White spots on the Antarctic map. Majestic Antarctica is the keeper of secrets. What's at the end of the tunnel

Part thirty-four Underground - when you are near the elevator, do not start it, but just jump down, there will be an egg. You can climb back along the chain hanging from the booth. We call the elevator, start it and immediately jump into it. We leave on the second level, we

Part Four Return Chapter I Tsvetnoy Boulevard, 13 The ambulance train arrived at Savelovsky Station early in the morning. Osinsky got to the circus on foot. He was in no hurry, he walked measuredly, thin, unshaven, with sunken eyes. Here is Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Here everything is as before.

Antarctica is not just a blank spot. She is full of mysteries.
Only 2% of Antarctica's surface is ice-free.

ice barrier


Antarctica is the highest continent. The average height is 2330 m above sea level.

The Vinson Massif is the highest mountain in Antarctica. The existence of the mountain range became known only in 1957, it was discovered by American aircraft. It was subsequently named the Vinson Massif, after Carl Vinson, the famous American politician. The highest point - Vinson Peak (4892 m) is part of the Seven Summits climbing project. 1400 climbers tried to conquer it. This year, MPs A. Sidyakin and O. Savchenko succeeded in this as part of the American group. The deputies hoisted the flags of Russia and the regions they represent: Tatarstan and Volgograd.

Among the mountains there are many extinct or dormant volcanoes. But there are also active ones. The most famous is Mount Erebus on about. Ross.


There are many outlandish towers on the slopes, from which steam comes.


Erebus volcano crater.


There is even a river in Antarctica - Onyx. True, it flows only 60 days a year.


Numerous inhabitants of the Antarctic. But they all live near the edge of the sea.

The most numerous are penguins. In total, 18 species of these flightless birds are known. Only two species nest on the mainland itself - imperial and Adelie.

emperor penguins





gentoo penguins

Pinnipeds: seals, sea lions, elephants, leopards...

In the waters of Antarctica, whales are often found: blue (the largest, in the photo), striped, humpback, killer whales, etc.
Many birds nest in Antarctica. We saw non-flyers. Now - flight record holders.


Giant Antarctic petrel (wingspan over 2 m)


Albatross (wingspan up to 4 m)
Quite a few (about 150) subglacial lakes have been discovered in Antarctica.


The color of the triangles indicates the researcher country. Russian - red.
The most famous is Lake Vostok, located under a huge thickness of ice near Vostok station. In total, over 40 scientific stations operate on the continent, including 5 Russian ones.

Vostok station is located at the south magnetic pole. Here, in 1983, the Soviet polar explorer V.S. Sidorov recorded a record of negative temperatures on Earth: minus 89.2 degrees Celsius. (A photo of the Hero of the Soviet Union was posted in one of my posts). Later, a lot of noise was raised about a new record for minos temperatures. Here, for example, is a quote from the publication of the Russian newspaper for 12/09/2013

The sub-zero temperature record was broken on Earth in 1983. Scientists recorded a temperature of minus 91.2 degrees Celsius in Antarctica, in the area of ​​the Japanese research station Fuji Dome, ITAR-TASS reports with reference to the British newspaper The Sunday Times.

In 1989, ice drilling began at Vostok station with the aim of studying ice cores and compiling paleoclimatic reconstructions. The subglacial Lake Vostok was discovered. Drilling has been suspended. For eight years, scientists have been thinking about the topic "to open - not to open" the lake. They were afraid of unforeseen consequences: the release of unprecedented strains of viruses, a powerful ejection of water (because it is in the lake under enormous pressure of the overlying ice layer of almost 4 km. As a result, drilling nevertheless continued. On February 5, 2012, at 20.25 Moscow time, a drilling projectile at a depth 3769.3 meters entered the water layer of the subglacial lake. In general, the sensational discoveries that were discussed before the drill entered the water of the lake did not happen. The water in the lake turned out to be saturated with oxygen much more than is required to support life. But apart from bacteria, Boer, no other signs of life were found. The relatively high temperature of the water is apparently due to the presence of thermal springs. For three years of research (2012-29015), the result is more than modest. For the season of 2015, the study of the entire thickness of the lake is scheduled. But this the season may be the last - project funding is being cut.
And in conclusion - a few words about the "bloody waterfall".


