Expedition & Foundation

Antarctica as a whole is the coldest continent on the Earth. It covers over 14 million sq km making it 1.5 times the size of the USA!  Antarctica occupies approximately 9% of the world's land surface. It is divided into two large regions called Greater Antarctica to the east and Lesser Antarctica to the west, although every direction leading from the South Pole is, of course, actually north.

The continent contains over 70% of the world's water and 90% of the world's ice within itself. In some places the ice is over 4,000 metres deep. The ice flows continuously from the high elevations to the sea, breaking off to form massive icebergs. The amount of precipitation in Antarctica is so small that it is classed as a desert region (polar desert). 
The landmass of Antarctica beneath the ice has a relatively high elevation, on average about twice as high as that of Europe. Antarctica contains many buried, or sub-glacial, freshwater lakes that are connected by a network of rivers that move water far beneath the surface of the continent. These lakes have been sealed for millions of years.

Antarctica is characterised by gusting winds, known as katabatics, which may last for a few minutes, or for a few days, and can reach up to 200 mph in velocity. Flat stretches of terrain are often covered by rolling, wind-driven waves of frozen snow and ice calledsastrugi. Blizzards can cause visibility on the ground to drop to zero, known as a "whiteout", and explorers have been known to get lost and freeze to death while only meters away from their tents.
Antarctica has six months of daylight and six months of darkness. In mid-summer, near the South Pole, there is 24 hours of sunlight every day and the average summer season temperature is -40°C. In winter, not only is there six months of darkness, but the continent triples in size by converting the surrounding sea into ice, and temperatures as low as -80°C have been recorded. And then there is the effects of wind chill, which lowers temperatures another 10°C.
The continent is surrounded by a number of islands called the sub-Antarctic islands, which are grouped, along with Antarctica, into the sub-Antarctic circle. 

These include the South Orkney Islands, the South Georgia Islands, Elephant Island, Campbell Island, Macquarie Island, and many others.

Wildlife is prevalent around the coast of Antarctica but is quite rare near the centre of the continent. The mixing of warmer waters from the northerly latitudes and the icy currents of Antarctica thrusts plankton, algae and other micro-organisms from below the ocean to the surface, feeding billions of Antarctic krill which, in turn, feed and support 65 million penguins, 35 million seals, and more than 125 different species of fish and whale.

The landscape can produce strange lighting effects owing to the prismatic and refractive qualities of ice crystals, making for extraordinarily beautiful dawns and sunsets near the mountain ranges, of which there are many. In West Antarctica is the Ellesworth Mountain range where Vinson Massif, the highest peak, rises to a height of 4,870 metres. West Antactica also contains a trio of peaks named Faith, Hope and Charity, called the Eternity Range, while the Transantarctic Mountain range traverses the continent from top to bottom.

The geographic South Pole is resurveyed every year. Each year its position is marked by a (rather disappointing!) piece of copper pipe with an engraved brass head-piece. The position of the South Pole appears to shift by 8 metres each year due to the movement of the huge ice mass on which it is situated.

There is also a "Ceremonial South Pole" which is marked by a bright red and white striped pole with a shiny silver dome on top of it. Flags of all the nations that have reached the South Pole are displayed around it. This is normally used by VIP visitors as a photographic back-drop. It is situated 100m from the real South Pole and is not moved every year!