Antarctica is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole, first reached in 1911 by Norwegian explorers. Antarctica is, on average, the coldest, driest, and windiest of the continents. It is mainly a polar desert, though 70% of the world's freshwater reserves are frozen there, which, if melted, would raise global sea levels by almost 60 m (200 ft). Native animals include mites, nematodes, penguins, seals and tardigrades. Where vegetation occurs, it is mostly in the form of lichen or moss. Some countries have territorial claims in Antarctica, but by treaty, the continent is set aside as a scientific preserve. During the summer months, about 5,000 people reside at research stations there, a figure that drops to around 1,000 in the winter. Despite Antarctica's remoteness, human activity significantly impacts it via pollution, ozone depletion, and climate change.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1948:

Chaired by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia was established to counter Dutch attempts to re-assert colonial control. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sjafruddin_Prawiranegara

1988:

Brazilian unionist and environmental activist Chico Mendes was murdered at his home in Xapuri. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_Mendes

2008:

A dike ruptured at a waste containment area for a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 million m3) of coal fly ash slurry (aftermath pictured) in the largest industrial spill in U.S. history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_Fossil_Plant_coal_fly_ash_slurry_spill

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

fly ash: A residue generated in the combustion of powdered coal or other materials, comprising the fine particles that rise with the flue gases; when generated industrially it is usually captured and can be recycled for use in construction materials. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fly_ash

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Each solstice shows us that we can choose. We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the Universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to Life when each arrives.   --Gary Zukav https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gary_Zukav