The outback gets so hot and dry because a high pressure ridge sits over it most of the time. This high pressure ridge is the result of the relationship between the earth and the sun. Because our planet is a sphere, more of the sun's energy is focussed around the equator than at the poles.
Antarctica is so cold due to its position over the South Geographic pole. Antarctica is the 'highest' continent on Earth with an average altitude of about 3,000 m (9,800 ft). This contributes to its coldness, as temperatures decrease with altitude.
Australia gets more sunlight during the summer primarily because it is closer to the equator than the landmass of other English-speaking countries like the U.S. and the U.K. Also, the Earth is closer to the Sun in January (summer in the southern hemisphere) than it is in July (summer in the northern hemisphere).
Answer and Explanation: No, Australia and Antarctica are slowly moving apart, as they have been for the last 45 million years or so. Australia is currently moving north toward the Philippines while Antarctica is moving north on the other side of the globe toward Africa and South America.
Answer and Explanation: Australia is one of the countries that is closest to Antarctica. However, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand are closer. The actual distance between Australia and Antarctica is 8,364 kilometers (5,197 miles).
Australia and Antarctica were once part of the same land mass — a supercontinent called Gondwana. The fossil record of the 2 continents is similar. Antarctica has fossils of dinosaurs, amphibians and even marsupials from prehistory. Australia began to separate from Antarctica 85 million years ago.
China is closer to Australia and New Zealand than it is to South America, though South America is closer to Antarctica with a greater range of trips available and shorter travelling times leading to lower prices and longer in Antarctica. It is possible to fly from South America to join a cruise ship in Antarctica.
Australia would gain a large inland sea. River estuaries would become much larger and they and the paths of their rivers would expand significantly inland drowning floodplains and many riverbank communities. Billions of people, up to 40% of the world population would be displaced and have to move to higher ground.
The territory's history dates to a claim on Enderby Land made by the United Kingdom in 1841, which was subsequently expanded and eventually transferred to Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation by area. In 1961, the Antarctic Treaty came into force.
Including all its islands and ice shelves, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. It covers 13,661,000 km². The Australian Antarctic Territory is 5,896,500 km² (42% of Antarctica).
Hell hath no fury like the Western Australian outback with scorching temperatures setting flames to world records this week. On Monday thermometers reached 46.1 degrees at Learmonth Airport making the tiny RAAF base in Exmouth the single hottest place on Earth so far in February 2023.
Q) Which Australian City Has The Worst Weather? Adelaide and Melbourne take the crown when it comes to cities with the worst weather in Australia. Both these cities are generally a lot cooler than others and also experience a lot more rainfall and fewer sunny days.
'Britain feels a lot hotter'
Humidity is one reason, explained the Met Office. The UK has a higher level of humidity than the European continent and “it is harder for the human body to keep cool as your sweat doesn't evaporate as quickly.”
Antarctica is the only continent without a native population, or any true native Antarcticans. To this day, there is still no permanent human settlements or permanent residents, due to the unforgiving Antarctic environment, climate (the Antarctic is considered the coldest place in the world) and terrain.
Antarctica and the Arctic are the two coldest places on earth.
What is the coldest place in the world? It is a high ridge in Antarctica on the East Antarctic Plateau where temperatures in several hollows can dip below minus 133.6° Fahrenheit (minus 92° Celsius) on a clear winter night - colder than the previous recorded low temperature.
The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) covers nearly 5.9 million square kilometres. That's about 42% of Antarctica.
Antarctica doesn't belong to anyone. There is no single country that owns Antarctica. Instead, Antarctica is governed by a group of nations in a unique international partnership. The Antarctic Treaty, first signed on December 1, 1959, designates Antarctica as a continent devoted to peace and science.
Antarctica is larger than Europe or Australia, but unlike those continents, it has no permanent human population.
Scientists warn deep ocean water flows from the Antarctic could decline by 40 percent by 2050, threatening the collapse of circulation crucial for planetary systems.
If all the ice covering Antarctica , Greenland, and in mountain glaciers around the world were to melt, sea level would rise about 70 meters (230 feet). The ocean would cover all the coastal cities. And land area would shrink significantly.
Four billion years from now, the increase in Earth's surface temperature will cause a runaway greenhouse effect, creating conditions more extreme than present-day Venus and heating Earth's surface enough to melt it. By that point, all life on Earth will be extinct.
Aboriginal origins
Humans are thought to have migrated to Northern Australia from Asia using primitive boats. A current theory holds that those early migrants themselves came out of Africa about 70,000 years ago, which would make Aboriginal Australians the oldest population of humans living outside Africa.
Antarctica hasn't always been a continent covered in thick ice. In fact, millions of years ago it resembled similar to a tropical forest with huge trees, and lots of diverse wildlife. How do we know this? By finding fossils, just like the ones in the images below.
Vegetation. Towering conifer forests covered much of Australia. Smaller plants such as ferns, gingkoes, cycads, clubmosses and horsetails created an understorey. The first flowering plants had begun to bloom.