The harsh and fascinating world of Antarctica. Journey across the icy continent

" article Antarctica - beautiful photos. Where we bring to your attention the most diverse species of Antarctica.

Antarctica - beautiful photos for your attention. By the way, as a child I had a problem - the names Arctic and Antarctica were confused. To figure it out, I had to remember that anti-Arctida is on the opposite side of Arctida, that is, the Arctic. That is, Antarctica is the south pole of the Earth.

Antarctica (Greek ἀνταρκτικός - the opposite of the Arctic) is a continent located in the very south of the Earth, the center of Antarctica approximately coincides with the south geographic pole. Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Southern Ocean.

Antarctica is the highest continent on Earth; the average height of the continent's surface above sea level is more than 2000 m, and in the center of the continent it reaches 4000 meters.

B O Most of this height is made up of the permanent ice cover of the continent, under which the continental relief is hidden and only 0.3% (about 40 thousand km²) of its area is free from ice - mainly in West Antarctica and the Transantarctic Mountains: islands, sections of the coast, etc. n. “dry valleys” and individual ridges and mountain peaks (nunataks) rising above the icy surface.

The Transantarctic Mountains, crossing almost the entire continent, divide Antarctica into two parts:

• West Antarctica and
• East Antarctica,

having different origins and geological structures.

On east there is a high (highest elevation of the ice surface ~4100 m above sea level) ice-covered plateau. The western part consists of a group of mountainous islands connected by ice. The Antarctic Andes are located on the Pacific coast. The Antarctic Peninsula is a continuation of the South American Andes, which stretch towards the south pole, slightly deviating from it to the western sector.

IN Western Antarctica also contains the continent's deepest depression, the Bentley Trench, probably of rift origin. The depth of the ice-filled Bentley Trench reaches 2555 m below sea level.

The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest on our planet and is approximately 10 times larger in area than the next largest one, the Greenland ice sheet. It contains ~30 million km³ of ice, that is, 90% of all land ice. Due to the severity of the ice, as geophysics studies show, the continent subsided by an average of 0.5 km, as evidenced by its relatively deep shelf.

The ice sheet has a dome shape with increasing surface steepness towards the coast, where it is framed in many places by 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.

Antarctica has an extremely harsh cold climate. In East Antarctica, at the Soviet Antarctic station Vostok, on July 21, 1983, the lowest air temperature on Earth in the entire history of meteorological measurements was recorded: 89.2 degrees below zero.

Due to the fact that not only the average annual temperature, but also in most areas even summer temperatures in Antarctica do not exceed zero degrees, precipitation there falls only in the form of snow (rain is an extremely rare occurrence). However, there are lakes in Antarctica, and in the summer, rivers. The rivers are fed by glaciers.

Thanks to intense solar radiation, due to the exceptional transparency of the air, the melting of glaciers occurs even at slightly negative air temperatures.

On the surface of the glacier, often at a considerable distance from the coast, streams of melt water form. The most intense melting occurs near oases, next to rocky soil heated in the sun. Open channels usually end before reaching the sea or lake, and the watercourse makes its way further under the ice or in the thickness of the glacier, like underground rivers in karst areas.

Antarctica is truly a beautiful place. It's just very cold.

Master class on drawing “Little Penguin”

I'm an Antarctic child
I'm a fluffy little penguin
I happened to be born
A flightless bird
Not across the sky, but like an arrow
We fly underwater!
Don't look how awkward it is
We are hobbling on dry land.
But then, we playfully down the hill
We can go icy.
Frost and blizzard are not scary,
We keep each other warm.
Let's stand in a tight crowd
We will protect the children from the snowstorm.
The most important among the ice floes
Emperor penguin.

Step-by-step work process

1. We prepare the necessary material for our creativity.

Antarctica occupies a fairly impressive area - about 15 million square meters. This is the largest cold desert on the globe, and approximately 75% of the world's fresh water is concentrated there. Unfortunately, this water is frozen and trapped in a huge ice sheet. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to get it.

