Antarctica has not always been a place of ice and snow. Once part of the supercontinent of Gondwanaland, it is believed to have enjoyed a warmer climate in which plants and land animals thrived. However, nowadays less than one percent of the surface is ice free, and at bedrock level the ice can be up to a million or more years old. In comparison, the Arctic consists entirely of pack-ice which breaks into ice floes in summer and floats on the Arctic Ocean. 
 While the ice gives rise to spectacular scenery, both on land and sea, these regions also have an astonishing variety of wildlife. The two Poles have few common species (apart from some birds and whales) but many unique endemic ones - polar bears, walruses and puffins in the north, penguins and elephant seals in the south. 
 The content will cover the following topics, among others: 
<ul>Geography and geology Climate and weather Ice, icebergs, glaciers and land formations History and exploration Wildlife and flora - how unique life has evolved in a very harsh environment Polar science - the scientists who live and work in Antarctica, the research bases Icebreaker shipping and tourism Politics and treaties and the interested parties, including the 1988 Minerals Convention The people of the Arctic Conservation and the future (specific Polar issues, such as melting of the ice caps and ozone depletion). </ul>
 Both regions have long been associated with tales of great heroism in their exploration, and here too there are common links. Roald Amundsen was first to the South Pole and died in a rescue in the north (at that time his ship, the Fram, had been furthest south and furthest north). Frederic Cook, who lodged a false claim to being first to the North Pole, was the first to winter over in Antarctica, as part of a Belgian expedition. Nowadays, tourists can visit in cruise ships and see the almost impossible task the explorers set themselves. 
 Both areas are of concern ecologically. For several years there has been a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica; one is now opening over the Arctic Circle. Ecologists watch both Antarctica and the Arctic for any signs of change that may have implications for the planet as a whole. They join scientists from all over the world conducting research in these unique conditions. 
 With interesting and authoritative text written by a team of international experts, accompanied by over a thousand superb photographs, this book will fascinate all with an interest in the Poles and their wildlife.

Antarctica and the Arctic: The Complete Encyclopedia

Reference

McGonigal, David

Woodworth, Lynn

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

Firefly Books

Illustrated guide to Antarctica's environment, geography, wildlife, and history. 
 Antarctica: The Blue Continent is a superbly illustrated and easy-to-understand book that reveals this polar region's ruthless majesty and natural beauty. 
 The environment is Earth's harshest, coldest, most inhospitable climate. A staggering 98% of the continent is covered with ice averaging 1.4 miles in depth; 90% of the world's ice is found in there. In spite of the cold and ice, Antarctica's shores and waters are home to an amazing variety of vegetation and indigenous wildlife-seals, sea lions, whales, penguins and sea birds-that have evolved in extraordinary ways to adapt to their unforgiving habitat. The book features natural phenomena such as a glacier made of jagged, Jurassic-era rock instead of ice, and entire mountain ranges filled to their peaks with snow. 
 In the chapters on polar exploration, Antarctica profiles Captain Cook, Roald Amundsen, Shackleton, Scott, and others. Readers will experience why this continent has inspired so much effort and heroism in the quest to discover its secrets. 
 This book is a concise version of the authors' 608-page Antarctica and the Arctic.

Antarctica: The Blue Continent

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Woodworth, Lynn. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Woodworth, Lynn

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Woodworth, Lynn. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Antarctica and the Arctic: The Complete Encyclopedia

Antarctica: The Blue Continent