Glossary for Antarctica cruisers - More terms

Antarctica glossary

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More popular terms

Other widely
used Antarctica terms

Austral summer

This defines the southern hemisphere summer (Austral means "southern"). It occurs when winter is taking place in the northern hemisphere.

Convergence

It's where the warmer and saltier Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans collide with the colder and less-dense Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica. The convergence's line is an irregular circle that completely rings the Antarctica continent - and is, on average, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from it.

Guano

The excrement of penguins (and of bats and some seabirds).

Katabatic

A strong, cold wind flowing downhill (due to gravitational action) on the slopes of glaciers, ice fields and the polar cap.

Nunatak

A partially buried peak or ridge. It protrudes dramatically like an island from a glacier or snow field.

Pelagic wildlife

Those that live mainly in open sea, such as the Wandering Albatross.

Red penguin

That's us, in our bright red parkas.

For other
glossary terms, click

PAGE ONE - "South Pole" definitions
PAGE TWO - Iceberg types
PAGE THREE - More ice formations