What are the wonders of Antarctica?

"Milky white sky" is a polar weather phenomenon and one of the natural wonders of Antarctica. It is formed by the interaction between polar low temperature and cold air. When the sun shines on the mirror-like ice, it will immediately reflect to the low-altitude clouds, and countless tiny snow particles in the low-altitude clouds scatter light like thousands of small mirrors, and then reflect to the ground ice. The result of this back-and-forth reflection is a dazzling milky light, forming a long milky sky with white fog. At this time, there is a seamless space between heaven and earth. People, cars and planes all seem to be in a thick milky white, and all the scenery can be seen and the direction is difficult to distinguish. People's line of sight will have an illusion, and they can't tell the close-range view from the distant view, and they can't tell the size of the scene. In severe cases, it can make people dizzy and even lose consciousness and die.

The milky white sky is the enemy of polar explorers, scientists and polar planes. If you encounter it, it will be very dangerous. The skier who is skiing will suddenly fall down, the moving vehicle will suddenly overturn and cause trouble, and the plane in flight will crash out of control. Such tragic events are common in the history of Antarctic exploration. 1958, at Elsvaughn base, a helicopter pilot suddenly lost control and crashed to death because of this terrible bad weather. 197 1 year, an American-flying LC- 130 Hercules plane, 200 kilometers away from Tredler, suddenly lost contact with the milky sky, and its whereabouts are still unknown.

Although the milky white sky poses a danger to human activities in the Antarctic, it can be avoided as long as targeted training and safety precautions are taken in advance. Once encountered, it will detour to avoid; People and vehicles engaged in outdoor activities should stay where they are, keep warm and wait patiently for the milky white sky to disappear, otherwise rescuers will come to the rescue.

2. Extreme day and night

Extreme day and night are one of the wonders of Antarctica. Let people have a richer daydream about this mysterious land. The so-called extreme day means that the sun never sets and the sky is always bright. This phenomenon is also called white night. The so-called extreme night is the antonym of extreme day. The sun will never come out and the sky will always be dark. In the high latitudes of Antarctica, there is no life rhythm of "work at sunrise and rest at sunset", and there is no 24-hour alternation of day and night. The time of day and night alternation changes with the increase of latitude. The higher the latitude, the longer the extreme day and night. At 90 degrees south latitude, that is, in the Antarctic, the alternation of day and night is half a year, which means that the alternation of day and night lasts for a whole year, and half a year is a continuous day and half a year is a continuous night. In other continents, one day is equivalent to one year. If you leave the South Pole, the lower the latitude, it will no longer be a half-year day or a half-year night, and the time of extreme day and night will gradually shorten. At 80 south latitude, the alternation of day and night within 24 hours of 1 day only occurs outside the extreme value of day and night. If you are at the end of the extreme day, at first, the night time is very short, then the night time is getting longer and longer, until finally it is all night, and the extreme night begins. In the Antarctic circle (66 3' south latitude), only one whole day (24 hours) is full of day and the whole day is full of night. China Antarctic Great Wall Station (62 3' south latitude) is located outside the Antarctic circle. At one or two o'clock in the middle of the night in June+February, 5438, it was still bright, and people with good eyesight could still read and write. This extreme natural phenomenon of day and night also appears at the other pole of the earth, but at the opposite time to the South Pole. If the North Pole is in extreme daylight, the South Pole is in extreme night, and vice versa.

The formation of extreme day and night is caused by the earth's rotation around its own oblique axis when it revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit. It turns out that when the earth rotates, the earth axis forms an inclination angle of about 23.5 with its vertical line, so the earth rotates for six months, and one pole always faces the sun, which is daytime; The other pole is far from the sun, and it is all night. This magical natural phenomenon of the North and South Poles is not found in other continents.

