviet Antarctic scientific expedition under the command of an experienced polar explorer and oceanologist Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov landed on the coast of the Davis Sea on January 6, 1956. Nearby, with the help of the crews of two diesel-electric ships "Ob" and "Lena", the village of Mirny was built. Antarctic sector between 80° and 105° E was not chosen by chance. The coast of the mainland was mapped very approximately; in the course of the work of Soviet researchers, many new islands, bays, capes and glaciers were discovered. In addition to the base in the village of Mirny, by the end of 1956, two more stations arose: Pionerskaya and Oasis station.

There are currently 37 stations in Antarctica. Argentina is actively developing the mainland, which has 6 stations here. after the collapse of the USSR and the resulting economic difficulties, it was forced to freeze some of them. Now there are 5 Russian stations on the mainland: Bellingshausen (62°12'S 58°56'W), Vostok (78°27'S 106°52'E) ), Mirny (66°33'S 93°01'E), Novolazarevskaya (70°46'S 11°50'E), Progress ( 69°23'S 76°23'E) – (Data from the Russian Antarctic Expedition: //www.aari.aq/default_en.html). , Australia and Chile each have 3 stations on the mainland. Great Britain and China - two stations each. Also, one station each has: Norway, France, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Uruguay, South Korea, South Africa, India, Poland, Ukraine. There is also one joint French-Italian station.

Since 1961, there has been an agreement signed by all leading countries, according to which the territories south of 60 ° S. latitude. are demilitarized and free from nuclear weapons. Also, no country in the world has the right to claim these territories. It provides for freedom of scientific research and encourages international cooperation to ensure that Antarctica is used for the benefit of all mankind.

The exploration of Antarctica is a story that illustrates the unbridled desire of a person to know the world around him, a story about fortitude and willingness to take risks. The sixth continent, theoretically located south of Australia and the Americas, has fascinated explorers and cartographers for centuries. However, the history of the exploration of Antarctica began only in 1819 with the round-the-world voyage of the Russian navigators Bellingshausen and Lazarev. It was then that the start was given to the development of a huge ice expanse, which continues to this day.

From the depths of centuries

Almost two thousand years before the moment when the discovery and the first exploration of Antarctica took place, ancient geographers were already talking about its existence. Then there was a lot of assumptions about what constitutes a distant land. The name "Antarctica" appeared during this period. It is first found in Martin of Tire in the second century AD. One of the authors of the hypothesis of an unknown continent was the great Aristotle, who suggested that the Earth is symmetrical, which means that there is another continent behind Africa.

Legends arose later. On some maps attributed to the Middle Ages, the image of the "Southern Land" is clearly visible, often located separately or connected to America. One of them was found in 1929. Admiral Piri Reis's map dated 1513 supposedly contains a very detailed and accurate depiction of the coastline of Antarctica. Where the compiler got the information for his map is still a mystery.

Getting closer

Not marked by the discovery of the sixth continent. Research by European sailors only narrowed the scope of the search. It became clear that the South American continent "is not attached" to any unknown land. And in 1773, James Cook crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time in history and discovered several Antarctic islands, but that was all. One of the biggest events in geography happened about 50 years later.

The beginning of the way

The discovery and the first exploration of Antarctica took place under the leadership of Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen and with the direct participation of Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev. In 1819, an expedition of two ships, Mirny and Vostok, set off from Kronstadt to the South Pole. The first was securely fortified and equipped with Lazarev for navigation in the most severe conditions. The second was created by English engineers and in many respects lost to Mirny. At the end of the journey, he became the reason for the early return of the expedition: the ship fell into a deplorable state.

The ships put to sea on July 4 and by November 2 had already reached Rio de Janeiro. Following the intended course, they rounded the island of South Georgia and approached Sandwich Land. It was identified as an archipelago and renamed the South. Three new islands were discovered among them: Leskov, Zavadovsky and Torson.

Exploration of Antarctica by Bellingshausen and Lazarev

The opening took place on 16 (27 New Style) January 1820. The ships approached the sixth continent in what is today the Bellingshausen Ice Shelf, off the coast of Princess Martha. Before the onset of the Arctic winter, when weather conditions deteriorated greatly, the expedition approached the mainland several more times. The ships were closest to the continent on February 5 and 6 (17 and 18).

