Zeno and Geography of Antarctica: Difference between pages

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<b>Location:</b>
*[[Zeno of Elea]] (c490-c430 BCE), Greek [[Eleatic]] philosopher, follower of [[Parmenides]]. Famous for his [[Zenos paradoxes|paradoxes]].
continent mostly south of the [[Antarctic Circle]]
*[[Zeno of Citium]] (c364-c265 BCE), Greek philosopher, founder of [[Stoicism]].
<p><b>Geographic coordinates:</b>
*Zeno (d. 491 CE), Emperor of the Eatern Roman Empire 474-491.
90 00 S, 0 00 E
<p><b>Map references:</b>
Antarctic Region
<p><b>Area:</b>
<br><i>total:</i>
14 million sq km
<br><i>land:</i>
14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.)
<br><i>note:</i>
fifth-largest continent, following [[Asia]], [[Africa]], [[North America]], and [[South America]], but larger than [[Australia]] and the subcontinent of [[Europe]]
<p><b>Land boundaries:</b>
0 km
<br><i>note:</i>
see entry on International disputes
<p><b>Coastline:</b>
17,968 km
<p><b>Maritime claims:</b>
none, but see the Disputes - international entry
<p><b>Climate:</b>
severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing
<p><b>Terrain:</b>
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 5,140 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern [[Victoria Land]], [[Wilkes Land]], the [[Antarctic Peninsula]] area, and parts of [[Ross Island]] on [[McMurdo Sound]]; [[glacier]]s form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
<p><b>Elevation extremes:</b>
<br><i>lowest point:</i>
Southern Ocean 0 m
<br><i>highest point:</i>
[[Vinson Massif]] 5,140 m
<p><b>Natural resources:</b>
none presently exploited; [[iron]] ore, [[chromium]], [[copper]], [[gold]], [[nickel]], [[platinum]] and other minerals, and [[coal]] and [[hydrocarbons]] have been found in small, uncommercial quantities
<p><b>Land use:</b>
<br><i>arable land:</i>
0%
<br><i>permanent crops:</i>
0%
<br><i>permanent pastures:</i>
0%
<br><i>forests and woodland:</i>
0%
<br><i>other:</i>
100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%)
<p><b>Irrigated land:</b>
0 sq km (1993)
<p><b>Natural hazards:</b>
katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on [[Deception Island]] and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak
<p><b>Environment - current issues:</b>
in 1998, [[NASA]] satellite data showed that the antarctic [[ozone hole]] was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light coming through the hole damages the [[DNA]] of icefish, an antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled antarctic marine plants
<p><b>Geography - note:</b>
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the [[South Pole]] than is received at the [[Equator]] in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable

:''See also :'' [[Antarctica]]

Revision as of 02:12, 29 January 2002

Location: continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle

Geographic coordinates: 90 00 S, 0 00 E

Map references: Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 14 million sq km
land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km ice-covered) (est.)
note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe

Land boundaries: 0 km
note: see entry on International disputes

Coastline: 17,968 km

Maritime claims: none, but see the Disputes - international entry

Climate: severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below freezing

Terrain: about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 5,140 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Southern Ocean 0 m
highest point: Vinson Massif 5,140 m

Natural resources: none presently exploited; iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small, uncommercial quantities

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

Natural hazards: katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak

Environment - current issues: in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the antarctic ozone hole was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers; researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light coming through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an antarctic fish lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm one-celled antarctic marine plants

Geography - note: the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent; during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly uninhabitable

See also : Antarctica