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The first recorded sighting of Antarctica is credited to the Spaniard Gabriel de Castilla who reported seeing distant southern snow-capped mountains in 1603. The first Antarctic land discovered was the island of South Georgia visited by the English merchant Anthony de la Roché in 1675.

 

What's happening in Antarctica right now will affect the world for generations to come from rising sea levels to extreme changes in the climate system. Antarctica's enormity can give the illusion of permanence. But abrupt changes are arriving. (David Merron Photography/Getty Images) What is an abrupt change? Scientists define an abrupt change as a climatic or environmental shift taking place ...

 

Antarctica a continent of unparalleled ice and stark beauty is Earth?s southernmost landmass representing a vital frontier for scientific research and a testament to nature?s formidable power.

 

During summer Antarctica is on the side of Earth tilted toward the sun and is in constant sunlight. In the winter Antarctica is on the side of Earth tilted away from the sun causing the continent to be dark. Antarctica is considered a desert because it receives very little rain or snowfall.

 

Without any ice Antarctica would emerge as a giant peninsula and archipelago of mountainous islands known as Lesser Antarctica and a single large landmass about the size of Australia known as Greater Antarctica.

 

Antarctica the world?s southernmost continent is almost wholly covered by an ice sheet and is about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square km) in size.

 

Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent being about 40% larger than Europe and has an area of 14 200 000 km 2 (5 500 000 sq mi). Most of Antarctica is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet with an average thickness of 1.9 km (1.2 mi).