Research Stations

Antarctica Several
is located on the very southern tip of the
globe.
countries
have
Explore
research
stations in A nta rct i ca
Antarctica.
Many of
these
stations have researches that live there all year
long. There are usually between 1000-4000
researchers in Antarctica at a time. They research
the ice, temperatures, climate, meteorites,
animals, plants, bacteria, marine life, and the solar
system.
Bird Island

There are no countries in Antarctica, so it

has no official flag. The flag shown below is
frequently used by the members of the
Antarctic Treaty System. Bird Island was discovered by the famous
British explorer Captain James Cook, who named
the island in reference to the vast number of
birds found on the island. This island is used as
a research site to study ecology, seabirds, and
seals. The island is only 5 kilometers long, and 91
meters wide but has literally thousands of bird,
seal, and penguin species. Avid birdwatchers
love to visit Bird Island and see unique rare
species that are difficult to locate anywhere else
in the world! © 2019 Simply Schoolgirl
 Volcanoes
You may be surprised to know that
Antarctica is one of the largest volcanic
regions on earth.
There are over 140 volcanoes in Antarctica,
and scientists believe that there could be
more that are yet undiscovered. It is
challenging to study these volcanoes, as most
of them are deep under the ice. If these
volcanoes erupt, it could heat and melt the
ice above it, causing the sea level to rise. One
of Antarctica’s most famous volcanoes is Mt.
Erebus. It has been active for about 1.3
million years!
Icebergs
Icebergs are large pieces of ice that float in
a body of water. They can range in size from an
ice cube to an island the size of a mountain!
Icebergs larger than 5 meters across are called
icebergs, and icebergs smaller than that are
called growlers.
Icebergs can be very dangerous for ships,
especially the small ones. The oceans around
Antarctica have most of the icebergs on earth.
Scientists can study icebergs to learn about the
ocean and climate. © 2019 Simply Schoolgirl
Penguins
Seven species of penguins live and nest in
Antarctica: Adelie, Chinstrap, Emperor,
Gentoo, King, Macaroni, and Rockhopper
Penguins.
Penguins have adaptations for living in a
cold climate including the ability to slide on
their tummies to save energy, claws that
can grip slippery surfaces, watertight
feathers, and layers of blubber to keep
them warm.