The exploration of Antarctica by Lazarev and Bellingshausen continued after the arrival of summer. As a result of the voyage, several new objects were marked on the map: the island of Peter I with the mountainous, partially ice-free land of Alexander I; the Three Brothers Islands, known today as Espland and O'Brien; Rear Admiral Rozhnov Island (today Gibbs), Mikhailov Island (Cornwalls), Admiral Mordvinov Island (Eliphent), Vice Admiral Shishkov Island (Clarence).

The first exploration of Antarctica was completed on July 24, 1821, when both ships returned to Kronstadt.

Expedition contribution

Navigators under the command of Bellingshausen and Lazarev went around Antarctica during their exploration. They mapped a total of 29 islands, as well as, of course, the mainland itself. In addition, they collected unique information for the century before last. In particular, Bellingshausen found that salty water freezes in the same way as fresh water, contrary to the assumptions of scientists of that time. The only difference is that a lower temperature is required. The ethnographic and natural-scientific collection, which arrived in Russia with the seafarers, is now kept at Kazan University. It is impossible to overestimate the significance of the expedition, but the history of the exploration and discovery of Antarctica has only just begun.

Development

Each expedition to the sixth continent was a certain feat. Harsh conditions the icy desert left little chance for people who were ill-prepared or unorganized. The first studies of Antarctica by scientists were especially difficult, since their participants often could not fully imagine what awaited them.

This was the case with the Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink expedition. His crew made the first documented landing on Antarctica in 1899. The main thing that the expedition achieved was wintering. It became clear that it is possible to survive in the harsh conditions of the icy desert during the polar night if there is a well-equipped shelter. However, the place for wintering was chosen extremely unsuccessfully, and the team returned home not in full strength.

At the beginning of the last century, the South Pole was reached. It was first reached by a Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen in 1911. Shortly after her, the team reached the South Pole, which died on the way back. However, the most large-scale development of the icy desert began in 1956. The exploration of Antarctica acquired a new character - now it was carried out on an industrial basis.

International Geophysical Year

In the middle of the last century, many countries were aimed at studying Antarctica. As a result, in 1957-1958. twelve states threw their forces into the development of the icy desert. This time was declared the International Geophysical Year. The history of the exploration of Antarctica, perhaps, does not know such fruitful periods.

It was found that the icy "breath" of the sixth continent is carried away by the current and air currents far north. This information made possible more accurate weather forecasting throughout the Earth. In the process of research, much attention was paid to exposed bedrocks, which can tell a lot about the structure of our planet. was collected and a large number of data on things like Northern Lights, and cosmic rays.

Exploration of Antarctica by Russian scientists

Of course, in scientific activity those years huge role played by the Soviet Union. In the depths of the mainland, several stations were founded, and research teams were regularly sent to it. Even in the period of preparation for the International Geophysical Year, the Soviet Antarctic Expedition (SAE) was created. Its tasks included studying the processes occurring in the atmosphere of the continent and their influence on the circulation air masses, compiling the geological characteristics of the area and its physical and geographical description, identifying patterns in the movement of Arctic waters. The first expedition landed on the ice in January 1956. And already on February 13, the Mirny station was opened.

As a result of the work of Soviet polar explorers, the number of white spots on the map of the sixth continent has significantly decreased. More than three hundred geographical features have been discovered, such as islands, bays, valleys and mountain ranges. Seismic studies were carried out. They helped to establish that Antarctica was not, as was supposed at the time, but a mainland. The most valuable information was often discovered as a result of the work of researchers at the limit of their capabilities, during the most difficult expeditions deep into the continent.

During the years of the most active research in Antarctica, eight stations operated both in winter and in summer. During the Polar Night, 180 people remained on the continent. From the beginning of the summer, the number of the expedition increased to 450 participants.

successor

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Antarctic exploration did not stop. The SAE was replaced by the Russian Antarctic Expedition. With the improvement of technology, a more detailed study of the sixth continent became possible. Research of Antarctica by Russian scientists is carried out in several directions: determination of climatic, geophysical and other features of the continent, influence atmospheric phenomena on weather conditions in other areas of the world, collection and analysis of data on anthropogenic load polar stations on the environment.

Since 1959, when the Antarctic Treaty was concluded, the icy continent has become a place of international cooperation, free from military activity. The development of the sixth continent was carried out by several countries. The exploration of Antarctica in our time is an example of cooperation for the sake of scientific progress. Often Russian expeditions have an international composition.