The Antarctic border stretches along the Antarctic Convergence Line in the region of 48-60 degrees south latitude. If we talk about climate, then it is clear that this part of the globe has harsh conditions for survival. The temperature there is extremely low with strong winds, fog and snow storms. The lowest temperature ever recorded is 89.7 degrees Celsius.

The flora and fauna are very distinctive in their originality. There are no land mammals or freshwater fish in Antarctica, but there are algae, various bacteria, mosses, and lichens. Among the algae are blue and green.

Because Antarctic includes Antarctica, then we can talk about the population of Antarctica. Antarctica has no indigenous inhabitants, but it still has a population. In summer it is 4000-4300 people, in winter it is much less - 1200-1500 inhabitants. Not a single person lived there for more than 17 months.

Antarctica is famous for its thick ice. This continent contains approximately 30 million km3 of people, or 90% of all land ice. The average ice thickness is 2600-2900 meters, and the maximum is 5000 meters.

Literally, the name "Antarctica" translates as "opposite the bear." The ancient Greeks named the icy north "Arktikos" after the Big Dipper located at the North Pole.

Antarctica was officially discovered only in 1820 during a Russian round-the-world naval expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev.

Antarctica does not belong to any state. Although several countries (including Australia, Argentina and the UK) have at one time attempted to claim ownership of Antarctica, it remains a state-free space to this day. In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty was concluded, proclaiming it “a natural reserve intended for peace and science.” The treaty was signed by 48 states.

Antarctica is the only continent without time zones. The scientists living here live either according to the time of their homeland, or according to the time of the employees who supply them with food and equipment.

Antarctica is not only the coldest place on Earth, but also the driest. The average rainfall in Antarctica is only 10 centimeters. The so-called McMurdo Dry Valleys are a place where the combination of cold and dryness reaches its absolute limit. There has been no precipitation here for more than two million years! The surface and climate of this area are so reminiscent of the surface of Mars that NASA conducted tests here for the Viking space program.

Cold and dryness are not the continent's only records. Here are the points of the strongest and longest wind and the most powerful solar radiation.

The most “positive” record in the region belongs to the Antarctic Weddell Sea: it is considered the cleanest in the world. Which, however, is logical: there is absolutely no one here to pollute it. The waters of the sea are so transparent that you can see through them objects located at a depth of 80 meters.

There are no permanent residents in Antarctica. The only people who live on these inhospitable lands are scientists. In the summer months their number is about 5 thousand people. In winter, this figure decreases to 1 thousand.

By the way, the “summer” month in Antarctica with the warmest weather is February. At this time, the shift of scientists at the stations takes place.

The first person was born in Antarctica only in 1978 - an Argentinean named Emilio Marcos Palma.

Among scientists working in Antarctica, the highest percentage of polar explorers are from Russia - from 4 to 10 percent.

Icebergs in Antarctica are reaching record sizes. So, in 2000, an iceberg that reached 295 kilometers in length and 37 in width broke off here. The captain of the Titanic would definitely have noticed him from afar.

In winter, the continent of Antarctica significantly increases in size. Ice covers the surrounding seas at a rate of 65,000 square kilometers every day! As a result, Antarctica almost doubles in size: 20 million square kilometers are added to it. That's the equivalent of half the US, two Australias or 50 UKs! And with the onset of the polar day, these ice masses slowly melt.

The Amundsen-Scott polar station at the South Pole is such an isolated place from the outside world that in 1999, a doctor who worked at the station, Jerry Nielsen, discovered that she had breast cancer, and managed to administer chemotherapy to herself: she had no choice.