3. Antarctic volcano

If fire and water are incompatible, then ice and fire are even more incompatible. However, in Antarctica, glaciers and volcanoes exist at the same time, which sounds a bit incredible. There are two active volcanoes on the Antarctic continent, one on Deception Island and the other on Elaps Island on Ross Island. Deception Island volcano erupted in February 1969, which instantly reduced the scientific research station there to ashes. Until now, people are still worried about this.

4. Antarctic Oasis

The Antarctic continent is covered with ice and snow all year round, and nothing grows. Why is there an oasis? This is a bit strange.

The so-called "oasis" is not a common place where trees and flowers flourish, but refers to the exposed rock area on the Antarctic continent without frozen snow cover. Because Antarctic researchers live and work in the white world of ice and snow for many years, the monotonous, boring and boring environment makes them yearn for a colorful world. When they found places without snow and ice, they couldn't help feeling kind, so they called them oases in Antarctica. The Antarctic oasis accounts for about 5% of the Antarctic area, including dry valleys, lakes, volcanoes and peaks. Bangor Oasis, McMurdo Oasis and Antarctic Peninsula Oasis are the most famous.

Regarding the origin and causes of oases, scientists believe that oases are all located in volcanic active areas, so they are related to volcanoes. For example, McMurdo Oasis is near the famous Erebus volcano, and volcanic eruption and related geothermal activities are the important reasons for the formation of the oasis. Of course, the formation of oasis is also related to solar radiation and the color of rocks. For example, the Antarctic Peninsula Oasis is located outside the polar circle, with long sunshine time and high temperature. In addition, it is basically a reddish-brown fire-burned area with the best conditions for forming an oasis. Oasis is a valuable window for scientific research, which has important scientific value for revealing this mysterious continent.

5. Snow blindness

There is a magical "white light" on the Antarctic continent. This white light killed many brave explorers. According to some articles, when people see this intense white light, their eyes can't see anything. As a result, flying skiers fall on the snow because of blindness, and drivers of vehicles or planes often cause accidents, and even the hood is destroyed.

1958, over the ellsworth base in Antarctica, a helicopter pilot suddenly encountered this white light, and his eyes suddenly went blind. The plane lost control and crashed in the snow. Chilean Antarctic explorer Caare? Radahl, once I went out on business, I accidentally didn't wear sunglasses and met white light. He felt a light entity moving towards him, first rose, then flesh. At this time, his eyes were very painful, as if someone had sprinkled a handful of lime into his eyes, and then he could not see anything. Fortunately, his companions found him and took him back to the base. It took me three days to recover my sight.

Mountaineers and expedition members who are active in alpine glaciers and snow-covered areas will forget to wear sunglasses if they are not careful. They are often stung by the reflection of snow, and even temporarily blind. This phenomenon is medically known as "snow blindness".

Snow blindness is a disease in which the retina of the human eye is temporarily blind after being stimulated by strong light. Generally, after a few days' rest, your eyesight will recover on its own. People who are already snow blind will be snow blind again if they don't pay attention. The symptoms of snow blindness will be more serious, so we must not be careless. Repeated snow blindness gradually weakens people's eyesight, causing long-term eye diseases, and even blindness forever in severe cases.

So who is the culprit of snow blindness? It turns out that snow has a high reflectivity to sunlight. The so-called reflectivity refers to the ability of any object surface to reflect sunlight. This reflective ability is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, the reflectivity of an object is 45%, which means that 45% of the solar radiation received on the surface of the object is reflected. The reflectivity of snow is extremely high, and the reflectivity of pure new snow surface can be as high as 95%. In other words, 95% of the solar radiation is re-reflected by the snow surface. At this time, the snow surface is almost close to the sun. How can the retina of the naked eye withstand such strong light stimulation?

