Antarctica
is considered a desert due to the fact that there is more precipitation
evaporated than there is precipitation in form of rain or snow. The snow
flurries are usually caused by the wind. Besides being known for a dry,
freezing, and windy climate, Antarctica is a large continent covered in glacial
ice also considered fresh water.
Why does
Antarctica have the freezing climate famously known around the globe? The water
surrounding Antarctica, the ocean, is actually warmer than Antarctica itself.
The reason for the rapid winds is that the colder air in Antarctica has higher
pressure and then travels to the warmer air, the lower pressure. This causes
the illusion of snow in form of precipitation, when in reality the snow is only
being displaced by the wind. The freezing cold climate in Antarctica is mainly
due to the low angle of sun rays received at its latitude. Antarctica loses
more heat than it is able to retain. The massive amounts of snow and ice
present in Antarctica have a great albedo effect, reflecting most of incident
solar light back into space.
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| Albedo Effect: This image demonstrates that lighter colored surfaces, like snow and ice, reflect more sunlight, reflecting up to 80-65% more, than darker colored surfaces such as land and water. (image courtesy of http://www.cocorahs-albedo.org) |
In 1,000
years into the future Antarctica will remain a barren ice land, still
considered a dry desert. Although, greenhouse gases will continue to increase;
causing a slight warmer climate for Antarctica. Channels may then begin to form
between ice sheets, causing some glaciers to break off from each other.
In 10,000
years the similar greenhouse gas effect will only continue to evolve in
intensity, exposing some dry land due to the melting of the ice in a slightly
warmer climate. The land will not have as great as of an albedo as the ice did
and will observe more sunlight, versus reflecting it back into space.
Although
Antarctica is covered with thousands of feet of snow, in the distant future, about
100,000,000 years into the future, Antarctica may be an enriched temperate
climate forest. A temperate forest refers to a forest that is located in a
temperate climate, normally in between 23.5 degrees and 66.5 degrees north and
south in latitude. Antarctica is on the move because of the drifting
continental plates. Antarctica is predicted to pull north by the subduction
zone at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. A subduction zone takes place at a
convergent boundary where one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic
plate. Since the continent, which would have been once covered in massive
sheets of ice, has shifted north, receiving a greater amount of incident solar
light, the climate will begin to be warmer causing dramatic changes to its
landscape. The land will than begin to be exposed, forming soil and becoming an
excellent habitat for vegetation.
Eventually, Antarctica will drift further north and be exposed to tropic climates, and inevitably become a dense rain forest many million years later.
Eventually, Antarctica will drift further north and be exposed to tropic climates, and inevitably become a dense rain forest many million years later.
References:
http://www.antarctica.org.nz/03-environment/
http://www.antarcticconnection.com/shopcontent.asp?type=science-greenhouse-effect
