Extreme points of Antarctica

2023-12-10T04:43:53Z

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This is a '''list of extreme points in [[Antarctica]]'''.

==List==
*'''Northernmost''': Martin-de-Viviès, [[Île Amsterdam]], [[French Southern and Antarctic Lands]], [[France]] (37° 48' S)
**Without subantarctic islands, the northernmost point of political Antarctica is [[Coronation Island]], [[British Antarctic Territory]] and [[Argentine Antarctica]] (60° 37' S)
**Without offshore islands, the northernmost point of mainland Antarctica is [[Prime Head]], British Antarctic Territory, Argentine Antarctica, and [[Chilean Antarctic Territory]] (63° 12' S)
*'''Southernmost''': [[South Pole]], [[Antarctica]] (90° S)
*'''Westernmost''': [[180th meridian|Anti-Meridian Line]], [[Ross Dependency]] (180° W)
*'''Easternmost''': [[180th meridian|Anti-Meridian Line]], [[Ross Dependency]] (180° E)
* The tallest [[mountain]] in Antarctica is [[Vinson Massif|Mount Vinson]] rising 4,892 meters (16,050 feet) above sea level.
* The lowest point in Antarctica is within the [[Denman Glacier]], which reaches 3.5 kilometers (11,500 feet) below sea level.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50753113|title=Deepest point on land found in Antarctica|last=Amos|first=Jonathan|date=2019-12-12|work=BBC News|access-date=2019-12-12|language=en-GB}}</ref> This is also the lowest place on Earth not covered by ocean (although it is covered by ice).
* The lowest accessible point in Antarctica is the shore of Deep Lake, [[Vestfold Hills]], which is 50.4 m<ref>{{cite book |author= |title= Antarctic Journal of the United States Volume 19 Number 5|url=https://www.coldregions.org/vufind/Content/ajus |publisher=National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs|page=88 |date= 1984|issn=0003-5335}} </ref> beneath sea level.
* The point on land farthest from any coastline on the Antarctic Continent is located at {{Coord|83.904|S|64.890|E|name=Antarctia's Outer Pole of Inaccessibility}}. This is also known as the South [[Pole of inaccessibility]].<ref name="Rees2021">{{cite journal |last1=Rees |first1=Gareth |last2=Gerrish |first2=Laura |last3=Fox |first3=Adrian |last4=Barnes |first4=Richard |date=2021 |title=Finding Antarctica's Pole of Inaccessibility |doi=10.1017/S0032247421000620 |periodical=Polar Record |volume=57 |issue=e40 |pages=1–6 |s2cid=239011407 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* Antarctica is the southernmost [[land mass]] on [[Earth]]. The Geographical [[South Pole]] lies on the Polar Plateau at {{Coord|90|00|S|00|00|W|}}. It is here that the southernmost human habitation on Earth is located: [[Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station]] (U.S. Administered Base).
* [[Vostok Station]] is the most isolated research base on the continent (located at {{Coord|77|S|105|E|}}), and it is situated over the southernmost lake in the world, [[Lake Vostok]], a subglacial lake 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) under the surface of the ice where the station sits. Formerly administered by the [[Soviet Union|Soviets]], it is now operated by [[Russia]].
* The southernmost [[volcano]] on the planet—[[Mount Erebus]]—is in Antarctica on the world's southernmost island reachable from the sea: [[Ross Island]].
* The southernmost island is said to be [[Berkner Island]]. It is embedded in the [[ice shelf]], fully covered by ice and fully below sea level, and therefore not an island, but an [[ice rise]]. The southernmost true island is probably [[Black Island (Ross Archipelago)]].
* The [[Ross Sea]] is the southernmost sea in the world, with its southernmost extremity ([[Amundsen Coast]]) at the foot of the [[Horlick Mountains]] approximately {{cvt|200|mi|km|sigfig=1|order=flip}}{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} from the Geographic South Pole. However, this area is covered by the [[Ross Ice Shelf]]. The southernmost open sea is also part of Ross Sea, namely [[Bay of Whales]] at 78°30'S, at the edge of Ross Ice Shelf.
* The northernmost extremity of the Antarctic mainland (without nearshore islands) is [[Prime Head]], at the northern tip of the [[Trinity Peninsula]] at {{Coord|63|12|48|S|57|18|08|W|}}. The Antarctic Peninsula is the largest contiguous part of the continent projecting north of the [[Antarctic Circle]] and thus has many of the continent's research bases. Prime Head is {{cvt|980|km|mi}} from [[Cape Horn]]. The northernmost research base on the mainland is [[Esperanza Base]].

==Other extremes==
* While animal life such as [[penguins]] and [[Pinniped|seals]] are found all around the Antarctic coastline, the continent's only flowering plants are found on the northern portion of the Antarctic Peninsula (see [[Antarctic flora]]).
* Highest temperature so far recorded in Antarctica: {{convert|19.8|°C}} at [[Vanda Station]] ([[New Zealand]] administered station) on 5 January 1974.
* Lowest temperature so far recorded in Antarctica: {{convert|-93.2|°C}} in the interior of the Antarctica in August 2010. The record temperature was found by scientists sifting through decades of climate data taken by Earth-orbiting satellites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nsidc.org/news/press/2013_ColdestPlace_PR.html|title=Press Release: Landsat 8 helps unveil the coldest place on Earth|date=9 December 2013|access-date=10 April 2014|archive-date=20 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220034754/http://nsidc.org/news/press/2013_ColdestPlace_PR.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the previous record was {{convert|-89.2|°C}} at [[Vostok, Antarctica|Vostok]] ([[Russia]]n administered station) on 21 July 1983 and it is to this day more widely known.
* The highest non-[[cyclone|cyclonic]] winds ever recorded on the Continent were at [[Commonwealth Bay]] ({{Coord|66|54|S|142|40|E|}}), which is about {{convert|48|km}} wide and located at the entrance between [[Point Alden]] and [[Cape Gray]]. Winds regularly exceed 200 km/h here. The fastest wind ever recorded was in the base [[Belgrano II]] at {{convert|351|km/h|abbr=on}}.
* Antarctica has the world's lowest [[rainfall]] average (zero at the Geographic South Pole) and thus is the world's driest continent.
* Despite its low rainfall average, Antarctica has approximately 70% of the world's fresh water (as well as 90% of the world's ice).

==See also==
{{Portal|Geography}}
* [[Extreme points of the Arctic]]
* [[Farthest South]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Antarctica}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Extreme Points of Antarctica}}
[[Category:Geography of Antarctica]]
[[Category:Extreme points by continent|Antarctica]]
[[Category:Lists of extreme points|Antarctica]]

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Extreme points of Antarctica