In the vast snowfield of Antarctica, the snow surface in some places is slightly sunken, like the concave surface of a searchlight. In such a place, white light may appear. The white snow surface is of course more concentrated and stronger than the sunlight reflected by the ordinary snow surface. Under normal circumstances, the snow surface does not directly reflect sunlight into people's eyes like a mirror, but stimulates the eyes through the scattering of the snow surface. The human eye can also get snow blindness if it is stimulated by this scattered light for a long time. So sometimes even on cloudy days, people who exercise in the snow for a long time without sunglasses will be temporarily blind.

6. Extreme cold

Antarctica is the coldest place in the world, and it can be called "the world's cold pole". The average temperature near the South Pole is MINUS 49 degrees Celsius, and it can reach MINUS 80 degrees Celsius in cold season.

Antarctica has no four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter, only warm season and cold season. Even in the warm season from June 1 1 to March of the following year, the average monthly temperature in the Antarctic inland is between MINUS 34 and MINUS 20 degrees Celsius. As for the cold season from April to 10 every year, the temperature in the Antarctic inland is generally between MINUS 40 and MINUS 70 degrees Celsius.

Such cold weather is a terrible threat to human beings and all life. Frostbite and disability caused by cold are common in Antarctica. The "Antarctic Survival Guide" specially compiled by the National Science Foundation of the United States for Antarctic expedition members specifically warns: "Today's Antarctic operations, facial frostbite (tissue frostbite) is the most common, and exposed skin parts such as hands and feet will also be frostbitten."

We should not be indifferent to the cold in Antarctica. Why is the Antarctic so cold? This is because the Antarctic ice sheet is like a huge mirror, reflecting 90% of the heat radiated by the sun back into space. In the cold season in Antarctica, the sun rarely appears, and the Antarctic earth absorbs little heat. But in the warm season, although the sun lingers on the horizon all day, the snow-white ice surface refuses to accept the heat of the sun. Therefore, the Antarctic is a desolate scene, with nine days of cold and frozen land all year round.

7. Killing wind

There is a saying among the Antarctic expedition members: the cold in the Antarctic may not kill people, but the wind in the Antarctic will kill people. It sounds incredible that wind energy kills people. Is it that serious? You might ask such a question. However, people who have experienced severe storms are talking about the change of wind color.

Antarctic sand has invaded the world's "wind pole", and some people call Antarctica "the hometown of snowstorms". The cold Antarctic ice sheet is a hotbed for storms. It is like a machine that makes cold air. It uses the body of ice and snow to cool the air all the time and breeds storms. Because the Antarctic continent is a plateau that rises in the middle and tilts around, once the heavy cold air swoops around along the smooth surface of the Antarctic plateau, it suddenly becomes violent and dark, and a terrible polar storm will exert its power. At this time, the snow and ice rolled down the slippery ice slope with sand, just like an invisible waterfall, like a rushing torrent. People in a storm are like a leaf and a stone in a rushing water. They can't stand still. A Japanese explorer was blown into icicles in a snowstorm and lost his life.

So how big is the Antarctic wind? Typhoon 12, which we usually say, has a wind speed of 32.6 m/s, is it big enough? However, the strong winds in Antarctica often exceed the typhoon 12. In the Antarctic Peninsula, Ross Island and the Antarctic continent, the wind speed often reaches more than 55.6 m/s, and sometimes even reaches 83.3 m/s!

Storms are often encountered in scientific research stations in Antarctic countries. Especially in the cold and dark winter, the howling wind destroyed houses, knocked down communication towers, swept away vehicles and even turned a science station into ruins. Therefore, in order to inspect the safety of personnel, scientific research stations in Antarctic countries have strict regulations. When the wind is strong, it is absolutely forbidden to go out and all outdoor activities are not allowed. Usually go out in groups of two, give each person a mountaineering bag, which contains high-frequency telephone, food, duck down sleeping bag, sponge pad, shovel and other items to maintain personal survival. Around the Antarctic scientific research stations in various countries, there are "shelters" of different sizes. There are food, drinks, fuel, communication equipment, small generators, heating stoves, sleeping bags and other daily necessities. Scientists visiting abroad can hide in the nearest shelter once they encounter a sudden snowstorm and can't return to their homes for a while. The door of the shelter is unlocked, regardless of nationality. "Antarctic people" can stay in shelters in any country, and just leave a message of thanks when they leave.

