Antarctica: comparable to the arctic

Written by: Caroline Kim

February 4, 2023

This past summer, I spent time researching the Arctic, and it was one of the most intriguing topics in environmental science. From that inspiration, today we’ll dive into the continent of Antarctica, and how the environment compares to that of the arctic region. Starting off, it’s important to note that Antarctica lacks an established human population, which may work in favor of its environmental health. The antarctic “... covers approximately 20% of the southern hemisphere… seven nations claim different parts of it” (Boudreau).

The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single ice sheet on earth, growing significantly (around 6.1 million miles) by winter (Boudreau). Comprising multiple mountain summits- “East Antarctica, is composed of older/igneous/metamorphic rocks… West Antarctica, is made up of younger, volcanic and sedimentary rock.. is part of the ‘Ring of Fire’” (Bourdreau). The islands are characterized as glaciated with deep waters (Boudreau). Naturally, Antarctica is a cool and dry region, and is even colder up in the mountains. It is so dry and cold that precipitation only comes in the form of snow and in quantities as small as 2-4 inches of water (Boudreau). Due to the antarctic’s ocean circulation (upwelling), warm waters and nutrients are regulated, allowing for a variety of organisms to thrive near antarctica (Bourdreau).

While on opposite ends of earth, there are some key comparisons between the arctic and antarctic- “The Arctic is an ice-covered ocean basin surrounded by landmasses; Antarctica is a continent surrounded by a vast ocean” (Scott). Like the arctic, the antarctic plays a significant role in solar radiation distribution due to its high albedo. Therefore, warming and changes in the surface of the antarctic region can cause major changes in the solar absorption on earth. Additionally, warming in this region of the world is much more drastic: temperatures rose 3 degrees celsius within the second half of the 20th century (5x global average) (Antarctica: A Massive Frozen Landmass). And another similarity- ice shelves breaking off contribute significantly to global sea level rise both in from the arctic and antarctic (Scott). Both contributing to the balance of earth’s environment deserve proper research and technological innovation to maintain and recover environmental health.

Sources:

Boudreau, Diane. “Antarctica.” National Geographic Society, 6 Jan. 2023, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/antarctica.

“Antarctica: A Massive Frozen Landmass.” WWF, https://www.wwf.org.uk/where-we-work/antarctic#:~:text=Antarctica%20is%20the%20world%27s%20highest,darkness%20part%20of%20the%20year.

Scott, Michon. “Antarctica Is Colder than the Arctic, but It's Still Losing Ice.” NOAA Climate.gov, 12 Mar. 2019, https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/antarctica-colder-arctic-it%E2%80%99s-still-losing-ice.