Antarctica: World's largest reservoir of fresh water
September 21, 20243 Mins Read
Antarctica—The coldest, driest and most remote continent on Earth. The beauty and mystery of this continent has always attracted people. But how much do we know about this continent? This article is for those who are interested in getting to know the white and icy Antarctica better.

Antarctica

The world's largest desert

As we know, the dust is a desert. Is the ice also a desert? Generally speaking of desert, high sand dunes, hot sun come to mind. But actually deserts don't have to be just hot or sandy. Desert means lack of rainfall. Areas that receive very little annual rainfall are called deserts. Surprising but true, Antarctica is the world's largest desert by area. ice desert

In the past thirty years, the South Pole has received an average of only ten millimeters of rain per year, which is very insignificant. That is why it took about 45 million or 45 million years to form a thick layer of ice in Antarctica. Apart from being the driest continent in the world, Antarctica is also the coldest. The average temperature here is around minus 57 degrees Celsius throughout the year. However, the temperature can drop to minus 90 degrees Celsius in winter. The amount of dust flying in the air is the highest here. It is also the highest continent in terms of land.

World's largest fresh water reservoir

Antarctica is the largest reservoir of fresh water on our planet. 60 to 90 percent of the world's total fresh water is locked up in the vast ice caps of this continent. This ice covers about 14 million or 14 million square kilometers. It is also the largest ice reservoir in the world. The mountains, valleys and plateaus of Antarctica are covered with this ice. All in all, only one percent of the continent remains free of ice throughout the year.

During the summer, the ice in parts of the Antarctic Peninsula melts. The maximum thickness of this ice is about 4.5 km, which is about half the height of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain. If this huge ice sheet were to melt completely, the world's sea level could rise by about 60 meters. Coastal areas and island states may be endangered as a result.

There is no specific timezone

The concept of time in Antarctica is quite complex. At the South Pole all the meridians of the earth meet at one point. Hence, the concept of different time zones does not apply here. Most of Antarctica has 6 months of continuous daylight in summer, and 6 months of darkness in winter. The concept of time is different here as there is no normal cycle of day and night. Scientists researching in Antarctica usually follow their own country's time.

For example, there are research centers of various countries including Chile, China, Russia, United Kingdom in the Antarctic Peninsula. Each center follows their own country's time, but that causes problems in communication and information exchange between the centers. Christchurch New Zealand time zone is generally used for exchanging supplies or required various materials and information. Aurora expedition tourists usually follow Usuaia time. However, when traveling to the Falkland Islands or South Georgia, they follow local time there.