Mysterious Lake

Almost no message about is complete without mentioning quite interesting object found under the ice. Its existence was predicted by A.P. Kapitsa and I.A. Zotikov after the end of the geophysical year based on the data obtained in that period. This is freshwater lake Vostok, located in the area of ​​the station of the same name under a layer of ice 4 km thick. The study of Antarctica by Russian scientists led to the discovery. It happened officially in 1996, although already in the late 50s, work was underway to study the lake according to Kapitsa and Zotikov.

The discovery excited scientific world. Such a subglacial lake is completely isolated from contact with the earth's surface, and for millions of years. Theoretically, its fresh waters with a sufficiently high concentration of oxygen can be the habitat of organisms still unknown to scientists. A favorable factor for the development of life is the rather high temperature of the lake - up to +10º at the bottom. On the border separating the surface of the reservoir and the ice, it is colder - only -3º. The depth of the lake is estimated at 1200 m.

The possibility of discovering unknown flora and fauna led to the decision to drill through the ice in the Vostok region.

Latest data

Ice drilling in the area of ​​the reservoir began in 1989. Ten years later, it was suspended at a distance of about 120 m from the lake. The reason is the fear of foreign researchers of pollution of the ecosystem by particles from the surface, as a result of which a unique community of organisms may suffer. Russian scientists did not share this point of view. Soon, new, more environmentally friendly equipment was developed and tested, and in 2006 the drilling process resumed.

A number of scientists are rather skeptical about the results, explaining such a variety of sequences with dirt brought in by the drill. In addition, it is likely that most of the organisms to which the found DNA may belong have long since died. One way or another, research on Antarctica by scientists from Russia and several other countries in the area continues.

Greetings from the past and a look into the future

Interest in Lake Vostok is due, among other things, to the opportunity to study an ecosystem similar to those that could have existed on Earth many years ago, during the Late Proterozoic. Then several global glaciations replaced each other on our planet, each of which lasted for up to ten million years.

In addition, the study of Antarctica in the lake area, the very process of drilling wells, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the results may be useful in the future when developing satellites of the gas giant Jupiter, Europa and Callisto. Presumably, similar lakes exist under their surface with their own preserved ecosystem. If the hypothesis is confirmed, then the “inhabitants” of the subglacial lakes of Europa and Callisto may become the first organisms discovered outside our planet.

The history of the exploration and discovery of Antarctica well illustrates the constant desire of man to expand his own knowledge. The study of the sixth continent, like the International space station, is an example of peaceful cooperation of many states with scientific purposes. The icy mainland, however, is in no hurry to reveal its secrets. Severe conditions require constant improvement of technology, scientific equipment and often the work of the human spirit and body to the limit. The inaccessibility of the sixth continent for the majority, the existence of an impressive number of gaps in knowledge about it gives rise to many legends about Antarctica. The curious can easily find information about the hiding places of fascists, UFOs and predatory killing people. How things really are, only polar explorers know. Adherents of scientific versions can safely hope that soon we will know a little more about Antarctica, which means that the amount of mysticism enveloping the continent will slightly decrease.

Antarctica- the only and unusual continent in its dissimilarity of nature. Polar explorers called it icy, silent, deserted, mysterious, white. In winter, Antarctica plunges into the darkness of the polar night, and in summer the Sun does not fall below the horizon, illuminating the icy desert at midnight. At the South Pole, sunrise and sunset can only be admired once a year.

This continent is the highest and coldest. Here are the most strong winds on the ground. There is no permanent population on the mainland. The ice of Antarctica contains 80% fresh water planets. The history of the discovery and exploration of the mainland is peculiar.

§ 48. Geographical position. Discovery and exploration of Antarctica

Geographical position. general characteristics Antarctica, indicated here, indicates completely different natural conditions than we observed on the previously considered three southern continents. It is quite clear that these differences are due to the geographical position of Antarctica. What are its features? The mainland is almost entirely located within the Antarctic Circle and is located in the Antarctic climatic zone. Antarctica is separated from other continents by vast oceanic expanses. The position of the mainland in the region of the pole led to the formation of a powerful ice cover, the average thickness of which is about 2000 m. Due to the ice thickness, Antarctica turned out to be the highest continent on Earth. The shores of the mainland, mostly ice cliffs, several tens of meters. Due to its geographical position, and also, which is very important, the ice shell in Antarctica is the world's pole of cold.

Antarctic. The nature of Antarctica is inextricably linked with nature southern parts Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans and together with them forms a single whole. large areas, shallowly protruding into the land of the seas, are covered with ice shelves. These glaciers are extensions of the continental ice sheet.

