When mid-December and then I asked permission to go to Antarctica, the head of my office was shocked. In the face of disbelief, he repeated sentence, “To Antarctica, a trip to the South Pole, what joy?
Flight to Antarctica can only be done in December, when the summer there. If it does not come means I have to wait until next year to visit the icy continent.
Hearing this explanation, finally after a long sigh, my head told, “Be careful, yes.”
Schools mentioned in the explanation, the earth has five continents: Asia, Europe, Africa, America and Australia. Unfortunately, we often do not realize, that in the south there, at the bottom of the planet, there is the land area of 14 million square kilometers, or two times larger than Australia. Mainland is not inhabited because 98 percent of its area covered with perennial ice layer thickness 2.3 to 4.8 km.
The south, the bottom of the planet, or similar terms, it is simply an agreement. In the perspective of space, where the earth in which we live today is just one among a sprinkling of other heavenly bodies, direction and guidance places become very relative.
However Antarctica stores 70 percent of world reserves of clean water. If there melted layer entirely, sea levels will rise as high as 70 meters. This means, all port cities in all corners of the earth would be drowned, wiped off the map. With this kind of position, the role of Antarctica on global climate, particularly for the southern hemisphere, is very meaningful.
To reach Antarctica, visitors can take boat or plane. It took three weeks when on a ship. With the aircraft, when flying from Sydney, the region will be achieved within six hours. Round-trip ticket for the 3199 executive class or approximately U.S. $ 27.5 million. The cheapest economy class, there are two kinds. Passengers on the side of the window to pay 1099 dollars and the middle seat 799 dollars.
I’m with NHK Japanese TV crew was invited by the ATC (Australian Tourist Commission) is much more fortunate. Despite sitting in the middle, it was invited into the cockpit to monitor flight. After three hours of flying, the top of the first iceberg was beginning to look. Towering majestic, white sea ice over the net, at the foot of the sky.
Because summer in December, could be seen from the cockpit interesting process. Some of the iceberg began to melt, the ice chunks falling giant looks, and then forming islands floating ice that immediately following the ocean currents.
We’re still lucky, a small part in the Antarctic ice sheet melted only in the summer month of December. I have no power to imagine what would happen if all melted and sea levels rising world simultaneously.