Antarctica below, and what from above? Scientific analysis of myth and reality

Have you ever thought about the phrase “Antarctica is below, but what is above?” This question, which has become an Internet meme, actually hides deep geographical, physical and even philosophical aspects. Antarctica is the only continent that does not belong to any state, where there is no permanent population, but where 90% of all the planet's ice is concentrated. But what is “above”? The answer depends on what point of view you look at: from the position geography, astronomy or even conspiracy theories.

If we take the classical model of the Earth, then “above” Antarctica is North Pole, if you draw an imaginary line through the center of the planet. But in practice everything is more complicated: there are Earth's magnetic field, ionosphere, cosmic rays and even orbital stations. In this article we will analyze all possible interpretations of the question, refute myths and reveal scientific facts that you definitely have not heard about.

1. Geography Answer: What is on the opposite side of the Earth?

From a geographic point of view, if you dig a tunnel through the Earth from anywhere in Antarctica, you will come out to Arctic Ocean. More precisely - in the area Arctic Basin, close to the geographic North Pole. This is due to the fact that Antarctica is a continent, and the Arctic is a sheet of ice over the ocean. I wonder what no sushi exactly opposite Antarctica: the nearest land is the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago or Greenland, but they are located hundreds of kilometers from the “exit point”.

For clarity:

• 🌍 South Pole (Antarctica) → North Pole (Arctic, ocean).
• 🏔️ If you dig from Amundsen-Scott station (USA), you will exit at a point with coordinates approximately 89°59′N, 45°E - this is somewhere between Russia and Canada, but under water.
• ❄️ Ice thickness in Antarctica reaches 4.8 km, and the ocean depth in the Arctic is up to 5.5 km. That is, the tunnel would be long ~12,742 km (diameter of the Earth).

Interesting fact: if such a tunnel existed, falling into it would take 42 minutes (taking into account air resistance). Without air - 25 minutes, but this is already theoretical physics. In practice, it is impossible to drill a tunnel through the mantle and core of the Earth due to the temperature ~6000°C and pressure 3.5 million atmospheres.

2. An astronomical view: space and orbits over Antarctica

If we consider the question literally - “what is above” in the sense of “what is above your head”, then above Antarctica there is the same thing as above any other point on the Earth: atmosphere, ionosphere And space. However, there are nuances:

• 🛰️ Polar satellite orbits pass just above the poles. For example, weather satellites NOAA or MetOp take pictures of Antarctica every 90-100 minutes.
• 🌌 Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) - an analogue of the northern one, but is visible only from Antarctica and southern latitudes (for example, from the island of Tasmania).
• ☄️ Cosmic rays it's more intense here because south magnetic pole, which is shifted relative to the geographic one.

Important: over Antarctica no geostationary satellites (they hang above the equator), so low-orbit systems such as Iridium or Globalstar. This is one of the reasons why Internet at Antarctic stations is so slow and expensive.

3. Magnetic field and “hole” over Antarctica

One of the most mysterious phenomena - South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). This is the area where Earth's magnetic field is weakened, and it just extends from South America to Antarctica. Here:

• 🧲 Van Allen radiation belt descends closer to the surface (up to 200 km instead of the usual 600-1000 km).
• 🛡️ Spacecraft (For example, Hubble or ISS) switch off sensitive electronics when flying over SAA.
• 📡 Communication and navigation may malfunction due to increased levels of radiation.

Scientists suggest that the anomaly is associated with reversal of magnetic poles, which happens once every 200-300 thousand years. The last one was 780 thousand years ago, so we may be seeing the start of a new cycle. If this happens, compasses will point south and the northern lights will become southern.

⚠️ Attention: In the South Atlantic Anomaly, radiation levels in low orbits are 1000 times higherthan at the equator. This is one reason why manned missions to Mars are planned to avoid this zone.

4. Conspiracy theories: what are they hiding from above?

The Internet is replete with theories that there is supposedly a “dome”, a “flat Earth” or even an “entrance to the hollow Earth” over Antarctica. Let's look at the most popular myths and their refutations:

Theory	"Evidence" of supporters	Scientific refutation
Flat Earth	“In photographs from space, Antarctica looks like an ice wall along the edge of a disk.”	Satellite photos NASA And ESA show a spherical Earth. Antarctica is visible in images from DSCOVR (1.5 million km from Earth).
Dome over Antarctica	“Polar explorers see how planes cannot fly beyond the “wall””	Planes fly by orthodromic routes (great circle arc), which look like curved lines on the map.
UFOs and secret bases	"Admiral Byrd spoke of an underground civilization"	Official expeditions (eg ANITA) found no evidence. Byrd's statements are taken out of context.

One of the most famous “proofs” is this ban on flights over Antarctica. In fact, the limitations are related to:

• ✈️ Lack of airfields for emergency landing.
• ❄️ Extreme weather conditions (winds up to 320 km/h).
• 📡 Lack of radar coverage (air traffic control is impossible).

