Antarctica Case Study - Global Commons

Question 1

How big is Antarctica?

Answer 1

14km squared.

Question 2

What percentage of Antarctica’s land is covered in ice?

Answer 2

98%.

Question 3

What is the climate like in Antarctica?

Answer 3

Generally dry and below freezing, with temperatures ranging from 8 degrees in coatsal areas in the summer, to -90 degrees in the interior in the winter.

Question 4

What is the average interior temperature on Antarctica year-round?

Answer 4

-57 degrees.

Question 5

How much of the world’s fresh water does Antarctica’s ice hold?

Answer 5

2/3 .

Question 6

How much rainfall does Antarctica get on average annually?

Answer 6

<30mm

Question 7

Which natural resources is Antarctica rich in?

Answer 7

iron, copper, nickel, gold, chromium, platanium.

Question 8

Roughly how much bigger is Antarctica than the USA?

Answer 8

1.5x bigger.

Question 9

Which weather extremes does Antarctica frequently experience?

Answer 9

Blizzards and cyclonic storms.

Question 10

What are the conservation values of Antarctica?

Answer 10

The Southern Ocean providing a rich ecosystem.
Continental laboratorys.
Being a heat sink, reflecting solar radiation and insulating the oceans.
160 million years of the planet’s history is preserved in the ice and bedrock.

Question 11

How does Antarctica act as a heat sink?

Answer 11

By having high levels of albedo (up to 0.9), solar radiation will be reflected back into space as opposed to being absorbed by the earth, contributing to global warming.