Antarctica - The Antarctic the coldest, driest and highest continent on earth

MAPS OF ANTARCTICA
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Introduction

This site contains a selection of photographs taken in the 1960's during a 2½ year trip to Antarctica. Click the links for photographs and narrative of various stages of the trip, view the photo gallery for additional photographs, check out the names and dates of early Antarctic explorers or view the contacts and links.

But first . . . . . . . . . some facts about the Antarctic

	Captain James Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle in 1773 but the Antarctic continent itself was not discovered until the 1820's.
	It is the coldest, driest and highest continent on earth.
	It is the most inhospitable place on earth and is the windiest with Katabatic winds caused by heavy, cold air flowing downhill from the high interior reaching speeds of 100mph
	It is the fifth largest continent in the world extending over nearly 5.4 million square miles and is larger than either Australia or Europe.
	The Antarctic covers approximately 9% of the earth’s surface.
	Antarctica has the coldest recorded temperature in the world at below minus 89°C. By comparison a domestic deep freeze operates at a temperature of no colder than minus 15°C.
	Ice has covered 99% of the Antarctic continent for 15 million years and is up to 4 kilometres thick in places.
	It is a cold desert with an average snowfall of only 150mm.
	In winter the Southern Ocean which surrounds Antarctica freezes, effectively doubling the size of the continent.
	The Antarctic is devoid of wildlife except around some of its shores.

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