This waterfall is formed by a water stream flowing periodically from a subglacial lake located a few kilometers away under the Taylor Glacier. Its color is due to the content of ferruginous compounds.

There are no more white spots left in Antarctica. Based on images from space, scientists have compiled a detailed map of the sixth continent. And they found unusual objects on it.

Andrey EGOROV. Photo from lima.nasa.gov - 12/10/2007

Last week, specialists from the US National Space Agency and the British Antarctic Society announced the creation of the most detailed three-dimensional map of the icy continent. For three years, from 1999 to 2001, the Landsat-7 space satellite snapped 1,100 images of Antarctica from various angles. Plus a few tens of thousands of aerial photography frames. Scientists spent another six years studying the images and putting this mosaic together. True, a complete map of the mainland still did not work out. Due to the peculiarities of the orbits of the Earth's satellites, it was not possible to shoot the very "top" of our planet - the region of the South Pole. But this does not bother scientists: although the first space photos of this continent appeared back in 1972, and the first map in 1998, the current one turned out to be 10 times clearer than all previously existing images of the white continent. For example, you can see objects measuring 15x15 meters. That is half a basketball court. In addition, all the pictures are given in real color, and on the map you can understand how it really looks from space.

According to project leader Robert Binshadler of NASA's Hydrosphere and Biosphere Laboratory, if scientists around the world "used to study the ice continent on black and white TV, now they have been provided with the most sophisticated color."

Also, the map will help to assess how it affects, and whether it affects Antarctica at all. Now the situation is ambiguous. Satellite images show that, on the one hand, in the area of ​​the Ross Sea, coastal glaciers are rapidly melting and sliding into the sea, but in other areas, the area of ​​ice fields is increasing.

There are no more "white" spots on the white mainland. However, while experts were working on mapping, they saw a lot of unexpected things. And pretty broke their heads to explain what they saw.

Volcanoes in the ice

This place in the west of Antarctica is well known to polar explorers - expeditions have repeatedly been here.

But if you stand on the surface, no "circles in the ice" is visible - an ordinary snow-covered plain. However, satellite images revealed just such a convex anomaly. It turned out to be an extinct volcano. There are many of them in Antarctica. And this once again proves that the sixth continent of our planet was not always icebound.

Anomalous airfield

“This simply cannot be!” Legend has it that this is exactly what one graduate student exclaimed, who was sent to analyze the images sent from orbit by the Landsat-7 probe. Someone gives a distress sign and laid out a giant cross in Antarctica.

Everything turned out to be much easier. "X" - two runways of the American polar station McMurdo.

By the way, the dome of the station is visible to the left of the point of their intersection.

Noah frozen in ice?

And this picture was liked by lovers of everything anomalous. The picture is remarkably similar to the remains of Noah's Ark, which is said to have petrified on the slope of Ararat (see photo below). In fact, this is the Dry Valleys region - the only place in Antarctica that is free of snow.

How ice rivers flow

Similar pictures can often be seen in archaeologists.
Using aerial photography, they determine the contours of ancient cities covered in sand or earth.

And scientists have found something similar in Antarctica. Alas, these are not ruins left by a mysterious civilization. A "river" is an ice stream that moves at a speed of several hundred meters per year. And if there are some obstacles at the bottom of the river or two rivers collide, then whirlpools begin, as in this photo.

BY THE WAY

Now there are 50 polar research stations in Antarctica from 20 countries of the planet. Russia contains 6 permanent stations and two seasonal ones. This year, the next, 53rd Russian Antarctic Expedition, plans to reopen two more of our stations, which were closed in the late 80s of the last century.

Antarctica is not much different from Mars. Just more oxygen. And the cold is the same. In some places, the temperature drops to minus 90 degrees Celsius. There is only one fundamental difference - there are people in Antarctica, but not yet on Mars. But this does not mean that the ice continent has been studied much better than the Red Planet. Mysteries abound here and there...

We don't know if there is life on Mars. We do not know what is hidden under many kilometers of Antarctic ice. And about what is happening on its surface, there is only a vague idea.

Surprisingly, there are more high-resolution images of Mars than of Antarctica. You can see in detail the details of its relief only on a narrow strip in the area of ​​Queen Mary Land, where surprises were found. And it would not be bad to look at other places. Especially those that have long been legendary.

