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In 1820, several expeditions claimed to have been the first to have sighted Antarctica, with the very first being the Russian expedition led by [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] and Mikhail Lazarev. The first landing was probably just over a year later when American Captain John Davis, a sealer, set foot on the [[ice]]. | In 1820, several expeditions claimed to have been the first to have sighted Antarctica, with the very first being the Russian expedition led by [[Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen]] and Mikhail Lazarev. The first landing was probably just over a year later when American Captain John Davis, a sealer, set foot on the [[ice]]. | ||
The basic geography of the Antarctic coastline was not understood until the mid-to-late 19th century. American naval officer Charles Wilkes claimed (correctly) that Antarctica was a new continent, basing the claim on his exploration in 1839–40, while James Clark Ross, in his expedition of 1839–43, hoped that he might be able to sail all the way to the South Pole. (He was unsuccessful.) | The basic geography of the Antarctic coastline was not understood until the mid-to-late 19th century. American naval officer [[Charles Wilkes]] claimed (correctly) that Antarctica was a new continent, basing the claim on his exploration in 1839–40, while [[James Clark Ross]], in his expedition of 1839–43, hoped that he might be able to sail all the way to the South Pole. (He was unsuccessful.) | ||
===1900–1950=== | ===1900–1950=== | ||
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British explorer [[Robert Falcon Scott]] on the Discovery Expedition of 1901–04 was the first to attempt to find a route from the Antarctic coastline to the South Pole. Scott, accompanied by [[Ernest Shackleton]] and Edward Wilson, set out with the aim of travelling as far south as possible, and on 31 December 1902, reached 82°16′ S. Shackleton later returned to Antarctica as leader of the British Antarctic Expedition (Nimrod Expedition) in a bid to reach the Pole. On 9 January 1909, with three companions, he reached 88°23' S – 112 miles (180 km) from the Pole – before being forced to turn back. | British explorer [[Robert Falcon Scott]] on the Discovery Expedition of 1901–04 was the first to attempt to find a route from the Antarctic coastline to the South Pole. Scott, accompanied by [[Ernest Shackleton]] and Edward Wilson, set out with the aim of travelling as far south as possible, and on 31 December 1902, reached 82°16′ S. Shackleton later returned to Antarctica as leader of the British Antarctic Expedition (Nimrod Expedition) in a bid to reach the Pole. On 9 January 1909, with three companions, he reached 88°23' S – 112 miles (180 km) from the Pole – before being forced to turn back. | ||
The first | The first people to reach the Geographic South Pole were the Norwegian [[Roald Amundsen]] and his party on December 14, 1911. Amundsen named his camp Polheim and the entire plateau surrounding the Pole King Haakon VII Vidde in honor of King Haakon VII of Norway. Robert Falcon Scott returned to Antarctica with his second expedition, the [[Terra Nova Expedition]], initially unaware of Amundsen's secretive expedition. Scott and four other men reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, thirty-four days after Amundsen. On the return trip, Scott and his four companions all died of starvation and extreme cold. | ||
In 1914 Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition set out with the goal of crossing Antarctica via the South Pole, but his ship, the ''[[Endurance]]'', was frozen in [[pack ice]] and sank 11 months later. The overland journey was never made. | In 1914 Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition set out with the goal of crossing [[Antarctica]] via the South Pole, but his ship, the ''[[Endurance]]'', was frozen in [[pack ice]] and sank 11 months later. The overland journey was never made. | ||
United States Navy Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]], with the assistance of his first pilot Bernt Balchen, became the first person to fly over the South Pole on November 29, 1929. | United States Navy Admiral [[Richard E. Byrd]], with the assistance of his first pilot Bernt Balchen, became the first person to fly over the South Pole on November 29, 1929. | ||
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==Time== | ==Time== | ||
In most places on Earth, local time is determined by longitude, such that the time of day is more-or-less synchronised to the position of the sun in the sky (for example, at midday the sun is roughly at its highest). This line of reasoning fails at the South Pole, where the sun rises and sets only once per year, and all lines of longitude, and hence all time zones, converge. There is no a priori reason for placing the South Pole in any particular time zone, but as a matter of practical convenience the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station keeps New Zealand Time (UTC+12). This is because the US flies its resupply missions ("Operation Deep Freeze") out of McMurdo Station, which is supplied from Christchurch, New Zealand. | In most places on Earth, local time is determined by longitude, such that the time of day is more-or-less synchronised to the position of the sun in the sky (for example, at midday the sun is roughly at its highest). This line of reasoning fails at the South Pole, where the sun rises and sets only once per year, and all lines of longitude, and hence all time zones, converge. There is no a priori reason for placing the South Pole in any particular time zone, but as a matter of practical convenience the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station keeps New Zealand Time (UTC+12). This is because the US flies its resupply missions ("[[Operation Deep Freeze]]") out of McMurdo Station, which is supplied from Christchurch, New Zealand. | ||
==Flora and fauna== | ==Flora and fauna== | ||
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[[Category:Geography of Westarctica]] | [[Category:Geography of Westarctica]] | ||
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