Antarctica and the Arctic The Complete Encyclopedia

Introduction"Glittering white, shining blue, raven black, in the light of the sun the land looks like a fairy tale. Pinnacle after pinnacle, peak after peak-crevassed, wild as any land on our globe, it lies, unseen and untrodden." So wrote Roald Amundsen after discovering Antarctica's Queen Maud Range in 1911. Every visitor to Antarctica falls under the spell of the continent at the bottom of the world -- a region of endless ice, strange and endearing creatures, and no indigenous inhabitants. Antarctica makes visitors feel like privileged strangers, as they would if they landed on the moon.For every visitor to the polar regions, there must be a thousand enthusiasts at home who are in thrall to the magic of these extreme environments. This book preserves that sense of awe, but also offers a new and contemporary view of Antarctica and the Arctic. Collectively, those who have contributed have spent several lifetimes "on the ice" -- yet all maintain that their passion for the polar regions remains undimmed by any difficult experience of cold and challenging conditions. Indeed, some of the text was written on icebreakers carving a passage to the shores of the Antarctic Continent, or in tents overlooking frolicking penguins. It was an all-encompassing project, spanning the globe from pole to pole, and contributions have come from an international galaxy of experts.PART 1, THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, describes how the laws of nature and physics gave rise to these remote regions of ice and snow, and have populated them with flora and fauna perfectly adapted to survive these most hostile of conditions.PART II, POLAR, REGIONS, gazettes the most important places in Antarctica and its surrounding oceans, from towering peaks to scientific bases, from historic sites to crowded penguin colonies and odiferous seal wallows. It also describes the settlements and major features of the lands and islands surrounding the North Pole.PART III, POLAR WILDLIFE, includes up-to-the-minute information about penguins, albatrosses, whales, seals, walruses, and polar bears; indeed, about all the extraordinary creatures that live and thrive at the poles. Antarctica is a continent dedicated to scientific study that transcends national boundaries, and recent research has added greatly to the international fund of knowledge about the unique wildlife of the poles.PART IV, POLAR EXPLORATION, tells a story that defies superlatives. It relates the almost unbelievable feats of the brave men who ventured to the dangerous ends of the earth, first in frail wooden sailing ships, then in flimsy aircraft. The story of polar exploration reflects the development of technology, although in the savage ice many innovations proved inadequate.PART V, LIFE AT THE POLES, tells how the human history of Antarctica did not end with wooden ships and iron men, and how both scientists and visitors are learning important lessons from the world's last great wilderness. It also discusses the issues facing the polar regions today and the challenges for the future.PART VI, RESOURCES, directs the reader to research sources, including books, video material, and websites, that can provide a key to further knowledge of contemporary Antarctic research and reading.Antarctica then, now, and in the future The Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration coincided with the development of photography. As the true nature of Antarctica has been discovered by indefatigable human efforts, it has been invariably captured on film. Within these pages, polar landscapes and wildlife come to life through photographs spanning more than a century. Many images reproduced here were commissioned specifically for this book, and each shows the unique nature of high latitudeMcGonigal, David is the author of 'Antarctica and the Arctic The Complete Encyclopedia' with ISBN 9781552975459 and ISBN 1552975452.