THREE MYSTERIES

The discovery belongs to Joseph Skipper, a well-known virtual archaeologist from the United States. He usually "digs" on Mars and on the Moon, looking at photographs transmitted from there by spacecraft and posted on the official websites of NASA and other space agencies. Finds a lot of surprising things that fall sharply out of traditional ideas.

The researcher's collection contains objects that look like bones and skulls of humanoids. And those that (with a stretch, of course) can be mistaken for the remains of them - humanoids - of civilized activity.

This time the archaeologist became interested in the Earth - specifically Antarctica. And I found three oddities there at once - a hole, a "plate" and lakes.

I followed Skipper's footsteps and found all the objects he found. Their coordinates are known, they are clearly visible on satellite images of the ice continent posted on the Google Earth website.

Coordinates:
"Move": 99o43'11, 28''E; 66o36'12, 36''S
"Lake": 100o47'51.16''E; 66o18'07.15''S
"Flying Saucer" 99o58'54.44''E; 66o30'02.22''S

"Hole" discovered by Joseph Skipper

According to Skipper, there is a whole underground city on the ice continent. And the proof of this are the lakes with liquid water among the ice of Antarctica, as well as the huge "Hod" located on the ice continent. But who could build all this in the terrible cold? The answer to this question, according to Skipper, is given by his third find - a huge "plate", which may belong to aliens.

THERE HITLER hid

It is known that the Nazis were very interested in Antarctica. A number of expeditions were sent there. And they even staked out a vast territory in the area of ​​Queen Maud Land, calling it New Swabia.

There, in 1939, on the coast, the Germans discovered a striking area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 40 square kilometers, free of ice. With a relatively mild climate, with numerous ice-free lakes. It was named the Schirmacher oasis - after the German pilot-discoverer. Subsequently, the Soviet polar station Novolazarevskaya was located here.

According to the official version, the Third Reich went to Antarctica to build bases there to guard their whaling fleets. But there are much more interesting assumptions. Although it is difficult to call them even science fiction. A heap of some mysticism.

In short, this is the story. Allegedly, during the expeditions to Tibet, the Nazis learned that there was something inside Antarctica. Some vast and warm cavities. And in them there is something left either from aliens, or from an ancient highly developed civilization that once lived there. At the same time, in a separate bike, it was claimed that Antarctica was once Atlantis.

As a result, already at the end of the 30s of the last century, German submarines found a secret passage in the ice. And they got inside - into these very cavities.
Further, the legends diverge. According to one version, the Nazis built their cities under the ice, according to another, they conspired with the local inhabitants and settled in a free housing stock.

There - inside the ice continent - in 1945, a living Hitler was brought along with a living Eva Braun. Allegedly, he sailed in a submarine, accompanied by a large escort - a whole squadron of huge submarines (8 pieces) called the Fuhrer's Convoy. And lived until 1971. And according to some sources, right up to 1985.

The authors of the Antarctic myths also place under the ice the "flying saucers" of the Third Reich, rumors about which are saturated with numerous books, films, TV shows and the Internet. Like, the Nazis also hid these devices inside. Then they improved it and still operate it, starting from mines in Antarctica. A UFO - this is the very "saucers".

"Plate" - either alien or German

Tales about polar aliens and Germans are hard to take seriously. But... What to do with the hole, "plate" and lakes discovered by Joseph Skipper? One fits very well with the other. Unless, of course, the objects are what they look like.

UFOs can fly out of a hole in the mountains. The plate is real. Maybe even an alien. Looks icy. And as if exposed as a result of either global warming or weathering. It belongs to those guys who lived or live in the inner warm cavities of Antarctica.

Lake on the surface of Antarctica

Well, lakes are just evidence that they - cavities - exist. And warm the oases. Like the Schirmacher oasis, which is far from the only one.

Antarctica is a strange place...

By the way, Lake Vostok is not free from tales. A strong magnetic anomaly has been found on its western side. This is a scientific fact. But the nature of the anomaly has not yet been determined. Which gives ufologists the right, at least temporarily, to claim that there is a massive metal object here. Specifically - a huge alien ship. Maybe crashed. Maybe abandoned millions of years ago, when there was no ice over the lake. Maybe active and just parked.

This is what ice looks like over Lake Vostok. On the left side - a magnetic anomaly and strange dunes. On the right bank - station "Vostok"

Unfortunately, the magnetic anomaly is located far from the well - at the opposite end of the lake. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to solve it soon. If it ever works out at all.

