Chapter 1.
Antarctica is the coldest of all continents. Antarctica is not the last place among other parts of the world in Antarctica. Its area - about 1400 million km 2 - is almost twice the area of Australia and one and a half times the area of Europe. The shape of Antarctica is slightly reminiscent of the Arctic Ocean. Antarctica sharply differs from all other continents. A powerful layer of ice covers almost the entire continent. Thanks to the colossal glaciation of Antarctica - the highest continent on earth, its average height exceeds 2000 m above 1 / 4 its surface is at an altitude of more than 3000 m. Antarctica is the only continent without a single permanent river, yet it is home to 62% of the earth's fresh water in the form of ice.
If the glacier shield of this continent had begun to melt, it could feed the rivers of our planet, with the water availability they have for more than 500 years, and the level of the world's oceans from the incoming water would have risen by more than 60 meters. The size of glaciation can be judged at least because this ice is enough to cover the entire globe with a layer of about 50 meters thick.
If you remove the entire ice cover from Antarctica, it will be similar to all other continents with complex terrain - mountain structures, plains and deep trenches. An important difference from other continents is the complete absence of state borders and permanent population. Antarctica does not belong to any state, no one lives there permanently. Antarctica is a continent of peace and cooperation. Within its limits any military preparations are prohibited. No country can declare it its land. Legally it is fixed by the international treaty which has been signed on December, 1st, 1959.
Chapter 2.
From 1957 to 1959, the International Geophysical Year took place, 65 countries agreed to send their expeditions to Antarctica, build scientific stations and conduct various studies. More than 60 research stations were built in Antarctica. There are scientists from many countries of the world working there. In 1959, an international treaty on Antarctica was signed, according to which it is prohibited to build industrial and military objects there. The whole continent is provided by scientists for research, so Antarctica is called the continent of scientists.
The first Soviet expedition to Antarctica was headed by the Hero of the Soviet Union M.M. Somov. At the beginning of January 1956, the flagship of the expedition, the diesel-electric ship "Ob" under the command of Captain I.A.Man, approached the Helen glacier in a thick fog and passed through a narrow passageway between icebergs to the east of the glacier estuary to the Davis Sea Depot Bay.
The search for a place for construction of the research station began. A suitable place was found in the area of Haswell Island.
Chapter 3.
In the middle of February 1956 there was a solemn opening of the first Soviet observatory on the coast of Antarctica. The observatory was named "Mirny" in honor of one of the ships of the First Russian Antarctic Expedition of Belingshausen - Lazarev. From the first days of existence of the Soviet base scientific researches on all planned directions began. The shore, where the expedition settled, was named the Coast of Truth.
Chapter 4.
Scientists proved that Antarctica was a green city earlier. And the suburbs of the mountains, valleys, plains, beds of former rivers, bowls of former lakes. Millions of years ago there was no eternal winter on this land. Here the forests were warm and green-bustling, tall grasses were swaying under the warm winds, on the banks of rivers and lakes were gathering on water beasts, birds were fluttering in the sky.
Scientists believe that once Antarctica was part of a giant continent called Gondwana.
Chapter 5.
A few months later, the expedition undertook a sledge-caterpillar trip to the depth of the "white spot" of East Antarctica and organized in 370 km from the coast, at an altitude of 2700 m above sea level, the inland station "Pionerskaya". On this slope of the glacial dome even in the best weather the fig wind blows, sweeping the snow.
Chapter 6.
The Second Soviet Antarctic Expedition headed by A.F.Treshnikov advanced even further inland. The researchers came to the South geomagnetic pole and at a distance of 1400 km from the shore, at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level, built a permanent research station "Vostok". Everything necessary for the life and work of polar explorers is delivered from the homeland by several ships, in addition, the winterers have tractors, tractors, aircraft, helicopters.
Scientific research on the ice continent continues.