In order to ensure that investigators will not get lost, wooden stakes must be buried on the road between the main buildings of the science station and thick ropes must be pulled up. In the event of a snowstorm, players can walk with ropes to prevent them from being blown away by the snowstorm. So the Antarctic expedition members called these ropes "Antarctic lifeline".

8. Ice seam

Our planet is a blue planet in the vast universe, and the magical water of life gives it the most beautiful appearance. However, the water at the poles of the earth can't bear the extreme cold in the polar regions and condenses into a white world.

If we have the opportunity to fly over the South Pole, we will find that the Antarctic continent is a plateau with a middle uplift and a gradual slope around it. The huge and deep ice layer is like a silver pot cover, which is upside down on the Antarctic land, so it is also called the Antarctic ice sheet. The thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet is quite amazing, with an average thickness of 2000 meters and the thickest part of 4800 meters. Especially when the Antarctic winter comes, the continental ice sheet is connected with the fixed sea ice of the surrounding ocean, forming a white ice sheet of 33 million square kilometers, which is more than the whole African continent.

Because the Antarctic ice sheet is so big and so thick, its quality is certainly considerable. On the vast ice sheet, except for a few towering peaks with a sharp peak and steep ridges, most of the land is buried under deep ice. In fact, the crust of the Antarctic continent is unbearable, and it actually sinks by 600 ~ 1000 meters.

The highest point of the Antarctic ice sheet is about 5 1 degree south latitude and 75 degrees east longitude, with an altitude of 4,200 meters, from which it inclines around. Due to the action of gravity, the movement of the ice sheet to the bottom of the arc makes the ice sheet split, and the ice sheet is densely covered with countless ice cracks hidden under the snow and invisible to the naked eye.

These ice cracks densely distributed on the plains are more terrible than snowstorms. These ice cracks, which are thousands of meters deep and turn from white to blue, are filled with white gas, just like an open magic bottle. The players call it "the gate of hell", that is, if you fall, you will never be saved. The most dangerous thing is that there is a thin layer of ice on some ice cracks, which is called ice bridge. People on the ice can't see if there is an ice crack below, and only people or vehicles will collapse when they pass by.

During the sampling and monitoring inspection in Grove Mountain, two team members went out by snowmobile. When the motorcycle suddenly sank while driving, the players in the back seat hurriedly propped up the ice with their feet, while the players in the front seat subconsciously slammed on the accelerator. When they just washed up on the ice, an ice crack wider than the body collapsed behind them. Facing the looming white hole behind them, in the cold wind of MINUS 30 degrees in the Antarctic, the two expedition members who turned the corner of life and death broke out in a cold sweat.

9. White Desert

Antarctica is the driest continent in the world. You may find it incomprehensible that the Antarctic continent is covered with ice and snow everywhere, and the continent is surrounded by vast oceans. How can it be the driest place in the world?

Different from the typical tropical desert climate with high temperature and little rain in Sahara desert. The drought in the Antarctic continent is caused by low temperature and cold. According to observation records, the average annual precipitation in the whole Antarctic continent is only 55 mm. Rainfall shows an obvious downward trend from coastal areas to inland areas. In the coastal areas where cold and warm air meet, there is more precipitation, which can reach 300 ~ 400 mm per year, but these areas with more precipitation are all on the edge of Antarctic continent. The Antarctic continent is covered by a vast dry ice sheet, and its sky is controlled by high-pressure cold air masses all the year round. The warm and humid air blowing from the ocean can't enter the Antarctic inland at all. The cold air over the cold ice sheet is extremely dry and contains little water vapor, so the farther you go to the Antarctic inland, the less the chance of precipitation. The average annual precipitation is only 30mm, and only 5mm near the South Pole. There is almost no precipitation.

