The climatic conditions of Antarctica are harsh due to the polar location of the continent. It is rare that the air temperature on the continent rises above 0 degrees Celsius. Antarctica is completely covered with thick glaciers. The continent is under the influence of cold air masses, namely the influence of westerly winds. Generally climatic conditions continent is arid and harsh.
Antarctic climate zone
Almost the entire territory of the continent is located in the Antarctic climate zone. The thickness of the ice cover exceeds 4,500 thousand meters, and therefore Antarctica is considered the highest continent on Earth. More than 90% of solar radiation is reflected from the icy surface, so the continent practically does not warm up. There is practically no precipitation, and there is no more than 250 mm per year. The average daytime temperature is -32 degrees, and the night temperature is -64. The minimum temperature was recorded at -89 degrees. Moving over the mainland strong winds with high speeds increasing along the coast.
Subantarctic climate
The climate of the subantarctic type is characteristic of the northern part of the continent. There are noticeable trends in weather conditions softening here. The precipitation here is twice as much, but does not exceed the annual norm of 500 mm. In summer, the air temperature rises slightly above 0 degrees. In this area there is slightly less ice and the terrain turns into rocky terrain covered with lichens and mosses. But the influence of the continental Arctic climate is significant. Therefore, there are strong winds and frosts here. Such weather conditions Absolutely unsuitable for human life.
Antarctic oases
On the coast of the Arctic Ocean, weather conditions that differ from continental ones have formed. These areas are called Antarctic oases. The average summer temperature is +4 degrees Celsius. Parts of the continent here are not covered with ice. In general, the number of such oases does not exceed 0.3% of the total area of the continent. Here you can find Antarctic lakes and lagoon lakes with high level salt. One of the first discovered Antarctic oases was the Dry Valleys.
Antarctica has unique climatic conditions because it is located at the South Pole of the Earth. There are two climatic zones here - Antarctic and Subantarctic, which are distinguished by the most severe weather conditions, in which there is practically no vegetation, but some species of animals and birds live.
Perhaps there is no place in the world more mysterious than Antarctica. The vast expanses of ice could tell a lot about what the Earth was like millions of years ago. But nature is in no hurry to reveal its secrets, and people return here again and again, fighting the cold and blizzard.
Antarctica is the icy heart of Antarctica: on an area of 13 million 661 thousand km 2 there are 30 million km 3 of ice! The geographical South Pole, the pole of cold (-89.2 °C - the most low temperature), pole of inaccessibility, conquered by a Soviet expedition in 1958, South Geomagnetic Pole.
The territory of the mainland does not belong to any country. In Antarctica, you cannot develop mineral resources or carry out production work - only scientific activity, therefore, in addition to seals and penguins, the mainland is inhabited by scientists from different countries. Only well-trained people, strong in spirit and body, live and work here. The reason for this is extreme conditions and harsh climate.
Features of the climate of Antarctica
The warmest time on the mainland occurs from November to February - this is spring and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. On the coast the air can warm up to 0°C, and near the cold pole the temperature rises to -30°C.
Summer in Antarctica is so sunny that you should never forget about sunglasses - you can seriously damage your eyesight. And you can’t do without lipstick either - without it, your lips instantly crack, and it’s impossible to eat or speak. Why then is it so cold, but the glaciers are not melting? Almost 90% of solar energy is reflected from ice and snow cover, and if we take into account that the continent receives solar heat mainly in the summer, it turns out that during the year Antarctica loses more heat than it gains.
The lowest temperature is from March to October, autumn and winter in Antarctica, when the thermometer drops to -75°C. This is a period of severe storms, planes do not fly to the mainland, and polar explorers find themselves cut off from the rest of the world for 8 long months.
Polar day and polar night in the Southern Hemisphere
Photo of the aurora near McMurdo Station, July 15, 2012
In Antarctica, as well as in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a polar night and a polar day, which last around the clock. If we rely only on astronomical calculations, then December 22, on the day summer solstice In the Southern Hemisphere, the sun should only be halfway below the horizon at midnight and then rise again. And June 22, on the day winter solstice- only half appear on the horizon at noon, and then disappear. But there is astronomical refraction - optical phenomenon associated with the refraction of light rays. Thanks to refraction, we see luminaries before they appear above the horizon, and for some time after they set. Therefore, the usual change of day and night occurs only in spring and autumn. In winter there is polar night, and in summer there is polar day.
Nature of Antarctica
Peculiar business card Antarctica - penguin. Several species of these funny birds live here: on the continental coast - emperor, king, gentoo, and Adelie penguins. And on the Antarctic and subantarctic islands live the crested, arctic, and golden-haired penguins.
There are other birds: petrels (Antarctic, snowy, silver-gray), skuas,
Antarctica is the habitat of several species of seals: Weddell seal, Ross seal, crabeater seal, southern elephant seal, leopard seal, Kerguelen fur seal.
Whales live here: blue whale, flat-faced bottlenose, sperm whale, killer whales, sei whale, southern minke whale.
It's hard to imagine, but even here, on icy continent, there is vegetation. Lichens, cereals and clove herbs, whose height does not exceed 1 cm, and some types of moss, hide in the crevices of rocks.
