Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth …

Jan 5, 2026 · Around the Antarctic coast, shelves, glaciers, and ice sheets continually “calve,” or discharge, icebergs into the seas. The continent is a cold dry desert where access to water …

The Antarctic is a cold, remote area in the Southern Hemisphere encompassed by the Antarctic Convergence. The Antarctic Convergence is an uneven line of latitude where cold, northward …

Apr 17, 2025 · Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent on Earth. The Antarctic ice sheet contains about 7.2 million cubic miles (30 million cubic kilometers) in an area just under …

Sep 25, 2025 · Though Antarctica is really, really chilly, it is considered a desert because it receives very little rain or snowfall. The small amount of snow that does fall does not melt but …

Jan 5, 2026 · Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Antarctica is Earth’s southernmost continent, covering an area of 13.72 million square kilometers, making it the fifth-largest continent by land area. Despite its massive size, Antarctica has no …

Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would lead to accelerated melting and a rapid rise in sea level. Other recent USGS studies provide new insights to the history of Antarctic ice sheets.

Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, harshest continent, and with little precipitation (roughly 2 inches per year) is the driest place on earth.

Antarctica is Earth 's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. Situated in the southern hemisphere and largely south of the Antarctic Circle, Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern …