Only in Antarctica can some research be carried out, so it has been reserved specifically as a place of science. The most striking characteristic of Antarctica proves to be the enormous ice shelf that covers over not simply nearly all of the land, but furthermore pushes out into the water as a permanent floating ice shelf which exists sometimes hundred of miles across the sea. The greatest one of these shelves, the Ross Ice Shelf, turns out to be almost as big as Texas. Current measurements taken show that the edge of this ice mass moves north at approximately 1800 feet each year.

Two percent of the planet's water and ninety percent of the world's ice are found in Antarctica. Sea level is kept in place because of the stability of the great inland ice. If it continues to melt, sea levels would rise visibly, and destroy seaports and alter coastlines. The most comprehensive information on arctic trips can be found on that website.

Complete melting would cause sea levels across the world to go up 250 feet. So, it is important for studies to be conducted on the present stability of the ice of Antarctica. If the ice is presently waxing greater or waning is not important. Providing geophysical history for over a million years is one aspect of the ice shelf.

History's actions, like smelting lead and the use of leaded gasoline, show in the ice. Common lead has been measured on the ice surface and tracked since the 1950's. Lead concentration has rapidly increased on the ice shelf. The increased use of leaded gasolines most likely perpetuated this. This shows us how very serious pollution can be.

Interestingly enough, the polar snow and ice didn't record any trace of DDT, but the penguins, seals and some fish in Antarctica did. Depending on where they are in the ice layers, we can determine when space particles came down and bombarded the earth, as far back as millions of years. If it can be determined that there are patterns to the space debris within those layers, we can assist astronauts in their space exploration by predicting what types of issues they may encounter. Further information on arctic ocean cruises can be found there.

Lichens make up a majority of Antarctic vegetation. Mites and springtails are the common animal life forms on the land itself. The biggest of these land animals is the wingless fly, in fact you will find no flying insects at all. The Weddell seal and penguins make their home in the surrounding ocean. Weddell seals have smashed nature's records by sustaining dives up to 1500 feet deep and not needing to surface to breathe for upwards of 30 minutes.

In the winter, Adelie penguins migrate north, but in the other months they hang around in the Antarctic. They can navigate with amazing accuracy. They use the sun and their own biological talents to maintain a straight course. Amazingly, three Adelies took only ten months to travel the 2400 miles back to their rookery. A few of them were taken by airplane to the South Pole and then let go. As soon as they knew they were released, all it took was a second to get their bearings, and they were soon off in the exactly correct direction.

Due to how productive this area is, it's no surprise that the world's largest creature frequents this place as well. The highly endangered blue whale is the largest animal ever recorded, and consumes a diet of a ton of shrimp on a daily basis. You'll find many more species of fish in the Antarctic than you will in the Arctic. A stunning proof of the efficiency of the Antarctic Convergence lies in the statistic that 90 percent of all bottom dwelling Antarctic fish can not be discovered anywhere else on earth.