The massive frozen reservoir holding 80 percent of Earth's fresh water

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Antarctica is far more than a desolate wasteland. As the world's largest ice desert, this southernmost continent contains a staggering 7 million cubic miles of ice. Its sheer scale and weight are so immense they have actually depressed the continental bedrock below sea level.

Spanning approximately 5.5 million square miles, Antarctica is a continent of extremes: the highest, driest, windiest, and coldest on Earth. The landmass is divided into two distinct regions by the 2,100-mile-long Transantarctic Mountains. East Antarctica consists largely of a high, ice-covered plateau, while West Antarctica is an archipelago of mountainous islands covered by an ice sheet.

The scale of the Antarctic ice sheet is profound. Covering about 98 percent of the land, it holds roughly 90 percent of the world's ice and between 70 to 80 percent of its fresh water. The ice is massive, averaging about 5,900 feet in thickness, and in some areas, the weight is so great that the underlying bedrock has been pushed more than 2.5 kilometers below sea level.

Beneath this frozen exterior, the continent hides complex geological secrets. Recent research has identified a significant volcanic presence; as of 2017, scientists identified 138 possible volcanoes in West Antarctica, including 91 newly discovered ones. Notable active sites include Mount Erebus, the southernmost historically active volcano, and the volcanic caldera of Mount Hampton.

While the interior is a barren desert, the maritime edges support more life. The continent's periphery is fringed by massive ice shelves, such as the Ross and Filchner-Ronne, which cover about 45 percent of the margins. This environment is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, a 1959 landmark in diplomacy that preserves the region for nonmilitary scientific pursuit and regulates territorial claims.

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