Vehicle on flat runners, pulled by animals and used for transport across snow or ice. Rock formed from fragments of other rocks or the remains of plants or animals. Fossil fuels formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. The Antarctic region had no indigenous population when first discovered, and its present inhabitants comprise a few thousand transient scientific and other personnel working on tours of duty at the several dozen research stations maintained by various countries. Glaciologists study the history and dynamics of floating ice, seasonal snow, glaciers, and ice sheets.

Heavy snowfalls are common on the coastal portion of Antarctica, where snowfalls of up to 1.22 m (48 in) in 48 hours have been recorded. The continent receives an average equivalent to about 150 mm (6 in) of water per year, mostly in the form of snow. The relative warmth of the Arctic Ocean is transferred through the Arctic sea ice and moderates temperatures in the Arctic region. Antarctica is colder than the Arctic region, as much of Antarctica is over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above sea level, where air temperatures are colder. Over the elevated inland, it can rise to about −30 °C in summer but fall below −80 °C in winter.

The first international agreement to protect Antarctica's biodiversity was adopted in 1964. A combination of freezing temperatures, poor 7Reels Casino soil quality, and a lack of moisture and sunlight inhibit plant growth, causing low species diversity and limited distribution. Some of the species of fungi, which are apparently endemic to Antarctica, live in bird dung, and have evolved so they can grow inside extremely cold dung, but can also pass through the intestines of warm-blooded animals. The simplified morphology of such fungi, along with their similar biological structures, metabolism systems capable of remaining active at very low temperatures, and reduced life cycles, make them well suited to such environments. In January 2025, the detachment of the massive iceberg A-84 (comparable in size to the city of Chicago) from the George VI Ice Shelf provided a rare opportunity to explore the seafloor beneath floating ice shelves using robotic submersibles.

While ten people have been born in Antarctica since, Palma's birthplace remains the southernmost. The first recorded sighting of Antarctica is credited to the Spaniard Gabriel de Castilla, who reported seeing distant southern snow-capped mountains in 1603. Most of the Antarctica continent is permanently covered by ice and snow, leaving less than 1 percent of the land exposed. The implementation of the convention is managed through an international commission headquartered in Hobart, Australia, by an efficient system of annual fishing quotas, licenses, and international inspectors on the fishing vessels, as well as satellite surveillance. All of the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude are administered under the Antarctic Treaty System.