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The Melting Antarctica crisis: a landmark long-lost

Published 6/19/2020

What is happening to Antarctica?

Over the past 60 years, the temperature in Antarctica had risen 3° C, which is a lot for the icy continent. As Antarctica melts, the heavy ice and snow that weighs down the land gets lighter. Without the ice and snow holding it down, the land rises higher. If you go there, you can see the shorelines where the part of the land you see now was once below the dark sapphire waves. Rocks that are left behind when the glaciers retreat show how up front the glaciers used to be a couple hundred years ago.

In fact, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is getting closer and closer to that of the last mass extinction. Not exactly good news.

Who does this affect?

This affects us all, but mostly, it affects the seals, penguins, and the other animals that call Antarctica home. The pollution we make can cause flow into Antarctica by ocean currents and the wind. The pollutants can gather inside the animals, and that will cause their numbers to drop and for them to stop reproducing. Their babies will die because of it. It could destroy the delicate balance of their ecosystem. Pollutants can also cause diseases like cancer.

This affects us too.

*WWF: Why are glaciers and sea ice melting?.

Quiz yourself! Is Antarctica a desert? Answers below...

Yes, Antarctica is, in fact, a desert!

Is Antarctica home to polar bears?

No! Penguins and polar bears never share the same place except for zoos!

What does Antarctica mean?

It means opposite to the north in Greek.

Does Antarctica hold most of the world's fresh water? True or false

True.

Was Antarctica home to dinosaurs?

Yes.

If you are at the south pole, which way is north?

Every way.

Does Antarctica have lakes?

Yes! There is even a lake that flows blood red.

What time is it in Antarctica now?

Trick Question! There is no Antarctic time zone.

Would you need chap stick in Antarctica?

Yes. The average annual rainfall at the South Pole over the past 30 years was just over 10 mm (0.4 in).

What is the average thickness of the ice in Antarctica?

1 mile, or 1.6 km

Are there mountains of rock?

Yes, all are buried beneath the surface and rise up to 9,000 feet.

Last but not least: would you go to Antarctica wearing summer clothes?

Ummm... no.

Time to see how well you did!

0/7........................................................... You most certainly opened this page by accident and proceeded to take this quiz being a climate denier.

1/7 .......................................................... Oof. Did you open this page by accident? You seem to be a climate denier.

2/7........................................................... Ouch. You're basically a climate skeptic.

3/7........................................................... You'll get there ...one day.

4/7........................................................... Not halfway bad, actually. It's higher than 50% anyway, and just to be nice, we'll call 50% a pass. We always knew we knew better than you.

5/7........................................................... Higher than a fair amount of people that took this.

6/7........................................................... Applause. How many times did you retake this?

7/7........................................................... A+

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