The flags flying here at the South Pole represent some of the first countries to sign the Antarctic Treaty on December 1, 1959. The agreement bans military activity and prevents any one nation claiming Antarctica as part of its territory. Article 2 of the treaty demands that parties with territories in the Antarctic cooperate with each other. It also addresses environmental issues.
According to a 2010 NASA study, the ice along the coast of Antarctica is melting fast. The cause is believed to be global warming. A recent meeting by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) failed to reach an agreement over establishing protected areas for Antarctica's marine life, deferring a decision until July 2013.
These rusting oil drums show one of Antarctica's dirty little secrets: waste. A 2009 Swedish study by the Royal Institute of Technology found that about half of Antarctica's research stations lack sewage treatment systems. The Antarctic Treaty's Madrid Protocol commits countries to comprehensive environmental protection and calls for waste to be reduced as much as possible.
These young penguins are quite cozy against the warm feathers of their mother - or could it be their father? Like most penguin species, chinstrap penguin parents take turns sheltering their young from the brutal Antarctic cold. Although the chinstrap penguin is not endangered, the numbers of many other penguin types is decreasing due to man-made problems.
These Antarctic expeditioners may look joyful, but looming behind them is a very real danger: ice calving. Massive icebergs, some hundreds of kilometers long, can break off from Antarctic ice shelves with little warning. Some have made it as far north as Australia before melting. Higher temperatures increases the chances of calving.
With a wingspan of up to 3.6 meters (12 feet), the albatross is the largest living seabird. Flying to Antarctica in the summer in search of food, their dynamic soaring has inspired aerospace engineers to look for ways to apply their design to aircraft. But human garbage poses a threat, as the birds can suffocate from ingesting it.
This ice corer, owned by the Bremerhaven-based Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, helps scientists study the effects of climate change in Antarctica. An ice core can reveal temperature records and the history of atmospheric composition in an area, allowing scientists to look for patterns that could point to causes for climate change.
The waters of Antarctica may be cold, but they're certainly not lifeless. One resident is the blue whale, the largest animal in the world. Yet, whale hunting in Antarctic waters is a serious concern, even though the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling in 1986. Nations such as Japan continue to hunt whales for meat and other uses.
This March 2012 satellite photo shows two large algal blooms off the coast of eastern Antarctica. Algal blooms, which can be hundreds of kilometers long, pose a serious threat to animal and plant life in affected regions, as they deplete the oxygen available in the water. They are thought to be at least partially caused by global warming.
Notothenioidei, or the ice fish, is a type of fish found on the ocean floor of Antarctica. It is able to survive in the freezing waters because of the presence of an antifreeze glycoprotein in their blood and body fluids. But, since they are so well adapted to the cold, they are particularly vulnerable to a rise in ocean temperatures caused by global warming.
Princess Elisabeth Antarctica is a Belgian station that in 2009 became the first zero emission base on the continent. Running entirely on solar and wind energy through the use of a smartgrid, its aerodynamic shape means it can also withstand 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) winds. The base is proof that human impact doesn't always have to be harmful.
Scientists from the German research vessel RV Polarstern take samples from an iceberg to study the composition of Antarctic ice, which can shed light on the effects of climate change. In service since 1982, the Polarstern is due to visit Antarctica again in December and January, when ice melt is at its greatest and temperatures are warmer.
Smile for the camera! The leopard seal has a tough life constantly searching for food to maintain the high amount of energy it needs to stay warm in cold waters. But, thanks to the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals, they are protected from human hunters. Part of the Antarctic Treaty, the agreement promotes scientific study of the aquatic carnivores instead.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest and highest continent on Earth. With all its ice and snow, it serves as a magnet for scientists studying subjects as diverse as climate change and atomic theory.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest and highest continent on Earth. With all its ice and snow, it serves as a magnet for scientists studying subjects as diverse as climate change and atomic theory.
