How long could you survive on the Antarctic Peninsula?

Question

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Answer 1

" LIFE IS BEYOND BRUTAL ON THE PENINSULA " -

Only a handful of tiny invertebrates, and not one single land vertebrate, can survive the Antarctic winter. The southern continent's permanent inhabitant is a 12mm midge.


The extreme conditions make Antarctica a habitat in which only the hardiest can survive. Very few species have been recorded on the 2% of the continent that is ice-free. They include about 150 lichens, 30 mosses, some fungi and one liverwort/

Antarctica's location as the southernmost continent presents a unique situation in terms of weather and climate. The Antarctic polar climate boundary -- the 50° F (10°C) isotherm for the warmest month -- encompasses about 12 percent of the surface of the globe, an area twice as large as that of the Arctic. It includes all of the Antarctic continent except the extreme northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. In the interior regions, extremely low temperatures, several months of complete darkness, fierce winds and blowing snow combine to make life virtually impossible. On the Antarctic Peninsula, temperatures are milder, yet snowstorms and gale force winds can persist for days or weeks on end. Most of Antarctica is covered with vast areas of snow and ice which reflect about 75% of the incoming solar radiation. Winter temperatures are also influenced by latitude, elevation and by the shortage of sunlight during the Antarctic winter. In fact, the coldest temperatures are usually during late August before the return of the sun.