Antarctica is the opposite of the Arctic, so don't confuse the two. Many people wonder: Are Antarctica and Antarctica the same thing? Let us explain: The Arctic is the southern polar part of the Earth, which includes Antarctica and the adjacent areas of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The Emperor Penguin is an amazingly beautiful bird that lives in Antarctica. Drawing a penguin is quite easy and fun, because the drawing turns out very cute. The design of the Emperor Penguin is especially beautiful, since it has an unusual combination of bright yellow and black plumage, and the penguin in your picture will look very elegant.
You can also learn how to draw cartoon children's drawings of a penguin from the cartoon "Madagascar" using this lesson. You just need to slightly change the penguin’s “face”, make it more emotional and expressive. Although draw a penguin It’s not difficult, it’s better to draw a penguin in stages, first with a simple pencil, and then lightly color it with paints or colored pencils.

1. Drawing of a penguin. General outline

What's the easiest way draw a penguin? Of course, using simple initial contours, then only adding more and more details to them. To make the drawing symmetrical, draw the first step as accurately as possible, namely an oval for the body and a circle for the head. The oval of the penguin's body should be approximately four times the diameter of the head circumference.

2. Contours of beak, paws and wings

First draw the outline of the penguin's beak. This is the most difficult step, try to make it proportional to the body so that the beak does not turn out to be huge or very small in the future. At the bottom of the body, mark where the paws will be located. Again, make sure that they are not offset from the center. The wings are also quite easy to draw, only the left wing of the penguin should be extended slightly forward.

3. General outline of the shape of the torso and head

Continue drawing the outline of the beak, outlining the oval and you will get the body of the penguin. After this, draw the preliminary shape of the wings. Please note that the right wing is positioned edgewise in relation to the viewer. Remove the extra contour lines and you will see how penguin drawing began to “emerge.”

4. How to draw penguin paws

Drawing a penguin's eye is very simple. This is where you begin this stage. After this, you need to draw the paws in more detail. The lower feet (flippers) are more like the webbed feet of a goose, but of course much larger.

5. Finish drawing the penguin

At this stage, the drawing of the penguin only needs to be slightly corrected, and if everything turns out smoothly and accurately, then you know how to draw well. But in any case, at this step you can still correct the drawing. At the next step we will color the picture, and then it will be difficult to correct.

6. Plumage coloring

It is not necessary to color the penguin drawing with paints. Shade the plumage with a simple pencil, and only some areas of the Emperor Penguin can be colored with yellow colored pencil. This effect will further decorate the picture and make it more realistic. In addition, if you add the surrounding landscape or draw its cub next to it, then your drawing will be a real painting.

In this lesson you will be able to draw a beautiful Macaw parrot step by step.

The toucan is similar to the Emperor penguin in that it has bright yellow plumage. They are also united by the fact that the penguin and toucan are birds.

The drawing of the duck was made on a graphics tablet, but it can be used for drawing with a simple pencil.

How to draw a penguin.

If you don't live at the South Pole, then the only way to draw a penguin realistically is to draw from a picture. For us, northerners, this bird is truly exotic and, although we seem to know that penguins wear tailcoats, we simply cannot imagine what exactly they look like.

Penguin drawing - side view

So, I found a wonderful little penguin on the Internet and drew it from the screen.

Yes, indeed, the tailcoat is brand new. And in general, a very beautiful bird, and does not at all resemble the sinister Chilly-Willy, if anything. So let’s draw a truthful penguin step by step.

The body is oval - looks well-fed. The head is small, round with a sharp long beak. The tail is wedge-shaped, and it is immediately clear that on land it serves as a support for a bird that has mastered upright walking.

The wings are not used for flight and are modified so that they closely resemble the front ones.

The legs are so short it's even strange. But let’s not be surprised - I saw an X-ray of a penguin - everything is in place - the thigh, lower leg, foot, just very cleverly hidden. However, the foot is visible - long toes with membranes between them. Well, the appearance is original, but it’s not difficult to draw.

The linear drawing is ready - let’s call it “Penguin coloring book” and color it correctly. The back, head and wings are black, the belly is snow-white, but with a bright yellow spot at the throat. The feet are also bluish-black.

Let's draw the second penguin from the front.

Penguin drawing - front view

First, a pencil sketch:

Here we have the second Penguin coloring picture:

Well, to be honest, this is a coloring book for the lazy.