ANTARCTICAThe world within the ice

Written by Elijah Fraser

map

Larson C ice shelf48,600km2

Davis station.Australia

Dumont D’ Urville station.France

Weddell sea

Indian Ocean

Australian territory

Argentinean territory

THE ANTARCTIC TREATY

The Antarctic treaty is the agreement that all countries that claim part of Antarctica must follow. The Antarctic treaty was created in 1959 and was enforced in 1961 and twelve nations have signed

the treaty. It was signed in Washington D.C, America. The purpose of the treaty is to ensure the safety of Antarctica, and preserve it so the

wildlife may survive, so future scientists to study and for future families to visit.

DOUGLAS MAWSON’S DISCOVERY OF ANTARCTICA

SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON

DOUGLAS MAWSON'S EXPLORATION OF ANTARCTICA

•Sir Douglas Mawson, born 5th May 1882 in Yorkshire and died 14th October 1958 in South Australia, was an

Australian explorer and geologist. Mawson was a key expedition leader during the age of Antarctic exploration. He was appointed geologist to a expedition to the New

Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in 1903. In 1910 Mawson turned down an invitation to join Robert Falcon Scott and instead

chose to lead his own expedition, The Australasian Antarctic Expedition, to King George V Land and Adelie

Land. He married Francisca Adriana Delprat on march 31st 1914 at Holy Trinity Church in England. He and his wife had two children, Patricia and Jessica. Although he was born in England he and his family moved to Australia in

1884 at the age of two. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage at his Brighton home in 1958.

•Humans are doing more damage to Antarctica than many first thought. Humans have long thought that Antarctica is completely unspoiled and pristine, but since humans have

built stations there and tourists are travelling to see it, rubbish has been left there and sewerage has been dumped

into the ocean. Many people – usually miners – have left barrels and containers out in the snow. Animals have been

harvested for financial gain which has brought some species close to extinction. Fishing, sealing and whaling has

also been a problem because it has been taking food from the local animals, and killing innocent creatures. Animals

are also killed by eating rubbish left by humans.

HOW HUMANS HAVE IMPACTED ANTARCTICA

Murderer!!!

The ancient Greeks called the constellation above the northern sky Arctos or the bear, so they

called Antarctica, antarktikos or opposite the bear.

In winter, sea ice covers an area of20 million square kilometres but in summer it only covers around 5

million square kilometres. Scientists in Germany are studying

the worlds oldest ice to further understand climate change.

The layers of feathers on a penguin’s body keep the warmth

inside them and keeps the cold air out.

Humans harvest krill for food, bait fishmeal and stock feed. Over

harvesting krill may cause problems in the food web because so many animal species depend on

this krill to survive. Some penguins like the Gentoo and the Adelie penguins have a brushy

tail that keeps them from sliding on the ice.

DID YOU KNOW?

Unlike the giant squid, whose tentacles only have small teeth on suckers, the colossal squid’s tentacles have sharp hooks,

some three pointed. It’s body is round and stout which makes it also heavier than the giant squid. It also has a longer body but has shorter tentacles. It’s beak is also the largest of any squid.Though little is know about this creature it is believed to feed

on large fish and other squid deep in the ocean. It is thought to have a slow metabolic rate requiring only 30 g of food per day. Estimates of it’s energetic needs suggest it is a slow moving

predator. An adult squid can delve into depths of up to 2200 metres.

ANIMAL REPORT: COLOSSAL SQUID

Largest cephalopod ever caught. 2007

Colossal squid tentacle with barbs.

1773- Captain James Cook is the first person to cross the Antarctic circle. 1821- John Davis is the first to land on Antarctica.

1823- John Weddell go the furthest south into the Antarctic.1841- Sir James Clark Ross searched for the magnetic South pole.

1895- Carsten Borchgrevink found lichen. 1898- Adrein de Gerlasche and his team are the first to survive a Antarctic winter.

1901-1902- Scott and Shackleton try to walk the entire south pole and are unsuccessful.

1907-1909- Shackleton almost reaches the south pole on a journey of his own. 1911- The race to the south pole begins. Amundsen comes first.

1911- Scott comes second. 1912- Scott dies on the way back to his ship.

1914- Shackleton and his crew sail from England to Antarctica just before WW1 starts.

1940’s- the first permanent settlement happened.

ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION TIMELINE

FOOD CHAIN

Colossal squid

Sperm whale

Orca

Penguin

fish

Krill

Plankton

• Should tourists be allowed in Antarctica?

NO!!!! • Tourist will leave rubbish which will

kill animals!!! • Don’t let tourists in!!! Global

warming is doing enough damage!!!

PROTEST POSTER

The Colossal Squid is… Colossal

Spiky DangerousStrange

Mysterious Slightly creepy Big tentacles Small body Unknown

WeirdCool Slimy

DESCRIBING AN ANIMAL WITH ADJECTIVES

THE END

BYE BYE!