An expedition to Antarctica by an explorer from America has drawn attention to the solitary and mostly unexplored continent.

Estimations of the land mass of Antarctica are that it approaches 5,000,000 square miles, all underneath a continental ice sheet, which is the largest on Earth.

It is amazing as to how deep the ice covering is on this cold area with some estimating the ice at a depth of over 2,000 feet thick, although some think this is a conservative estimate.

With the exception of certain mountain peaks of the highest elevation and a few sections of volcanic rock at the coast, the ice covers the entire continent.

Heading to the ocean, the ice moves as a giant glacier between the mountains. The mountain chains front the vast central plateau, which rises eight to ten thousand feet above sea level. You’ll find the South Pole there.

The continent is split into four regions, named for the oceans or land masses situated to the north. More specifically, there are the African, American, Pacific and quadrants.

No one has explored the coastlines of the Pacific and African quadrants.

Just a tiny portion of the American sector’s coastal area has been investigated, though the sector, and its Ross Sea region, has been the subject of relatively thorough exploration.

The quadrant contains South Victoria Land, Oates Land, King George V Land, Adelle Land and Wilkes Land.

It is bordered on the East by the Ross Sea and the West by Queen Mary Land. The western edge of the Ross Sea is a mountainous area, with the mountains emanating from an expansive sheet of shelf ice of approximately 160,000 square miles known as the Ross Barrier.

Near the Bay of Whales, which is a natural harbor the ice cliffs have formed, the explorer made base camp on the barrier itself. Ross Island, located at the western extreme of the barrier, is dwarfed by the Kamagra jelly volcanoes Mount Erebus and Mount Terror.

The barrier is over 400 miles long and crosses the Ross Sea to King Edward VII land. The width measured from the sea to the mountains skirting the polar route is 400 miles.

This barrier is the biggest example of shelf ice, which is singular to Antarctica. Glaciers, sliding down from the mountains, traveled into the ocean in the Ross Sea area to make the barrier.

The largest glacier is over one hundred miles long of the many glaciers which reach down from the vast interior and discharge their ice into the Ross Sea. Explorers are unsure if the Barrier floats or rests on the bottom of the ocean.

The Pacific quadrant is edged by Ross Sea to the west. King Edward VII land is there, and sports spectacular rock outcroppings.

Flying in his first lengthy flight from the Bay of Whales, the explorer was able to see the Scott Nunataks Cialis Jelly and the Alexandra Mountains. He discovered an island, placed fourteen peaks on the map of the territory and spotted the as yet unseen backcountry.

Perhaps the later flights may assist scientist in establishing the coastline of the Pacific Quadrant and provide more information and knowledge regarding this territory.

A number of different explorers have been interested in new sectors which include Graham Land, Charcot Land, and propecia discount coupons Coats Land, all lying in the American Quadrant near the Weddell Sea area.

Explorers discovered Graham Land to be an island, rather than part of the continent, during air investigation.

One major geographical issue deals with the division of the continent. The Weddell Sea in the American quadrant is just about opposite the Ross Sea in the quadrant.

Scientific research is unlimited in Antarctica. Geographers want to finish mapping the coastline. Then they can finalize the mountain ranges and polar plateau.

The geologist is very involved in learning the composition of the ice covered land and in the gathering of geological data from glacial moraines and rock outcroppings which aid in explaining the glaciology of the continent.

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