Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 13
Management of Cryosols
13.1
Antarctica
13.1.1
Land Use
Antarctica is protected from development by the Antarctic Treaty (AT) (
http://www.
ats.aq/e/ats.htm
). The AT has been signed by all 12 of the original signatory countries
but also by 38 countries that accede to the AT. The AT limits the kind of activities can
take place on the continent and requires environmental impact statements for small-
scale scientifi c activities as well as major activities such as establishment of scientifi c
bases. The primary use of Antarctica today is science, which for the US program
includes astrophysics and space sciences, earth sciences, glaciology, ocean and
atmospheric sciences, organisms and ecosystems, and integrated system science.
Only 0.35 % (49,500 km
2
) of Antarctica is ice-free. As most human activities are
concentrated in relatively small ice-free areas, particularly in the Ross Sea region and
Antarctic Peninsula, the potential for adverse human impacts on the soil landscape is
great (O'Neill et al.
2014
).
Tourism is becoming an increasingly important activity in Antarctica, includ-
ing cruise ships from South America and mountaineering expeditions working out
of the Heritage Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. Tourism in Antarctica has
increased by 344 % in the past 13 years (International Association of Antarctic
Tour Operators
2013
).
