Antarctic Peninsula

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/antarctic-peninsula

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Antarctic Peninsula?522,000 square kilometers (202,000 sq mi)
2. What is the location?Northernmost part of mainland Antarctica, extending towards South America
3. What is the ice cover?Approximately 80% of the peninsula is covered by ice
4. Why does it look like a giant icy finger?It looks like a giant icy finger because it is a long, narrow stretch of land that reaches far into the ocean. It is about 1,300 km long and stands out like a finger pointing toward South America.
5. How does climate change affect penguins there?When the climate warms, the ice melts faster and sea ice shrinks. This makes it harder for penguins that need ice, like Adélie penguins, to find food and places to live. Penguins that can live in warmer, less icy water, such as gentoo and chinstrap penguins, are moving farther south.

Geomorphology: The study of the origin and evolution of terrestrial and ಭೂsurface landforms.
Maritime Climate: A climate characterized by moderate temperatures and higher humidity, influenced by proximity to the sea.
Continental Climate: A climate characterized by extreme temperature variations between summer and winter, typical of inland regions.
Phytoplankton: Microscopic marine algae that form the base of the ocean's food web.