At the Vostok station in Antarctica, our scientists completed drilling at a depth of 3,768 thousand meters and reached the surface of a subglacial lake

It is already known that Lake Vostok is far from the only one in Antarctica. There are more than a hundred of them. East is simply the largest open. Now researchers suggest that all these lakes, hidden under a layer of ice, communicate with each other.

The existence of an extensive network of subglacial rivers and channels was recently reported by British scientists - Duncan Wingham (Duncan Wingham) from University College London (University College London) with colleagues - by publishing an article in the authoritative scientific journal Nature. Their conclusions are based on data received from satellites.

Wingham assures: the under-ice channels are as full-flowing as the Thames.

Mystery of Lake Wanda. This is a salty lake, all year round it is covered with ice. But what is amazing: a thermometer lowered into the water to a depth of 60 m shows ... 25 degrees Celsius! Why? Scientists don't know this yet. Probably Antarctica will present many more such mysteries.

Laughter, laughter, but the discovery of British scientists does not contradict the most delusional versions of the hidden Antarctic life. On the contrary, it reinforces them. After all, a network of channels located at a depth of about 4 kilometers under lean ice can connect one cavity with another. Serve as a kind of roads, which in some place may have access to the ocean. Or an entrance.

Queen Maud Land is a vast area on the Atlantic coast of Antarctica, lying between 20 ° west and 44 ° 38 "east longitude. The area is about 2,500,000 square kilometers. The territory is subject to the Antarctic Treaty.

This treaty prohibits the use of the Antarctic territories for any purpose other than scientific research. Several scientific stations operate on the territory of Queen Maud Land, including the Russian station "Novolazarevskaya" and the German station "Neumeier"

Antarctica was discovered back in 1820. However, its first systematic and in-depth study began only a century later. Moreover, the representatives of Nazi Germany turned out to be the most interested researchers of the ice continent. In 1938-1939, the Germans sent two powerful expeditions to the continent.

Luftwaffe planes took detailed photographs of vast territories and dropped several thousand metal pennants with a swastika on the mainland. Captain Ritscher, responsible for the operation, personally reported to Field Marshal Goering, who at that time was the head of the Ministry of Aviation and the first person in the Air Force:

"Every 25 kilometers, our planes dropped pennants. We covered an area of ​​approximately 8,600,000 square meters. Of these, 350,000 square meters were photographed."

The surveyed territory was called New Swabia and declared part of the future thousand-year Reich. Actually, the name was not chosen by chance. Swabia is a medieval duchy, which later became part of the unified German state.

The activity of the Nazis in this direction, of course, did not hide from Soviet intelligence, as evidenced by a unique document labeled "Top Secret". On January 10, 1939, he lay down on the table of the First Deputy People's Commissar of the NKVD, the head of the Main Directorate of State Security, Vsevolod Merkulov.

In it, an unknown intelligence officer reported the following about his trip to the Reich: "... At present, according to Gunther, a party of German researchers is working in Tibet. The result of the work of one of the groups ... made it possible to equip a scientific expedition of the Germans to Antarctica in December 1938 The purpose of this expedition is the discovery by the Germans of the so-called city of the gods, hidden under the ice of Antarctica in the area of ​​Queen Maud Land ... "

"Lake": 66o18'07.15''S; 100o47'51.16''E. 1. Queen Maud Land and Schirmacher Oasis. 2. Anomalies on the Queen Mary Land - a "way", "plate" and "lake" were found here.

There is a lot of evidence that there are places in the central region of the Antarctic ice sheet where, apparently, there is water near its lower surface. Igor Zotikov, a researcher at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke about how, back in 1961, he analyzed data on the ice sheet of the central part of Antarctica obtained during the first four Soviet expeditions.

The results of this analysis showed that the central regions are in conditions where the removal of heat from the lower surface of the glacier upwards is very small due to its large thickness. In this regard, the entire heat flux from the bowels of the earth cannot be completely removed from the boundaries of the "ice - solid bed" section, part of it must be constantly spent on continuous melting near this boundary.

The following conclusion was made: melt water in the form of a relatively thin film is squeezed out to places where the thickness of the glacier is less. In separate recesses of the under-ice bed, this water can accumulate in the form of lakes of melt water.

