1. In the '60s Argentina took sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and held hostage anyone trying to help Britain regain control... Hostages were tormented with really loud country western music. (Britain has since regained control, but this might partly explain why so many UK/Aussie folks knew the words to "Take Me Home Country Roads" during the karaoke singalong the second to last night of the expedition...?)
As an aside, it seems that Emperor penguins are attracted to heavy metal music. One of our expedition guides worked on the continent for a few years and his mate would blare metal from the speakers in the shop, and twice Emperors wandered in and stared at the speakers.
2. Only 0.4% of the continent is visible. (And I got to play on 0.0000000001% of that 0.4%!)
3. It holds 90% of the world's ice and 66% of the world's water.
Please pause to go install CFLs and insulate your attic - if/when that ice melts we're all doomed.
4. The ice is one mile thick on average and can be 3 miles thick in places. Next time you walk 3 miles (because we're not driving anymore, right - see #3?) think about how thick that would be. Neat, eh?
Another aside, the ice moves. Speed at which it moves varies but on January 1 each year scientists have to go out and reposition the South Pole marker, which moves about 10 meters/year.
4. The average temperature is -30f in summer and -70f in winter... I think that translates to DAMN COLD in celcius degrees.
5. The sea around Antarctica freezes about 1-3 miles per day in the winter. Yes, per day. I had him repeat it.
And a bonus fun fact. Approximately 2300 cubic km (2 million cubic tons of water) calves off the ice shelves and glaciers each year. I only mention it because it's fun to say "cubic."
And now I can throw this stupid piece of paper away. Every little bit helps when you're traveling light...
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