Antarctica
1: Introduction to a
continent
Antarctica
 Area
= USA + Mexico
 Highest continent
 Driest Continent
 Windiest continent
 Coldest Continent
 Last inhabited continent
 Dark 50% of the year
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
January 28, 1820
Edward Bransfield
January 30, 1820
Nathaniel B. Palmer
November 17, 1820
James Clark Ross

1839-1843 Antarctic
Expedition



HMS Erebus
HMS Terror
Sailed as far south
as Ross Island, Ross
Ice Shelf in the Ross
Sea…
First Antarctic winter
Cape Adare 1899
Carstens Borchgrevink
1864-1934
The Heroic Era(1900-1920)
Pre-1957

Richard E. Byrd





Admiral, US Navy
Private and US-funded
expeditions
Meteorological research
First flight to South Pole
Commanded post-war
Operation High Jump and
Operation Deep Freeze
International Geophysical Year
1957/58
 Largely
Meteorology and
Atmospheric physics
 Saw the US, NZ, UK, Australia etc
etc. establish permanent bases,
including at the South Pole
International Polar Year 2007/08
History of Antarctica
Antarctic glaciation
 First
full-scale ice sheet ~ 34 Ma
 Reached maximum ~15 Ma
 Some fluctuations since then

e.g. at LGM Ross Ice shelf covered
approx. 3x current area
 Extinctions

Almost all terrestrial flora and
fauna
The Antarctic Treaty
 in
effect June 23 1961
 Governs activities in Antarctica
 Subsidiary treaties govern flora
& Fauna, Seals, Marine Living
resources the Environment
The Antarctic Treaty

Article 1 – Peaceful purposes only







Military personnel and equipment allowed, but
only for peaceful purposes
Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and
cooperation
Article 3 - free exchange of information and
personnel
Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or
establish territorial claims, prevents new claims.
Article 5 - No nuclear explosions or radioactive
waste;
Article 6 - all land and ice shelves south of 60
degrees
Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take
place
Protocol on Environmental
Protection to the Antarctic treaty
 In
force 1998
 Article 7:
 “Any activity relating to mineral
resources, other than scientific
research, shall be prohibited.”
Antarctic Biology
A
long history
the first marine samples collected
by Cook (18th C)
 the first terrestrial samples
collected in late 19th C

 Biology
was a major goal of
many of the heroic era
expeditions
Habitats in Antarctica
 Terrestrial
Nunataks
 Coastal areas
 Oases and Dry Valleys

Habitats in Antarctica

Marine

‘Normal’ range of marine




Special habitats



Benthic
Pelagic
(Some) intertidal
Beneath ice shelves and sea ice
Associated with platelet ice
Freshwater



Streams
Lakes
Ponds
Major issues in Antarctic Biology
 Survival
of environmental
extremes
 Responses to climate change
 Origin of the flora and fauna
 Sustainable use of marine
resources