Exploring the mysteries of Antarctica

• Exploring the mysteries of Antarctica

Every year thousands of scientists come to Antarctica to find and explore the ancient glaciers, giant impact craters and chuzhepodobnyh beings. We walk here from Associated Press photographer Natasha Pisarenko.

Scientists at Deception Island, which is part of an archipelago South Shetland Islands, 24 January 2015. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko | AP):

Church of the Holy Trinity - Russian orthodox church on the island of Waterloo (South Shetland Islands) in Antarctica, near the Russian polar station Bellingshausen. The church has a height of 15 meters and can accommodate up to 30 people. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko | AP):

Antarctic ice sheet is the largest on the planet, and is superior to the closest size Greenlandic icecap on an area of ​​approximately 10 times. In it is concentrated about 30 million cubic meters. km of ice, ie 90% of all land ice. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko | AP):

In the layers with the years 320-280 million years are the glacial deposits are present, but the younger contain fossils of plants and animals, including ichthyosaurs, indicating a strong contrast to the climate of the time from the present. (Photo by Natacha Pisarenko | AP):

The archipelago South Shetland Islands in Antarctica, January 24, 2015. Scientists say Antarctica - the best analogue for extraterrestrial habitats. Spent there is a technique in the near future will be required to study core samples from the moon and Mars. "If it turns out that there is life in the Antarctic in rocks age of 30 million years, it means that we can find life in the frozen form in the permafrost of Mars."

(Photo by Natacha Pisarenko | AP):

King George, or Waterloo - the largest island of the South Shetland Islands, January 25, 2015. Signs with distances to different cities.

House of Scientists at the South Shetland Islands, 24 January 2015.

The scientists on the island of Deception, which is part of an archipelago South Shetland Islands, 24 January 2015. We do not know what is hidden under a layer of many kilometers of Antarctic ice. And that is happening on the surface, there is only a vague idea. Surprisingly, the images of Mars in high resolution more than Antarctica.

Penguins traces, Antarctica, January 26, 2015

And here they are. By the way, fully terrestrial mammals in Antarctica are missing.

The area of ​​Antarctica - about 14 million square feet. km. Nearly the whole continent is covered with ice. Places its thickness reaches 5 km.

A team of scientists from China, Japan and the UK for 4 years went on powerful off-road vehicle on the most severe area of ​​Antarctica - over the mountains Gamburtseva, shone his radar. This work resulted in the surface topography map of an area of ​​about 900 square meters. km. And it turned out, once the continent was free of ice. Another 34 million years ago it was located here mountains and valleys with meadows. As it is now in the European Alps.

King George Island, Antarctica, January 20, 2015.

Scientists in the box, Antarctica, January 24, 2015.

Iceberg in the South Shetland Islands, 27 January 2015. The plants and animals in Antarctica are most common in the coastal strip. Surface vegetation in areas devoid of ice exists mainly in various kinds of mosses and lichens, and does not form a continuous cover.

Antarctica has an extremely harsh cold climate. In East Antarctica, at the Soviet Antarctic station Vostok July 21, 1983 registered the lowest temperature on Earth in the history of meteorological measurements: 89, 2 degrees below zero. The area is considered a pole of the Earth's cold.

Chilean ship, Antarctica, January 25, 2015.