The southern polar region, including Antarctica with adjacent islands and the southern parts of the oceans up to about 50-60 ° S. sh., is called Antarctica.

The name "Antarctica" comes from the Greek word "anti" - against, that is, lying against the northern polar region the globe- Arctic.

  1. On the contour map, mark the South Pole, the Antarctic Circle, the prime meridian, write the names of the oceans washing the shores of Antarctica.
  2. The area of ​​Antarctica is 14 million km2. Compare it with the size of other continents.
  3. Which continents are located near Antarctica, which are farthest from it?
  4. Name the features of the southern parts of the oceans washing the shores of Antarctica.

Discovery and early research. Antarctica was discovered much later than other continents. Even ancient scientists expressed the idea of ​​the existence of the mainland in high latitudes southern hemisphere. But finally the question of the existence of the sixth continent was resolved much later. In the second half of the XVIII century. looking for southern mainland An English expedition headed by the famous English navigator James Cook set off.

J. Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle more than once, but he could not break through the ice to the mainland. He came to the gloomy conclusion that "the lands that may lie in the south will never be explored ... this country is doomed by nature to eternal cold." The results of J. Cook's expedition cooled the desire to embark on risky voyages in search of the mainland for a long time.

Only in 1819 was the first Russian Antarctic expedition organized on the ships "Vostok" and "Mirny" under the command of Faddey Faddeevich Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, which went around the unknown mainland and came close to its shores, discovered many islands. The year 1820, when the expedition first approached the shores of Antarctica, is considered to be the year of its discovery, which marked the beginning of an intensive study of the coastal zone of the Southern Continent.

On December 14, 1911, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, and a month later, on January 18, 1912, the Englishman Robert Scott reached the South Pole. It was the greatest geographical discovery. Scientists have received the first information about the interior of the mainland. But they came at a high price. Robert Scott's group died on the way back, only a few kilometers short of the base, where there were food and fuel. In November 1912, a rescue team found a tent with frozen bodies in it.

Modern exploration of Antarctica. In the first half of the XX century. The USA, Great Britain, Australia, Norway and other states organized special expeditions to study Antarctica. Research was carried out mainly on the coast, while the interior of the mainland remained little known.

Only with the holding of the International Geophysical Year (IGY, 1957-1958) did twelve states of the world decide to jointly study the continent and exchange information. One of the leading places in this work belongs to Soviet researchers. The expeditions were organized at a high scientific and technical level. For their implementation, rich practical experience in the study and development of the Arctic was used. So, for example, the leader of the first Soviet Antarctic expedition was Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov, the second - Alexei Fedorovich Treshnikov - experienced polar explorers and prominent scientists. Our explorers boldly moved into the depths of the continent. in difficult climatic conditions, behind short term they built several scientific stations (Mirny, Pionerskaya, Vostok, etc.) not only on the coasts, but also in the inner hard-to-reach parts of Antarctica, where no human has yet set foot (the Pole of Inaccessibility). The main and largest given time station - Youth. This is where the Antarctic Aerometeorological Center is located.

During the research, a lot of scientific material has been collected, many works have been written, the first domestic atlas of Antarctica has been created, according to which you can get information about all the components of the nature of Antarctica. Hundreds of names of Russian explorers are immortalized on the map of Antarctica.

Antarctica does not belong to any state. There is no permanent population on the mainland. Because of the harsh natural conditions researchers usually work for no more than one year. By international agreement It is prohibited to carry out any tests of weapons on its territory and nuclear explosions. Antarctica is called the continent of science and peace. The protection of the nature of Antarctica is enshrined in law.

  1. What are the features geographical location Antarctica?
  2. Who and when discovered Antarctica and what was the significance of this for its study?
  3. Who reached the South Pole and when?
  4. When did the comprehensive study of Antarctica begin and what is the role of Soviet and Russian polar explorers?

The most remote, cold and mysterious of all the continents of our planet, which holds many secrets, is Antarctica. Who is the discoverer? What is the flora and fauna on the continent? All this and more will be discussed in the article.

general description

Antarctica is a large desert, a deserted continent that does not belong to any of the existing states. In 1959, an agreement was signed, according to which citizens of any state have the right to access the mainland to study any of its points and only for peaceful purposes. In this connection, more than 16 scientific stations were built in Antarctica to study the mainland. Moreover, the information obtained there becomes the property of all mankind.

Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, with a total area of ​​over 14 million square kilometers. She is characterized low temperatures. The lowest recorded was 89.2 degrees below zero. The weather on the mainland is changeable and unevenly distributed. On the outskirts it is one, and in the center it is completely different.