What did Admiral Byrd really say?

In 1947, Richard Byrd actually flew over Antarctica as part of Operation Highjump, but his diaries do not contain any mention of underground civilizations. All “sensations” are based on fake Internet publications from the 2000s.

5. Physics and gravity: why are “from below” and “from above” arbitrary?

From the point of view of physics, the concepts of “up” and “down” on Earth relative. Gravity is always directed towards the center of mass of the planet, so for the inhabitants of Australia “down” is north, and for us it is south. However, there are nuances:

• 🌍 Earth's center of mass does not coincide with the geometric center due to uneven density distribution (for example, the mantle under the Pacific Ocean is thicker).
• 🧱 Antarctica is “sagging” under the weight of ice: if it melts, the continent will rise by 500-1000 meters.
• 🔄 Coriolis effect in the Southern Hemisphere, cyclones spin clockwise (in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise).

An interesting experiment: if you drill a well in Antarctica as deep as 10 km, you won't come out the other side. The most that scientists have achieved is a well at the station East depth 3769 m (the project was stopped in 2012 due to technical difficulties). At the same time, at a depth 3.5 km was discovered ice water — Lake Vostok, isolated from the outside world 15 million years.

Acceleration of free fall at the pole - 9.832 m/s² (at the equator - 9.78 m/s²).

The pendulum clock in Antarctica is ticking 0.5 seconds per day fasterthan at the equator.

If you jump into a mine through the Earth, the maximum speed will be 28,000 km/h (first space one).-->

6. Climate consequences: what will happen if it melts “from below”?

Antarctica contains 70% of Earth's fresh water in the form of ice. If it melts completely, sea levels will rise by 58 meters. But even partial melting has catastrophic consequences:

• 🌊 They will find themselves under water Netherlands, Bangladesh, Florida and most of St. Petersburg.
• 🐧 Will disappear 30% of penguin species, including imperial ones.
• 🌪️ Will intensify El Niño, which will lead to droughts in Australia and floods in South America.

Now Antarctica is losing 150 billion tons of ice per year (data NASA for 2023). Main reasons:

1. Warm ocean currents undermine ice shelves (for example, Larsen C).
2. Black carbon (soot from forest fires and industry) reduces the reflectivity of ice.
3. Geothermal activity under the glacier Totten accelerates melting from below.

⚠️ Attention: If the temperature in Antarctica increases by 2°C, melting will become irreversible. According to IPCC, this will happen by 2050, unless CO₂ emissions are reduced.

7. Practical questions: how to get to the “top”?

If you are intrigued by the question and want to see “what’s above” with your own eyes, here are a few ways:

Method	Cost	Difficulty	What will you see
Tourist cruise (For example, Ponant or Hurtigruten)	from $10 000	⭐⭐ (needs good physical shape)	Icebergs, penguins, whales
Expedition to the station (For example, Union Glacier)	from $50 000	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (medical tests, preparation)	Scientific laboratories, polar night
Flight to Ilyushin IL-76 (Russian version)	from $8 000 (round trip from Cape Town)	⭐⭐⭐ (flight 5 hours, landing on ice)	Endless icy deserts from the air

Important: visiting Antarctica requires resolution (by 1959 Antarctic Treaty) and evacuation insurance (the cost of evacuation from the pole is up to $100 000). Tourists are also required to disinfect shoes and equipment so as not to introduce foreign microorganisms.

💡

Antarctica is the only place on Earth where there is no indigenous population, but there are temporary inhabitants (1000-4000 people depending on the season). They are all subject to international laws, not the laws of their countries.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Is it true that UFOs fly over Antarctica?

No confirmed evidence. All “evidence” is either atmospheric phenomena (for example, lenticular clouds), or optical illusions. In 2021 Pentagon published a report on UFOs, where Antarctica is not mentioned.

Why is Antarctica blurry on Google maps?

This is due to permission restrictions for polar regions. The point is not a conspiracy, but the fact that satellites take pictures with lower resolution due to polar orbits. In addition, Antarctica is covered with clouds 80% of the time.

Is it possible to buy land in Antarctica?

No. By Antarctic Treaty, the territory does not belong to any state. Any “certificate of occupancy” sold online is a scam. The most you can do is name a mountain or glacier after yourself (if you are sponsoring an expedition).

What happens if you drill a well to the other end of the Earth?

In theory you will land in the Arctic Ocean, but in practice this is impossible due to:

• Core temperatures (~6000°C).
• Pressure (3.5 million atmospheres).
• Lack of technology for drilling through the mantle.

Why are there no polar bears in Antarctica?

Polar bears live only in Arctic. In Antarctica, their ecological niche is occupied killer seals (leopard seals) And leopard seals. If bears appeared there, they would upset the fragile balance of the ecosystem.