Australia - Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT)

Geography

The AAT consists of all islands and territories south of latitude 60°S and between longitudes 45° and 160° east except for the French sector of Terre Adélie, which comprises the islands and territories south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes 136° and 142° east. The AAT is the single largest sector of the continent and covers much of east Antarctica.

Time: GMT plus 4.5–10hr, depending on longitude

Area: 5,800,000 sq km

Topography: The icy landscapes of Antarctica, offering sweeping distant views, are of outstanding scenic beauty. The continent is the highest landmass in the world, thanks to its high ice cover, averaging over 2,000m. A broad mountain ridge (the Transantarctic Mountains) stretches into the AAT; the terrain is also high in Enderby Land and around the ice-packed bay of the Amery Ice Shelf, with Mt Menzies rising to 3,355m. The land area is fringed by a wide belt of ice up to hundreds of kilometres wide. Around the coast, icebergs continually ‘calve’ (break off) the glaciers into the sea. Over 95% of the continent is permanently covered in ice.

Climate: Antarctic, with severe wind chill increasing the harshness of the climate. On the central plateau, temperatures drop to minus 80°C. Local (‘katabatic’) winds of incredible ferocity develop on the plateau and sweep towards the coast. Around the French sector of Terre Adélie, full gales blow for 200 days a year. Precipitation is surprisingly light, with annual snowfall at 60mm of water equivalent on the central plateau and 1.5m on the coastal belt. Within the Antarctic Circle, there are days of complete darkness during the Antarctic winter and conversely of midnight sun during the summer.

Vegetation: Plant life is primitive and sparse, but lichens and mosses can survive where the harsh climate permits it.

Wildlife: Plankton and krill (shrimp-like creatures) abound in the rich Antarctic waters, supporting the marine food chain. The glaciers add nutrient minerals as they melt, diluting the saltiness of the sea and enabling marine life to thrive. Various species of penguins are found: Adélie and emperor penguins are especially resilient to the cold. Female emperor penguins settle their egg on the feet of the male parent because nesting on the ice is impossible. Other birdlife includes the Antarctic petrel and the South Polar skua, which breed exclusively on the continent. Whales, porpoises and seals visit Antarctic waters; the fur seal breeds furthest south. Huskies, imported to haul sledges and latterly for companionship, are now banned as a non-indigenous species.

Society

Population: There are three stations (Mawson, Davis and Casey), plus various summer bases and temporary field camps. There is a temporary population of scientists, ranging from about 70 in winter to 200 in summer.

Economy

Overview: There is no economic activity, and mining is not permitted. All activity relating to mineral resources, other than strictly for scientific research, is also prohibited. Additionally, Australian nationals are prohibited from mining elsewhere in Antarctica. Environmental protection is a priority. Scientific activities are concerned with global climate change and with studies of the Antarctic ecosystem. These studies include land and marine biology, cosmic-ray physics, upper atmosphere physics, meteorology, earth sciences and glaciology.

History

Sealing vessels from a number of countries, notably Britain but also including Australia, visited the Antarctic waters during the 19th century. From the early 20th century serious exploration took off, and Douglas Mawson reached the magnetic South Pole in 1909. Various territorial claims were later made and the AAT was transferred to Australian authority in 1933 by the British Government through an imperial order in council. The Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act was passed in the same year, and in 1936 the governor-general put the order into force by proclamation. Mawson Station (named after the explorer) was set up in February 1954 by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions. Davis Station (named after Mawson’s second-in-command, Captain John King Davis) was set up in 1957; Casey Station (named after a former governor-general of Australia, Lord Casey) in 1969. An earlier station, Wilkes, was made inoperable by snow and ice inundation, and closed.

Administration

The Territory is administered by the Australian Antarctic Division on behalf of the minister for the environment and heritage. Australia is a party to the Antarctic Treaty. A Protocol on Environmental Protection was added to the Antarctic Treaty in 1991, making Antarctica a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.