Did you know….
The whole of Antarctica is on the same techtonic plate
There are 2 active volcanoes, Mt. Erebus being one is located on Ross Island (where Ill be staying) and has several mini eruptions a day
Antarctica has less than 2% exposed rock
35 Million years ago the Trans Antarctic Mountains formed
15 Million years ago Ice became a permenant features
If the current trends continue, it is estimated that the 2008/2009 Antarctic Tourist season will bring in 40,000 visitors. Contemporary tourism only begain in the 1950’s and was off to a slow start. Your typical tourist is 60 or over with lots of extra money lying around, weeks with nothing better to do and wanting to check the last continent off the list before they kick the can. With these growing numbers there are lots of debates over enviornmental impacts. Currently, the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators is trying to regulate and document all impacts. Heres a question for you: Do the tourists have a bigger impact with higher numbers or the scientists who have more days on the ice?
The antient Greeks believed there must be a white place at the bottom of the world to balance out the one at the top of the world. The ‘North Pole’ was called Arktos so fittingly the ‘South Pole’ was called Antarktos, meaning the opposite or anti. Even though it had a name, it still wouldn’t be discovered for thousands of years.