Due to the cold climate, a small amount of water falls from the Antarctic continent, which is not liquid rain, but snowflakes or snow particles. Except for the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula and some islands with lower latitudes, there is no rain in the whole Antarctic continent. The most obvious feeling of scientists going to the Antarctic continent for scientific investigation is that the air is dry. In the first few weeks, almost everyone's lips will be chapped.

Because of this, people call the Antarctic continent a white desert. It is so dry that scientific research stations all over the world regard fire prevention as a matter of life and death. Because they know that dry and windy, even a little spark, will lead to irreparable disaster. Australia was destroyed in a fire at West Cathy Station near Newcomb Bay in the eastern Antarctic continent.

In order to prevent possible fire, the houses of scientific research stations all over the world pay attention to keep a certain interval, especially for the storage of flammable items such as wood and oil drums. Houses in China Antarctic Great Wall Station keep a considerable distance, and the oil depot for storing fuel is specially built in the coastal highlands far away from the station area. These are all fire prevention measures. In addition, many countries attach great importance to the fire resistance of building materials. The Great Wall Station, the first scientific research station built by China in the Antarctic, has plasterboard on the ceiling and the surrounding walls, and the indoor floor, doors and carpets have also been treated with fire prevention, so as to prevent catastrophic accidents. Known as "the first city in Antarctica", the McMurdo base in the United States also attaches great importance to fire prevention. It not only carries out repeated fire prevention education for each newcomer, but also has a full-time fire brigade. All telephones are marked with fire alarm numbers, just in case.

It is not without reason that scientific research stations in Antarctic countries attach so much importance to fire prevention. This is not only because Antarctica is the wind pole of the earth, and windy weather can easily lead to fires, but also because Antarctica is the driest continent in the world and lacks water. Once it catches fire, it will definitely cause terrible disaster.

10. Mobile Island

There are thousands of icebergs floating in the southern ocean, the ocean around Antarctica. Their scale and quantity far exceed people's imagination. Icebergs are different from floating ice. Ice floes are sea ice frozen by seawater, but icebergs are separated from the Antarctic ice sheet. Every year, tens of thousands of icebergs break away from the edge of continental ice and float on the sea, forming magnificent icebergs, which become a unique symbol of Antarctic waters. According to statistics, there are about 218,300 icebergs in the Southern Ocean, with an average weight of 654.38+10,000 tons. The most common ones are flat-topped platform icebergs, which originate from continental margin ice and glacier tongue, and there are also dome-shaped, inclined and broken icebergs.

Icebergs in the southern ocean are generally hundreds of meters long and dozens of meters above the sea. The length of the big iceberg reaches 170 km. Some Taiwan Province-shaped icebergs are 450 meters above the water. 1956, Americans observed a rare iceberg, 333 kilometers long and 96 kilometers wide. Isn't such a huge iceberg a moving island? In fact, its area far exceeds that of some small islands in the ocean. Like 1987 in early June 10 Ross Ice Shelf broke an iceberg, which is 140 km long and about 40 km wide, 225 meters above the water surface and covers an area of 6,400 square kilometers!

An iceberg, seemingly stationary at sea, is actually moving, moving with the direction of the current. Due to the large size of icebergs in the Southern Ocean and the low sea surface temperature, the average life span of icebergs in the Arctic Ocean can last about 10 years before they slowly melt away, while the average life span of icebergs in the Arctic Ocean is only 2-4 years. There are a lot of icebergs floating in the Southern Ocean. Although it is beautiful and spectacular, it adds a lot of color to the ocean, but for ships sailing at sea, icebergs are always a terrible threat. Especially in foggy days with poor visibility or when sailing at night, ships must be careful to avoid icebergs. Modern scientific research ships and other ships are equipped with radar devices, which can find icebergs in time, thus reducing the risk of collision with icebergs.