Antarctica

Earth’s southernmost continent, centered on the South Pole and almost entirely covered by ice. It has no permanent native population and is governed through international agreements.

Antarctic Ice Sheet: The vast ice mass covering most of Antarctica, formed from accumulated and compacted snowfall. It holds most of the continent’s ice and dominates its landscape.
Ice shelf: A floating extension of a glacier or ice sheet that remains attached to land ice. Antarctic ice shelves buttress inland glaciers and can slow their flow into the sea.
Antarctic research station: A staffed facility in Antarctica that supports scientific research and logistical operations. Stations enable year-round observations in a place with no permanent civilian settlements.
Roald Amundsen: A Norwegian polar explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole, in 1911. His expedition achieved the first confirmed arrival at Antarctica’s geographic pole.
Madrid Protocol: The 1991 environmental protocol to the Antarctic Treaty, including a ban on mineral resource activities. It makes environmental protection a central obligation for activities on the continent.
Antarctic Peninsula: The narrow, mountainous extension of Antarctica pointing toward South America. Its relatively mild maritime climate makes it one of the continent’s most accessible regions.
Iceberg: A piece of glacier or ice-shelf ice that has broken off and floats in water. Calving transfers Antarctic ice from shelves into the ocean.
Ice core: A cylindrical sample of ice drilled from a glacier or ice sheet, preserving layers of past snowfall. Antarctic cores preserve records of past temperature and atmospheric composition.
Robert Falcon Scott: A British naval officer and Antarctic explorer who reached the South Pole in 1912. His expedition’s fate became a defining episode in the history of Antarctic exploration.
Antarctic territorial claims: Overlapping sovereignty claims to parts of Antarctica, set aside under the Antarctic Treaty. The treaty preserves the claims’ status without requiring other states to recognize them.

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