Landscapes
Port Locroy - Antarctica |
Formation
70
million years ago, Antarctica was surely the centre of the
huge austral continent Gondwana, covered with forests and
animals. Today, the austral ocean separates Antarctica from
South America, South Africa and Tasmania with currents and
winds that can be very violent.
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Rock
The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the only places of the continent
where rocks can be seen. Its mountains issue from the same formation
as the South American Andes, and a sub marine spine relates these
two chains. Its highest peaks reach 2800 meters. Deception island,
among the South Shetland islands, is a crater of an active volcano.
Its last eruption was in 1970 and its activity is still evident
through warm water springs and smokes.
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Icebergs
- Antarctica
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Ice
The ice of the antarctic continent represents 90% of the
world's fresh water reserves.
In winter, the sea ice encloses the coasts of the Peninsula
and the landscape is covered with snow. In summer most of
the waterways are free of ice and the rock reappears. Huge
glaciers go down to the sea shedding a multitude of varied
shape icebergs. The largest come from the icy platforms
and pack-ice. Enormous, they brake into pieces, drift with
the wind and currents and melt on reaching warmer seas.
Many are stranded along the coast of the Peninsula and their
phantasmagorian white shapes modify the landscape hour after
hour. |
Vegetation
Only rare plants can survive the extremely cold and dry Antarctic
climate. They are essentially lichens, moss and even peat and they
concentrate on the rocky surface. They take advantage of the summer
with its long sunny hours. Some non marine microscopic algae are
very frequent in the Peninsula and their pigments colour the ice
adding other shades to the Antarctic landscape.
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