Polar stations of Antarctica
The photograph shows a view of the Antarctic McMurdo Station, November 2011
Most of the stations are located in the coastal zone of the continent, and only three of them are inland. These are the American Amundsen-Scott base, the French-Italian Concordia base and the Russian Vostok base.
Associated with the discovery of the “East” interesting story. When in the early 50s, at a meeting in Paris, questions about the development of Antarctica were decided, our delegation was given the task: to prove at all costs that Soviet Union there are enough resources to maintain the operation of the station at the very South Geographic Pole. But due to delays with passports and visas, our delegate was late for the start of the meeting, and this place had already been promised to the Americans. We got the South Geomagnetic Pole and the Pole of Inaccessibility. In 1957, the Vostok scientific station was founded at the South Geomagnetic Pole. And 50 years later, scientists managed to obtain a sample of water from an underground lake, which, as it turned out, was located right under the station! The fifth largest volume of fresh water, hidden under ice at a depth of almost 4000 m, Lake Vostok sheds light on the origins of the Earth and life on Earth. This is incredible luck!
The photo shows a spring sunset near the Palmer Arctic station, March 31, 2011
There are a total of 5 located in Antarctica Russian bases, working all year round: “Bellingshausen”, “Mirny”, “Vostok”, “Progress”, “Novolazarevskaya”. Scientists study the atmosphere, weather, ice, and movement of the earth's crust. All bases have the most comfortable conditions: in addition to everything necessary for work, there are rest rooms, gym, billiards, library. IP-telephony and Internet access have been established, channel 1 is broadcast.
The closest neighbors of the scientists from the Novolazarevskaya base are specialists from India. The name of their base - "Maitri" - means "friendship" and best describes the relationship between the polar explorers. By the way, a warm, friendly atmosphere has always been here. Even during the Cold War, scientists conducted joint research and used each other’s work.
A photograph of a satellite communications dish at Antarctic McMurdo Station
In addition to traditional holidays, the bases celebrate the beginning and end of each expedition. At the gala dinner, a symbolic handover of the key to the station takes place. Despite the speedy meeting with their relatives, scientists leaving the station involuntarily envy those who remain for the winter - Antarctica does not let go. Cold, blizzardy, but so beautiful.
Despite the fact that humanity has explored the Earth far and wide, scientists continue to make discoveries that force them to rewrite textbooks. So American researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder made their contribution -
they found that temperatures in Antarctica can drop to almost -100°C.
They spoke about the discovery of a new temperature record in an article in the magazine. Geophysical Research Letters .
Previously, the lowest recorded temperature in Antarctica was -93°C, this data was obtained in 2013. The new record, like the previous one, was set in the eastern part of the mainland. Researchers discovered it by studying satellite readings of temperature changes in Antarctica and comparing the results with data from ground-based weather stations.
The lowest temperature on Earth is now officially -98°C. The temperature record was set on July 31, 2010.
“I have never been in such cold and I hope I never will,” says Doyle Rice, one of the researchers. —
They say that every breath there brings pain and you need to be extremely careful not to freeze your throat and lungs when breathing. It’s much colder than Siberia or Alaska.”
“This is the kind of temperature that can be felt at the poles of Mars on a clear summer day,” says Ted Scambos, lead author of the study.
Temperatures drop so low in ice “pockets” up to three meters deep.
The scientists used data from the Terra and Aqua satellites, as well as measurements from US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites from 2004 to 2016. The greatest temperature changes, as it turned out, occur in the Southern Hemisphere at night in June-August. Temperatures below -90°C are regularly recorded there.
The researchers also identified conditions conducive to the establishment of a temperature minimum: clear skies, light breezes and extremely dry air. Even a minimal content of water vapor in the air contributes to its heating, although not much.
“In this area, during certain periods the air is very dry, and this allows the snow to release heat more easily,” Scambos explains.
The temperature record was recorded at several points at a distance of hundreds of kilometers from each other. This got the researchers wondering - is there even a limit to the cooling?
“It all depends on how long the conditions allow the air to cool and how much water vapor there is in the atmosphere,” Scambos said.
Extremely dry and cold air sinks into icy pockets and becomes colder and colder until weather conditions change. Temperatures could drop even lower, researchers say, but it will just take a lot of clear, dry days in a row.
If this record can be broken, it will obviously not be soon, the authors of the work believe. An increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and, in connection with this, an increase in the amount of water vapor does not at all contribute to the emergence of the conditions necessary for this.
“Observation of the processes that influence low air and surface temperatures suggests that we will experience extreme low temperatures less frequently in the future,” the researchers write.
The researchers note that the data obtained are indicators recorded remotely. The lowest temperature recorded at a land weather station was -89.2°C. It was recorded on July 21, 1983 at the Soviet Antarctic Vostok station.
Because the current data was obtained from satellites rather than directly, some researchers refuse to acknowledge its significance.
“The East is still the coldest place on Earth,” insists Randy Cervenu, a professor of geography at the University of Arizona and a World Meteorological Organization specialist. — Remote sensing was used here, not standard weather stations Therefore, we at the World Meteorological Organization do not accept these results.”