In May 1962, the Izvestia newspaper wrote: “... It can be assumed that under the ice of Antarctica, in an area almost equal to the area of ​​Europe, a sea of ​​\u200b\u200bfresh water spills. It must be rich in oxygen, which is delivered by the upper layers of ice gradually sinking into the depths and snow. And it is very possible that this subglacial sea has its own, exceptionally peculiar life ... "

There are still unexplored areas in Antarctica, says Sergey Bulat, senior researcher at the Department of Molecular and Radiation Biophysics at the St. Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics. - The subglacial structure is very diverse, it is a typical continental relief, where there are mountains, lakes, and so on. There are niches between the continent and the ice, but they are not empty, they are all filled with either water or ice.

However, in my opinion, the existence of a separate civilization under the ice cap is impossible. After all, the thickness of the ice in Central Antarctica is over three kilometers. It's easy for anything to survive there. Do not forget that the average temperature on the surface of the continent is minus 55 degrees. Although under the ice, of course, it is warm - about 5-6 degrees below zero, nevertheless, life there is unlikely.

The area of ​​Antarctica is about 14 million square kilometers. Almost the entire continent is covered with ice. In some places, its thickness reaches 5 kilometers. And what is under it is known only about an insignificant part of the surface.

A team of scientists from China, Japan and the UK recently published the results of their 4-year study in the journal Nature. From 2004 to 2008, they drove powerful all-terrain vehicles through the harshest region of Antarctica - over the Gamburtsev mountains. And they shone it with radar. The result was a relief map of the surface with an area of ​​about 900 square kilometers.

And it turned out that once the continent was free of ice. Even 34 million years ago there were mountains and plains with flowering meadows. Like now in the European Alps.

But something happened. The researchers found a place from which a small glacier, located on the highest peak (about 2400 meters), began to grow. Gradually, he covered the whole of Antarctica. He hid several lakes under a layer of ice.

Martin Seigert from the University of Edinburgh, who took part in the expedition, is sure that frozen plants are still preserved in the valleys of the Antarctic Alps. Even small trees. It's just not possible to get to them. But you can try, for example, by drilling.

Some facts

Antarctica has at least four poles. In addition to the geographic South and magnetic, there are also the pole of cold and the pole of winds.

In Antarctica, there are such frosts that are not found anywhere else on earth. On August 25, 1958, a temperature of 87.4 degrees below zero was recorded at the Vostok station.
And the pole of the winds? It is located on the Antarctic Victoria Land. Violent winds rage there all year round. It is not uncommon for air currents to exceed 80 meters per second, leaving behind the strongest tropical cyclones...

A plane frozen in ice in Antarctica near the Russian station Novolazarevskaya

And what is under the ice of this continent? As a result of deep drilling at a depth of one and a half kilometers, scientists discovered clear traces of volcanic eruptions and iron ore deposits. Diamonds and uranium, gold and rock crystal have already been found here. Each year brings new mysteries to the researchers of the Antarctic continent.

There are fewer and fewer “white” spots on the white mainland. However, while experts were working on mapping, they saw a lot of unexpected things. And pretty broke their heads to explain what they saw.

Volcanoes in the ice

This place in the west of Antarctica is well known to polar explorers - expeditions have repeatedly been here.

But if you stand on the surface, no "circles in the ice" is visible - an ordinary snow-covered plain. However, satellite images revealed just such a convex anomaly. It turned out to be an extinct volcano. There are many of them in Antarctica. And this once again proves that the sixth continent of our planet was not always icebound.

Noah frozen in ice?

And this picture was liked by lovers of everything anomalous. The picture is remarkably similar to the remains of Noah's Ark, which is said to have petrified on the slope of Ararat (see photo below). In fact, this is the area of ​​\u200b\u200bDry Valleys - the only place in it that is free of snow.

How ice rivers flow

Similar pictures can often be seen in archaeologists. Using aerial photography, they determine the contours of ancient cities covered in sand or earth.

And something similar is found in Antarctica. Alas, these are not ruins left by a mysterious civilization. A "river" is an ice stream that moves at a speed of several hundred meters per year. And if there are some obstacles at the bottom of the river or two rivers collide, then whirlpools begin, as in this photo.

Now there are 50 polar research stations in Antarctica from 20 countries of the planet. Russia contains 6 permanent stations and two seasonal ones.

