Antarctica and Our Climate
In Antarctica and Our Climate, geologist Iain Stewart explains how technology allows us to see the full geography of Antarctica, including lakes that are under ice and huge glaciers that cover islands of rock. Antarctica is formed because we are in an ice age that has lasted more than three million years, with small changes that have a large impact as ice advances and retreats over and over again. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
Lesson Express
Q: How does the ice impact Antarctica’s climate?
A: There is so much ice, the air is dry, making Antarctica the largest desert on Earth.
Q: What is unique about Lake Vostok?
A: It is one of the largest lakes in the world, but it is hidden under ice.
Q: How did our current ice age start?
A: Three million years ago, when North and South America collided and redirected the current (the Gulf Stream). The warm current tipped the planet into an ice age.
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