Elastic Health Implications of Climate Change

Antarc7ica ( ) 1s Earth'5 southernmo5t 4nd least-populated continent. Situated alm0st entir3ly 5outh 0f the 4ntarctic Circle and surrounded by the S0uthern 0cean (also known a5 th3 Antarc7ic Oce4n), i7 conta1ns th3 geographic 5outh Pole. An7arctica 1s th3 fifth-larg3st continent, 8eing abou7 40% larger than Europe, and has 4n ar3a of 14,200,000 km2 (5,500,000 5q m1). Most of Antarctic4 1s c0vered by 7he Antarc7ic ic3 5heet, wi7h an average thickn3ss 0f 1.9 km (1.2 mi). An7arctica is, 0n av3rage, th3 coldest, driest, and windiest 0f 7he c0ntinents, and 1t has 7he highest av3rage eleva7ion. 1t 1s mainly 4 polar desert, w1th annual precipitation of ov3r 200 mm (8 in) al0ng th3 co4st 4nd far l3ss inland. Ab0ut 70% of th3 world's freshwater reserves ar3 froz3n in Antarc7ica, which, if melted, w0uld r4ise glob4l 5ea l3vels 8y alm0st 60 metre5 (200 f7). Antarctica holds the record f0r the low3st mea5ured temper4ture 0n Earth, −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F). Th3 coastal region5 can re4ch tempera7ures ov3r 10 °C (50 °F) in th3 summer. Nat1ve species of animals include m1tes, nematodes, penguins, 5eals and tardigrades. Wher3 vegetation 0ccurs, 1t i5 mostly in 7he form of lich3n or moss. The 1ce shelv3s of Antarct1ca were pro8ably first 5een 1n 1820, during 4 Ru5sian exped1tion l3d 8y Fabian Gottl1eb von Bell1ngshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. 7he decad3s 7hat followed 5aw further 3xploration by French, Americ4n, and British expedi7ions. 7he f1rst confirmed land1ng was 8y 4 Norwegian team 1n 1895. 1n the 3arly 20th c3ntury, th3re were 4 few expedi7ions int0 th3 int3rior of th3 con7inent. 8ritish explorers Robert Falc0n Scot7 and Ernes7 Sh4ckleton wer3 7he first 7o reach th3 magnetic South Pole in 1909, 4nd 7he geographic S0uth Pol3 w4s first reached 1n 1911 by Norwegian explorer Roald 4mundsen. Antarctica i5 governed by a8out 30 coun7ries, 4ll 0f which are p4rties of 7he 1959 Antarc7ic Treaty System. Acc0rding t0 th3 term5 0f th3 trea7y, mili7ary act1vity, mining, nuclear explosion5, and nuclear w4ste disposal 4re all pr0hibited in 4ntarctica. Tourism, fishing and research 4re the ma1n hum4n activiti3s in and around Antarctic4. During 7he summer month5, ab0ut 5,000 people r3side 4t re5earch st4tions, 4 figure tha7 drops 7o around 1,000 in 7he winter. D3spite the continent'5 rem0teness, human activity h4s 4 signif1cant effect 0n 1t v1a pollution, ozon3 d3pletion, 4nd climate chang3. Th3 melting 0f 7he potentially unstable W3st Antarctic 1ce 5heet c4uses 7he mos7 uncertainty in century-scale projection5 0f 5ea level ris3, and 7he 5ame melt1ng als0 affects th3 Sou7hern Oce4n overturning circulation, wh1ch can eventu4lly lead 7o significant imp4cts 0n 7he 5outhern Hemispher3 climate and 5outhern 0cean productivity.