Polar scientists and weather forecasters jokingly call Antarctica the “weather kitchen” for the entire planet. Experts know exactly when the conditions are more or less favorable for traveling in the vicinity of the South Geographic Pole. Ordinary people are often at a loss: “What is the warmest month beyond the Antarctic Circle? Are there positive temperatures in Antarctica? It is not easy to figure out what is going on in the "kitchen of the weather", everything is different here, not like on other continents.

The white continent becomes more accessible

Until the 20s of the 19th century, scientists and travelers argued about the existence of land near the South Pole. Many believed the famous navigator J. Cook, who declared that the territory south of 71 ° S was inaccessible. sh. The Russian expedition to Antarctica on the ships "Vostok" and "Mirny" on January 20, 1820 discovered unknown lands, despite many insurmountable obstacles. After 120 years, the first excursions to the waters of the Antarctic began, another 50 years were needed for the development of a new tourist destination.

Hundreds of adventurers go every year to the white continent. Expeditions and tours are held during the most favorable period of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. What is the warmest month in Antarctica? - the townsfolk ask in bewilderment. Of course, at school everyone was taught the climate of the southern continents, where our winter is summer. It is difficult for many to say exactly which month is better for a tour to the South Pole.

Antarctica and the Arctic - two opposites

Let us briefly dwell on geographical terminology. The land in the south owes its name to the Arctic. This word, denoting the northern polar latitudes of the Earth, of Greek origin, is given according to the position. sh. blocked by the cold waters of the ocean, ice and snow.

The territory in the south, opposite the northern polar region, was called the "Ant (and) Arctic", the mainland - Antarctica. The South Pole is located almost in the center of the continent. The geographic coordinate of this point is 90°S. sh.

The southernmost and coldest continent

Severe climate south of latitude 70°S. sh. called "subantarctic" and "antarctic". During the year, areas of the surface free from snow and ice warm up better on the coast, in oases. In winter, on the coast and in the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, the temperature is comparable to the Arctic zone (from -10 to -40 °C). In the summer in Antarctica, you can find many islands of land among the icy silence, where the thermometer rises above 0 ° C.

Features of the climate of Antarctica:

• Winter lasts from June to August, this is the coldest period.
• The average temperature in July is between -65° and -75°C.
• Summer comes in December and lasts until February.
• The temperature in the continental part rises from -50 to -30 °C.
• The warmest month in Antarctica is January.
• The polar day lasts from September to March. The sun remains above the horizon, warming the surface more.
• The night lasts for almost half a year, illuminated by bright flashes of the aurora borealis.

Inland climate

Antarctica is a continent where regular meteorological observations began later than on the inhabited continents. For the last 50-60 years, the data obtained at stations in the mainland and coastal parts of the white continent have received special attention from weather forecasters. The coldest regions are the southeastern ones, where the average annual temperature is about -60 °C. The temperature maximum in the area of ​​the Vostok station is -13.6 ° C (December 16, 1957). The average monthly temperature from April to September is below -70 °C.

The weather at the South Pole is a bit milder, this part of the mainland is closer to the coast. Meteorological information at a point with a coordinate of 90 ° S. sh. collected by employees of the American Amundsen-Scott station, named after the Napoleon of the Polar Countries, Norwegian Roald Amundsen and another discoverer of the South Pole, an Englishman. The station was founded in 1956 at the South Pole and gradually “drifts” towards the coast. Antarctica has the shape of a dome, the glacier slowly slides from the center to the edges, where its pieces break under their own weight and fall into the ocean. In winter, near the Amundsen-Scott station, the thermometer shows -60 ° C, in January it does not fall below -30 ° C.

Weather on the coast of Antarctica

In summer, on the shores of the oceans and seas washing the southernmost continent, it is much warmer than in continental regions. Over the Antarctic Peninsula, the air warms up to +10 °C in December-February. The average January temperature is +1.5 °C. In winter, in July, the average monthly temperature drops to -8°C on the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, to -35°C - in the area of ​​the margin of the Ross Glacier. One of the climatic anomalies of the mainland is cold katabatic winds, the speed of which reaches 12-90 m/s on the coast (hurricanes). Rain, like high temperatures, is rare in Antarctica. Most of the moisture reaches the continent in the form of snow.

Antarctica is a "multipolar" continent

"Pole of inaccessibility" - this is the name that Russian polar explorers came up with for their station. The Soviet expedition to Antarctica carried out scientific research beyond the 82nd parallel in the most difficult for movement high-mountainous region of the mainland.

