Antarctica has not always been a place of ice and snow. Once part of
the supercontinent of Gondwanaland, it is believed to have enjoyed a
warmer climate in which plants and land animals thrived. However,
nowadays less than one percent of the surface is ice free, and at
bedrock level the ice can be up to a million or more years old. In
comparison, the Arctic consists entirely of pack-ice which breaks
into ice floes in summer and floats on the Arctic Ocean. While the
ice gives rise to spectacular scenery, both on land and sea, these
regions also have an astonishing variety of wildlife. The two Poles
have few common species (apart from some birds and whales) but many
unique endemic ones - polar bears, walruses and puffins in the north,
penguins and elephant seals in the south. The content will cover the
following topics, among others: - Geography and geology - Climate and
weather - Ice, icebergs, glaciers and land formations - History and
exploration - Wildlife and flora - how unique life has evolved in a
very harsh environment - Polar science - the scientists who live and
work in Antarctica, the research bases - Icebreaker shipping and
tourism - Politics and treaties and the interested parties, including
the 1988 Minerals Convention - The people of the Arctic -
Conservation and the future (specific Polar issues, such as melting
of the ice caps and ozone depletion). Both regions have long been
associated with tales of great heroism in their exploration, and here
too there are common links. Roald Amundsen was first to the South
Pole and died in a rescue in the north (at that time his ship, the
Fram, had been furthest south and furthest north). Frederic Cook, who
lodged a false claim to being first to the North Pole, was the first
to winter over in Antarctica, as part of a Belgian expedition.
Nowadays, tourists can visit in cruise ships and see the almost
impossible task the explorers set themselves. Both areas are of
concern ecologically. For several years there has been a hole in the
ozone layer over Antarctica; one is now opening over the Arctic
Circle. Ecologists watch both Antarctica and the Arctic for any signs
of change that may have implications for the planet as a whole. They
join scientists from all over the world conducting research in these
unique conditions. With interesting and authoritative text written by
a team of international experts, accompanied by over a thousand
superb photographs, this book will fascinate all with an interest in
the Poles and their wildlife.
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