Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent. It contains 90 percent of all the ice on Earth in an area just under 1.5 times the size of the United States. But the southernmost continent is much more than just a large block of ice.

The frozen Antarctic was not observed until 1820. American seal hunter John Davis was the first to claim that he landed in Antarctica in 1821, although some historians question his claim.

Antarctica is located in the Antarctic Circle that surrounds the southern part of the globe, and it is the fifth largest continent. Its size varies with the seasons, as the expansion of sea ice along the coast nearly doubles the size of the continent in winter. Less than half a percent of the vast wilderness is free of ice.

The continent is divided into two regions, known as East and West Antarctica. Eastern Antarctica makes up two-thirds of the continent, and is roughly the size of Australia. The average thickness of ice in this part of the continent is 1.2 miles (2 km). On the other hand, West Antarctica is a series of frozen islands that extend towards the southern tip of South America, forming an extension of the Andes. The two regions are separated by the mountains of Antarctica, a chain that stretches across the continent, sometimes completely covered in ice.

Antarctica's ice is not a soft plate but rather an ever-changing stretch. Glaciers spread across the continent, cracking and breaking the ice. Cracked fields with crevices extend hundreds of feet across the continent, hidden only by a shallow layer of snow. Icebergs tumble along the coast, as shelves and glaciers burst into the sea.

Although little moisture fell from the sky, Antarctica was still hit by massive snowstorms. Like sandstorms in the desert, the wind picks up snow from the ground and blows out large white blankets. Winds can reach 200 mph (320 km / h).