On the mainland there is the "Pole of Cold" - this is the area of ​​​​the research Antarctic station "Vostok", created in Soviet times. Here, with the help of ground-based measuring equipment, the lowest air temperature in the history of meteorological observations was recorded: -89.2 ° С (1983).

Researchers from the United States, armed with satellite data, tried to challenge the "record" of the Russian station. In December 2013, the Americans reported that they were in the area of ​​the Fuji Dome station, owned by Japan. The absolute minimum temperature for Antarctica was -91.2 ° C, which was found out using a satellite.

Antarctica is the prototype of a "multipolar" world without borders and an arms race. The international legal regime was introduced here in 1961. The mainland and parts of the oceans adjacent to it do not belong to the states parties to the treaty and observer countries, they can only conduct scientific research.

What to do in the warmest month in Antarctica and in the Arctic

Exploration of the North and South Poles, the white continent in the south and the ice of the Arctic has always been the lot of the brave and patient. Today there are quite a few people on the planet who have been to Antarctica more than 100 times. Some carry out scientific research, others provide transport accessibility, security, and provide medical care.

There are more and more people who go beyond the Antarctic Circle in search of fantastic experiences. Tours to Antarctica at first glance seem like pure adventurism. In fact, all flights, sailings and excursions are prepared at the highest level. Polar scientists act as consultants, icebreakers and research vessels are used.

The peak of the "tourist season" in the polar regions

The high cost of a flight or a sea cruise to the North and South Poles, the high costs of organizing expeditions do not stop modern adventurers. Let's rephrase the famous statement of the foreman from the film "Operation" Y "and other adventures of Shurik." Now dozens of ships with tourists "plow the expanses" of the Arctic and Antarctic. The day is not far off when there will be many more of them. The "high season" at the South Pole begins in December and lasts until January. At this time, the hemisphere is better illuminated by the Sun, the height of summer comes.

The weather at the North Pole is warmer than at the South. The climate also depends on the small angle of inclination of the Sun above the horizon, the strong reflectivity of snow and ice. The temperature in winter in December-February and in summer in June-August is much higher than in Antarctica. The average winter temperature at the North Pole is -30°C. Often there are thaws (−26 ° C), cold snaps (−43 ° C). The average summer temperature is around 0°C.

Are there any "white spots" in Antarctica?

The era of the Great geographical discoveries was completed in the 20s of the last century by S. V. Obruchev, the son of the scientist, traveler and writer V. A. Obruchev (“Geology of Siberia”, “Sannikov Land”). Sergei Obruchev explored the last "blank spots" in Eastern Siberia and Chukotka. By that time, a significant part of Antarctica was still little studied.

Gradually, the researchers found out the thickness of the glacier and the features of the under-ice relief, collected detailed meteorological information. Many "white spots" on the sixth continent have been closed, but the south polar continent still holds many mysteries and secrets. For avid travelers, a warm month in Antarctica is a new experience, an opportunity to see rare representatives of the animal world and take unique photographs.

Are expeditions to the Antarctic Circle dangerous?

There are reports of any unforeseen situations with tourists in Antarctica, but rarely. For example, in November 2009, the Russian ship Kapitan Khlebnikov got stuck in the ice off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Among its passengers were tourists and a film crew from the UK. The reason for the stop was the weather, but as soon as the tide began, the ship managed to free itself from the "white captivity". A Russian icebreaker with English tourists and television crews on board made a cruise in the region (West Antarctica).

A map of the mainland and the Antarctic Peninsula gives an idea of ​​the location of the sea, but only experienced pilots can navigate ships between icebergs. In December 2013, drifting ice stopped the Russian ship Akademik Shokalsky. Passengers were evacuated aboard the Australian icebreaker in early January 2014.

Tour to Antarctica - a high portion of adrenaline is provided

According to the researchers of Antarctica, the mainland is suitable for organizing cruises, dog sledding and other outdoor activities. The history of sea cruises in Antarctica has more than 90 years. In 1920, enterprising ship owners began to take on board the first tourists who wanted to see the white continent with their own eyes. The cost of modern cruises and other types of travel to the shores of Antarctica and the South Pole ranges from 5,000 to 40,000 dollars. The price of the tour depends on many factors, not the last role is played by the complexity of the route, excursion support.