Antarctica - Wikipedia Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, with an average thickness of 1 9 km (1 2 mi) Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents, and has the highest average elevation It is mainly a polar desert, with annual precipitation of over 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland
Antarctica - National Geographic Society Without any ice, Antarctica would emerge as a giant peninsula and archipelago of mountainous islands, known as Lesser Antarctica, and a single large landmass about the size of Australia, known as Greater Antarctica
Frequently Asked Questions About Antarctica - NASA NASA uses satellites to study the ice on Antarctica and how the continent is changing Scientists want to know how changes in Earth’s climate are affecting Antarctica’s ice sheets
Antarctica Overview – Land Area, Climate Research Facts Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent, covering an area of 13 72 million square kilometers, making it the fifth-largest continent by land area Despite its massive size, Antarctica has no permanent population due to its harsh climate, icy terrain, and remote location
Antarctica - New World Encyclopedia Antarctica is Earth 's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole Situated in the southern hemisphere and largely south of the Antarctic Circle, Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean
Antarctica: a massive frozen landmass | WWF Antarctica is a vast ice-covered landmass surrounded by sea (unlike the Arctic, which is an ice-covered ocean surrounded by land) It’s bigger than Europe, and in summer, it's still 62 times the size of the UK!
What Is Antarctica? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids Though Antarctica is really, really chilly, it is considered a desert because it receives very little rain or snowfall The small amount of snow that does fall does not melt but builds up over hundreds and thousands of years to form large, thick ice sheets