3.1 Characteristics of the Antarctic ecosystem
3.1.1 The location of the Antarctic ecosystem.
3.1.2 The characteristics of the Antarctic climate: high pressure, the influence of latitude, angle of the sun, temperature, precipitation.
3.1.3 The features of the Antarctic ecosystem.
3.1.4 The interrelationships between abiotic and biotic factors in the Antarctic ecosystem and how flora and fauna adapt to survive.
3.1.1 The location of the Antarctic ecosystem.
3.1.2 The characteristics of the Antarctic climate: high pressure, the influence of latitude, angle of the sun, temperature, precipitation.
3.1.3 The features of the Antarctic ecosystem.
3.1.4 The interrelationships between abiotic and biotic factors in the Antarctic ecosystem and how flora and fauna adapt to survive.
MrBeast Does Antarctica! (yes, sorry.... MrBeast!)
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Surviving Antarctica with MrBeast
What would it actually be like to spend 50 hours in one of the most extreme environments on Earth? In this activity, you will join MrBeast and his team as they attempt to survive for 50 hours in Antarctica. As you watch, however, your job is to think like a geographer. Look beyond the entertainment (the Shopify adverts!) and collect evidence about Antarctica's landscape, climate and weather, the challenges it presents for people, and the ways in which this fragile environment needs to be protected. You will also need to decide how geographically accurate some of the claims made in the video really are. By the end, you should be able to use evidence from the video to explain why Antarctica is such an extreme and unique environment. |
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The video is below. As of September 2026, there have been 261 views of the video on YouTube. Check out the 'clickbait' video image still below. What is the obvious problem with this image?
3.1.1 The location of the Antarctic ecosystem.
Antarctica is the world’s southernmost continent, located around the South Pole and almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5°S). It covers an area of approximately 14 million km², making it larger than Europe.
The continent is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, which separates Antarctica from the other continents. The closest continent is South America, approximately 1,000 km away across the Drake Passage.
Antarctica is dominated by a vast ice sheet, which covers around 98% of the continent. Its extreme southern location means that it receives relatively little solar energy, helping to create the extremely cold conditions that characterise the Antarctic polar ecosystem.
Unlike the Arctic, which is mainly an ocean surrounded by land, Antarctica is a continent surrounded by ocean.
The continent is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, which separates Antarctica from the other continents. The closest continent is South America, approximately 1,000 km away across the Drake Passage.
Antarctica is dominated by a vast ice sheet, which covers around 98% of the continent. Its extreme southern location means that it receives relatively little solar energy, helping to create the extremely cold conditions that characterise the Antarctic polar ecosystem.
Unlike the Arctic, which is mainly an ocean surrounded by land, Antarctica is a continent surrounded by ocean.
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Task 1 – Locate and label
Using the worksheet to the right, you should identify and label: Antarctica South Pole Antarctic Circle (66.5°S) Southern Ocean South America Africa Australia Drake Passage Antarctic Peninsula Ross Sea Weddell Sea Task 2 – Add some more geographical information Shade the area of the map that represents the Antarctic continent. Draw and label 66.5°S – the Antarctic Circle. Mark and label the South Pole (90°S). Use the scale to estimate the shortest distance between Antarctica and South America. Task 3 - Appreciating the scale of Antarctica Use the Map Fight website to compare the size of the continent of Antarctica to your home country or region. |
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Task 4 - Describe its location.
Describe the location of the Antarctic ecosystem [4]
Use your map to describe the location of Antarctica. Try to include four different pieces of geographical information.
Sentence starters:
Antarctica is located in the __________ Hemisphere, around the __________.
Most of Antarctica lies south of the __________ at __________°S.
The continent is completely surrounded by the __________.
The closest continent to Antarctica is __________, which lies to the __________.
The __________ Peninsula extends towards __________.
Antarctica is separated from South America by the __________ Passage.
Geographical vocabulary to use:
Southern Hemisphere • South Pole • Antarctic Circle • 66.5°S • Southern Ocean • South America • Antarctic Peninsula • Drake Passage
Describe the location of the Antarctic ecosystem [4]
Use your map to describe the location of Antarctica. Try to include four different pieces of geographical information.
Sentence starters:
Antarctica is located in the __________ Hemisphere, around the __________.
Most of Antarctica lies south of the __________ at __________°S.
The continent is completely surrounded by the __________.
The closest continent to Antarctica is __________, which lies to the __________.
The __________ Peninsula extends towards __________.
Antarctica is separated from South America by the __________ Passage.
Geographical vocabulary to use:
Southern Hemisphere • South Pole • Antarctic Circle • 66.5°S • Southern Ocean • South America • Antarctic Peninsula • Drake Passage
