Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth …

Jan 5, 2026 · The southernmost parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans meet the Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean, the cold oceanic water mass below 60° S with unique …

Antarctica is the only continent with no permanent human habitation. There are, however, permanent human settlements, where scientists and support staff live for part of the year on a …

Sep 25, 2025 · 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 …

Jan 5, 2026 · Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

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 …

Apr 17, 2025 · Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent on Earth. The Antarctic ice sheet contains about 7.2 million cubic miles (30 million cubic kilometers) in an area just under …

Antarctica is the southernmost continent in the world, surrounded by the Southern Ocean. Antarctic terrestrial and marine communities are sensitive to climate and environmental change.

The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau, and other island territories located on the Antarctic Plate or south of the Antarctic Convergence.

Jan 5, 2026 · During the first two decades of the 20th century, commonly called the “heroic era” of Antarctic exploration, great advances were made in not only geographic but also scientific …