Task 3

Group Presentations

Name: Peng Qian

Student number: 1823380

Slide1

Title: Can you survive in Antarctica?

Slide2

Outline

-Background of Antarctica

-Reasons why survival is difficult

-Conclusion and Suggestion

Slide3

Background

-Position and Area

-Climate and Terrain

---Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent

---An area of 14,200,000 km^2, approximately 1/10 of Earth's surface area

---Almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean

---Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, and about 70% of the Earth's

surface freshwater reserves are frozen in Antarctica

---The terrain of the Antarctic continent can be divided into two types: the visible terrain

composed of rocks and ice exposed on the surface, and the subglacial bedrock terrain

measured through seismic technology or remote sensing technology

---Due to the high altitude, thin air, the impact of high-latitude geographical location on

sunlight, and the reflection of solar radiation by the surface of ice and snow, the Antarctic

continent has become the coldest region on the Earth's surface. The average annual

temperature on the Antarctic continent is around minus 25 degrees.

 Picture: Antarctica Map

Picture: The blue ice covering Lake Fryxell, in the Transantarctic Mountains

Note: In Antarctica, the blue ice covering Lake Fryxell, in the Transantarctic Mountains,

comes from glacial meltwater from the Canada Glacier and other smaller glaciers. The

freshwater stays on top of the lake and freezes, sealing in briny water below.

Slide4

Background (Optional) or Examples of Survial in Antarctica

-Biodiversity

---The penguins is a representative species in the Antarctic region

---Antarctic sea life includes penguins, blue whales, orcas, colossal squids and fur seals

(Ancel, A, Beaulieu, M & Gilbert, C 2013)

---Antarctic krill, which congregates in large schools, is the keystone species of the
ecosystem of the Southern Ocean, being an important food organism for marine animals and

many bird species

---Some species of marine animals exist and rely, directly or indirectly, on phytoplankton

---A combination of freezing temperatures, poor soil quality, and a lack of moisture and

sunlight inhibit plant growth, causing low species diversity and limited distribution.

---The flora largely consists of bryophytes (25 species of liverworts and 100 species of

mosses). There are three species of flowering plants.

---About 1,150 species of fungi have been recorded in the Antarctic region

Picture: Emperor penguins with juveniles

Picture: Antarctic krill (also named as Euphausia superba)
 Picture: Phytoplankton

Slide5

Background (Optional) or Examples of Survial in Antarctica

-Human Activity

---Maybe, no city and no permanent human resident in Antarctica at present

---Antarctica is governed by about 30 countries, all of which are parties of the 1959

Antarctic Treaty System. According to the terms of the treaty, military activity, mining,

nuclear explosions, and nuclear waste disposal are all prohibited in Antarctica. Tourism,

fishing and research are the main human activities in and around Antarctica.

---In 2017, there were more than 4,400 scientists undertaking research in Antarctica, a

number that fell to just over 1,100 in the winter. There are over 70 permanent and seasonal
research stations on the continent; the largest, United States' McMurdo Station, is capable of

housing more than 1,000 people. (Davis, GA 2017)

Picture: An aerial view of McMurdo Station, the largest research station in Antarctica
 Picture: Emblem of the Antarctic Treaty

Slide6

Question (Optional)

-Can we survive in Antarctica?

-Will survival be difficult in Antarctica? Why?

-Is Antarctica Habitable at peresent? Will human survive hard in Antarctica?

Reference List

Davis, GA 2017, ‘A history of McMurdo Station through its architecture’, Polar Record,

vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 167–185, viewed 23 November 2023,

<https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247416000747>.

Ancel, A, Beaulieu, M & Gilbert, C 2013, ‘The different breeding strategies of penguins: A

review’, Comptes Rendus Biologies, vol. 336, no. 1, pp. 1–12, viewed 23 November 2023,

<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2013.02.002>.

Picture Resource

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica