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Home , James Clark Ross, South magnetic pole, South Pole

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Australia, , and Geography and History Adivity

Race to the By the late 1800s, Antarctica was the Arriving at , Scott and his only unexplored continent on . crew set up headquarters at . Whaling ships had sailed the waters near Their equipment included 21 ponies and the Circle for years, but no ship 3 tractor-like, motorized sleds. could brave the large floating blocks of Amundsen and his team pitched camp ice, or pack ice, near the continent without at the extreme western edge of the Ross Ice risking certain destruction. Shelf. To make the journey easier, Amund­ Earlier, in 1841, - sen brought trained sled dogs and special the same man who had located the North skis. Magnetic Pole in 1831-was determined Amundsen's crew and dogsleds pulled to find the . Taking a out on October 19. Their expedition cut a southerly route through the pack ice, Ross new route over the Great Ice Barrier and was able to maneuver his ship to within through Antarctica's great central . about 80 miles (130 km) of the Antarctic During the 1,400-mile (2,253-km) trip, the Coast before being stopped by a giant ice men left supplies in seven well-marked shelf, which today bears his name. He took places. They reached the South Pole on readings from several positions December -14. There they put up a small on his ship, plotted the readings on a map, tent on the pole's exact location and left and determined the location of the South a letter inside for Scott. The team arrived Magnetic Pole. back at their original campsite on January Historians refer to the next decades 25, 1912, in good health and high spirits. as the "Heroic Age of ." On November I, Scott and his 15- Several nations sent expeditions to claim member team headed for the central territory and be the first to step foot on plateau on a well-known route across Earth's most remote spot. Severe weather, . The trip was a disaster. hunger, and sickness forced these early Their motorized sleds got bogged down expeditions to turn back before reaching in soft snow, and supplies ran low. Eleven their goal. men and all the ponies died. Only Scott and four others made it to the South Pole Amundsen vs. Scott on January 17, 1912. On the return trip The big news in the fall of 1911 was the to Cape Evans, however, the men were race between 's unable to find their poorly marked and Britain's Robert Scott. The two sea­ supply deposits in the vast, windy soned explorers took on the challenge of Antarctic wasteland. All died from being the first to reach the South Pole. hunger and .

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Geography and History Activity continued

Explorers' Routes

South Pole Amundsen reaches Pole -&--Scott reaches Pole

00 00 00 00 QUEEN 00 MrS. :::: ::00 :: :: f}( :: ~ --Beardmore Glacier :: 00 00 0 0 00 00 ff ROSS fi ICE SHELF Roosevelt ff Island Ij/ IPy: ___ Amundsen sets out AJ "-~~ ...J Ca e Scott sets out December 1911 Evtns

ROSS SEA Ross ISlan'tr KEY Amundsen, 1911-1912 o 200 kilometers ~ - Scott, 1911 - 1912 o 200 miles

~ Applying Geography to History 3. Naming Who led the first successful expedition to step foot on the South Directions: Read the information about Pole? From which country was he? Antarctica and examine the map. Then answer the questions below. 1. Drawing Conclusions Why did whaling expeditions not explore the Antarctic continent? 4. Analyzing How did Antarctica's physi­ cal geography and climate defeat Scott?

2. Identifying Who led the expedition to find the ? In what 5. Mapping Activity Research another year? explorer who attempted to find the South Pole. Describe the route taken, the equipment used, any journal entries written, and so on. Sketch a map label­ ing the explorer's route. 12