In the United States, the lowest temperature was recorded in Alaska in the Prospect Creek settlement. The temperature record set on January 23, 1971 was -80°C.
The Antarctic belt is the southernmost geographical belt of the Earth, which includes Antarctica and the adjacent islands and parts of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans with a border within 48-60° south latitude.
The Antarctic climate is characterized by a very harsh climate, with low air temperatures all year round, since the Earth's cold pole is located in the center of Antarctica. in winter average temperature ranges from - 60 to –70 °C, characterized by a long polar night. In summer the average temperature ranges from – 30 to – 50 °C, above – 20 °C doesn't rise. The radiation level has large values up to 30 kcal/cm² per month, but only 10% of the heat goes to heating the snow surface, the rest of the energy is reflected into space, so a negative radiation balance can be traced. Precipitation falls in the form of snow, its amount decreases from the coast to the center of the continent, respectively. from 500–700 to 30–50 mm . On the coast there are strong katabatic winds up to 12 m/s, frequent snow storms and fogs, and in central regions The weather on the mainland is mostly calm and clear.
The adjacent areas of the oceans are covered with ice. The area of ice cover varies from season to season, reaching a width of 500-2000 km in winter. The bottom surface is divided by vast basins. In summer, a narrow strip of sparse ice forms along the coast, and the surface layers of water are cold. Characteristic feature Antarctic waters are icebergs.
On land, the landscape of the Antarctic desert zone predominates, the main part of the continent is covered with ice sheets, only in the coastal areas are there Antarctic oases - exposed areas of land. Also, areas of mountain ranges and individual rocks - nunataks - are not covered with ice. Above 3000 m there is an area permafrost. In coastal oases there are mainly drainage and salt lakes, as well as lagoons surrounded by ice shelves, no rivers. 
Flora and fauna
Vegetable and fauna Antarctica is peculiar because of its long isolation. This explains the lack land mammals And freshwater fish. In summer, the rocks of the mainland heat up to a temperature just above 0 °C, and lichens, mosses, fungi, algae, and bacteria grow on them in places. Invertebrates found small sizes: rotifers, tardigrades and some species of wingless insects. Although Antarctic waters are cold, they are rich in fish and small crustaceans (krill). Seals, fur seals and whales live in the Antarctic zone, and seabirds nest on the coast, namely penguins, skuas, and albatrosses. Grows on the islands tundra vegetation, there are many birds.
In accordance with international agreements, it is prohibited in Antarctica economic activity, only scientific. A wide range of research and observations are being carried out by scientists from different countries, especially on climate change in natural conditions without the influence of the human factor.
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A certain part is called a climatic zone earth's surface with a certain climate, atmospheric circulation and intensity of solar heating.
There are 7 main types of climate zones on Earth. Broadly speaking, they are divided into permanent and transitional. Those are called constants climatic zones, in which one is constantly active air mass. And in transitional ones there are different and changing masses. The permanent ones include: equatorial, tropical, temperate and arctic, and the transitional ones include subequatorial, subtropical and subarctic.
Natural zones of the Arctic and Antarctic belts
Arctic climate zone
The Siberian coast of Russia, located on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, and the adjacent islands belong to the Arctic zone. The exception is the territory of the island New Earth, Vaigach Island, Kolguev Island and other islands located in the Barents Sea.
The Siberian coast is exposed to an arctic climate all year round; solar radiation reaches the Siberian lands only in summer and in small quantities. And in winter, when Siberia falls into the power of the polar night, solar radiation does not reach the earth at all. Only water heats some air layers. This is why the average January temperature on the mainland is higher than on the coast.
The Atlantic influences the western territories of Siberia, bringing warm air there.
During the polar day, solar insolation increases. In summer, most of the sun's energy is spent melting snow and ice. And yet the temperature rises - in July it is about 0 degrees, and on the coast it is +5 degrees. The southern part of Siberian territories warms up to +10 degrees.
About 200-300 mm of snow falls here per year.
Antarctic climate zone
On southern hemisphere The earth is located Antarctic natural belt. It covers the territory of Antarctica, nearby islands and parts of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans.
A cold, harsh climate prevails here. Winter temperature air temperature ranges from -60 to -70 degrees, and in summer - from -30 to -50. The maximum mark on the thermometer is -20 degrees.
The radiation level is quite high, about 30 kcal/cm² per month, but only a small part goes to warming the Earth's surface - 10%. Everything else is reflected into space. That is why these areas have a reduced radiation balance.
The amount of precipitation in the form of snow varies depending on the area. The closer to the center of the continent, the less precipitation. Strong winds blow on the coast, reaching up to 12 m/s. Constant phenomena near the oceans are storms and fogs, when at the same time in the center of the continent it is sunny and clear.
Part of the ocean surface is covered with ice. The scale of these covers depends on the time of year, and at its peak reaches 500-2000 km. in width. Icebergs are quite common here.
On land, arctic deserts covered with ice sheets dominate. Antarctic oases are found only in coastal areas. Some mountain ranges are also free of ice crust, they are called nunataks.
Greenland and Antarctica are subordinate to the Antarctic and Arctic belts.