Climatic features of the mainland

hallmark climate of the continent are not only low temperatures, but also dryness. Here you can find dry valleys that form in the upper ten-centimeter layer of falling snow. The continent has not seen precipitation in the form of rain for more than 2 million years. On the continent, the combination of cold and dryness is at its peak. Despite this, the mainland contains more than 70% of fresh water, but only in the form of ice. The peculiarity of the climate is similar to the climate on the planet Mars. In Antarctica, strong and continuous winds are concentrated, which reach up to 90 meters per second, and powerful solar radiation.

Flora of the continent

Peculiarities climate zone Antarctica affects the scarcity of plant and animal diversity. The mainland is practically devoid of vegetation, however, some species of mosses and lichens can still be found along the edge of the mainland and on areas of land that have thawed from snow and ice, the so-called oasis islands. These representatives of the plant species often form peat bogs. Lichens are represented in a wide variety of more than three hundred species. In the lakes formed due to the melting of the earth, lower algae can be found. During the summer, Antarctica is beautiful and in places is represented by colorful spots of red, green and yellow, where you can see the lawns. This is the result of the accumulation of protozoan algae.

Flowering plants are rare and not found everywhere, there are more than two hundred of them, among them Kerguelen cabbage stands out, which is not only a nutritious vegetable, but also a good remedy, preventing the appearance of scurvy, due to the high content of vitamins. It is found on the Kerguelen Islands, from where it got its name, and South Georgia. Due to the absence of insects, pollination of flowering plants occurs by wind, which causes the absence of pigment in the leaves of herbaceous plants, they are colorless. Scientists note that once Antarctica was the center of flora formation, however, changing conditions on the continent led to a change in its flora and fauna.

Fauna of Antarctica

Animal world in Antarctica is scarce, especially for terrestrial species. There are some species of worms, lower crustaceans and insects. Of the latter, flies can be found, but they are all wingless, and indeed, there are no winged insects on the continent due to constant strong winds. But in addition to wingless flies, wingless butterflies, some species of beetles, spiders and freshwater mollusks are also found in Antarctica.

In contrast to the meager terrestrial fauna, the Antarctic continent is rich in marine and semi-terrestrial animals, which are represented by numerous pinnipeds and cetaceans. This is seals, whales, seals, favorite place which are floating ice. The most famous marine animals of Antarctica are penguins - birds that are excellent swimmers and divers, but do not fly because of their short, flipper-like wings. The main food ingredients of penguins are fish, but they do not disdain to eat mollusks and crustaceans.

The Importance of Exploring Antarctica

For a long time, navigation on the seas after the voyage of the navigator Cook was stopped. For half a century, not a single ship managed to do what the sailors of England did. The history of the study of Antarctica began in the late 18th - early 19th century. It was the Russian navigators who managed to do what Cook failed to do, and the door to Antarctica that they once closed opened. It was possible to accomplish this during the period of intensive construction of capitalism in Russia, during the period special attention to geographical discoveries, since the formation of capitalism required the development of industrial industry and trade, which, in turn, required the development of scientific activity, the study natural resources and establishment of trade routes. It all started with the development of Siberia, its vast expanse, then the coast Pacific Ocean and finally North America. The interests of politics and navigators diverged. The purpose of travel researchers set the discovery of unknown continents, the knowledge of something new. For politicians, the significance of the study of Antarctica was reduced to expanding the market in the international arena, strengthening colonial influence and raising the level of prestige of their state.

The history of the discovery of Antarctica

In 1803-1806, Russian travelers I. F. Kruzenshtern and Yu. F. Lisyansky made the first trip around the world, which was equipped with two companies - Russian and American. Already in 1807-1809, V. M. Golovin was sent to sail on a military boat.

The defeat of Napoleon in 1812 inspired many naval officers on long voyages and exploration trips. This coincided with the desire of the king to annex and secure separate lands for Russia. Research during the sea voyage led to the designation of the boundaries of all continents, in addition, the boundaries of the three oceans - the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific, were studied, but the spaces at the poles of the Earth have not yet been explored.

Who are the discoverers of Antarctica?

F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev became the first explorers of Antarctica, representatives of the Russian expedition led by I. F. Krusenstern. The expedition consisted mainly of young people who wanted to go to the continent - military personnel. A team of 205 people was placed on two boats "Vostok" and "Mirny". The expedition leadership received the following instructions:

  • Strict adherence to assigned tasks.
  • Full compliance with the rules of navigation and full supply of the crew.
  • Comprehensive surveillance and ongoing travel journaling.

Bellingshausen and Lazarev were inspired by the belief in the existence of new lands. The discovery of new lands is the new main goal of inspired sailors. The presence of such in the region of the south pole could be found in the works of M. V. Lomonosov and Johann Forster, who believed that icebergs formed in the ocean are of continental origin. During the expedition, Bellingshausen and Lazarev made corrections in Cook's notes. They succeeded in giving a description of the shores towards Sandwich Land, which Cook failed to do.

Discovery of the continent

During the expedition, approaching south pole, famous researchers of Antarctica first encountered one large iceberg, and then with a group of mountainous islands made of snow and ice. Moving between snow peaks, Russian sailors for the first time approached the Antarctic continent. A snowy shore opened up before the eyes of the travelers, but the mountains and rocks were not covered in snow. It seemed to them that the coast was endless, however, having decided to make sure that this was the southern continent, they traveled around it along the coast. It turned out that this is an island. The result of the expedition, which lasted 751 days, was the discovery of a new continent - Antarctica. The navigators managed to map the islands, bays, capes, etc., encountered on the way. During the expedition, some species of animals, plants, samples rocks.

damage to fauna

The discovery of Antarctica brought great damage to the fauna of this continent, some species of marine animals were completely exterminated. In the 19th century, when Antarctica became the center of whaling, many species of marine life were significantly affected. The fauna of the continent is currently under protection international association.

Scientific delights

Scientific research of Antarctica boiled down to the fact that researchers from different states, in addition to catching whales and other representatives of the animal world, they discovered new territories, studied the features of the climate. They also measured the depth of the sea.

Already in 1901, the modern explorer of Antarctica Robert Scott traveled to the shores of the southern continent, where he made many important discoveries and collected a lot of information about both the flora and fauna, and minerals. Since the 1930s, not only the water and land parts of Antarctica, but also its air spaces have been studied on a full scale, and since the 1950s, oceanic and geological work.

Russian explorers in Antarctica

Our compatriots have done a lot to explore these lands. Russian researchers opened a scientific station in Antarctica and founded the village of Mirny. Today, people know much more about the continent than a hundred years ago. There is information about the weather conditions of the mainland, its animal and flora, geological features, however, the ice itself has not been fully studied, the study of which continues today. Today, scientists are concerned about the movement of Antarctic ice, their density, speed and composition.

Our days

One of the main values ​​of the study of Antarctica is the search for minerals in the bowels of the endless snowy desert. It has been established that the continent contains coal, iron ore, non-ferrous metals, as well as precious metals and stones. Of no small importance in modern research is the reconstruction of a complete picture of the old period of ice melting. It is already known that the Antarctic ice was formed earlier than the ice sheets of the Northern Hemisphere. The researchers came to the conclusion that the geostructure of Antarctica is similar to South Africa. The once uninhabited expanses are the source of research by polar explorers, who today are the only inhabitants of Antarctica. They include biologists, geologists and other scientists from different countries. They are the modern explorers of Antarctica.

The impact of human intervention on the integrity of the mainland

Modern opportunities and technologies allow wealthy tourists to visit Antarctica. Each new visit to the continent has a negative impact on the ecological background as a whole. The greatest danger is in global warming affecting the entire planet. This can lead to the melting of ice, to changes not only in the ecosystem of the mainland, but also in the entire World Ocean. That's why any Scientific research continents are under the control of the world scientific community. A reasonable and cautious approach to the development of the mainland is important in order to allow it to be preserved in its original form.

The activities of modern polar explorers on the mainland

Scientists are increasingly interested in the question of the survival of microorganisms in extreme environmental conditions, for which a proposal was made to bring certain types of microbial communities to the mainland. This is necessary to bring out the most resistant to cold, low humidity and solar radiation species for further use in the pharmaceutical industry. Scientists are trying to study data on the course of modification of living organisms and the impact on them of a prolonged absence of contact with the atmosphere.

Living on a cold continent is not easy, climatic features are considered difficult for a person, even though the expedition members spend most time in a room where comfortable conditions are created. In preparation, the polar explorers are subjected to special testing by medical workers in order to select the psychologically stable from among the applicants. Modern life polar explorers due to the presence of fully equipped stations. There is a satellite dish, electronic communications, devices that measure the temperature of air, water, snow and ice.