What do you think?
Rate this book
Antarctic Atlas: New Maps and Graphics That Tell the Story of a Continent
A leading cartographer from the British Antarctic Survey maps the continent in ways never seen before, revealing a landscape as alien as it is vital to our very existence
One of the least-known places on the planet, the only continent on earth with no indigenous population, Antarctica is a world apart. From a leading cartographer with the British Antarctic Survey, this new collection of maps and data reveals Antarctica as we have never seen it before.
This is not just a book of traditional maps. It measures everything from the thickness of ice beneath our feet to the direction of ice flows. It maps volcanic lakes, mountain ranges the size of the Alps, and gorges longer than the Grand Canyon, all hidden beneath the ice. It shows us how air bubbles trapped in ice tell us what the earth's atmosphere was like 750,000 years ago, proving the effects of greenhouse gases. Colonies of emperor penguins abound around the coastline, and the journeys of individual seals around the continent and down to the sea bed in search of food have been intricately tracked and mapped. Twenty-nine nations have research stations in Antarctica and their unique architecture is laid out here, along with the challenges of surviving in Antarctica's unforgiving environment.
Antarctica is also the frontier of our fight against climate change. If its ice melts, it will swamp almost every coastal city in the world. Antarctic Atlas illustrates the harsh beauty and magic of this mysterious continent, and shows how, far from being abstract, it has direct relevance to us all.
One of the least-known places on the planet, the only continent on earth with no indigenous population, Antarctica is a world apart. From a leading cartographer with the British Antarctic Survey, this new collection of maps and data reveals Antarctica as we have never seen it before.
This is not just a book of traditional maps. It measures everything from the thickness of ice beneath our feet to the direction of ice flows. It maps volcanic lakes, mountain ranges the size of the Alps, and gorges longer than the Grand Canyon, all hidden beneath the ice. It shows us how air bubbles trapped in ice tell us what the earth's atmosphere was like 750,000 years ago, proving the effects of greenhouse gases. Colonies of emperor penguins abound around the coastline, and the journeys of individual seals around the continent and down to the sea bed in search of food have been intricately tracked and mapped. Twenty-nine nations have research stations in Antarctica and their unique architecture is laid out here, along with the challenges of surviving in Antarctica's unforgiving environment.
Antarctica is also the frontier of our fight against climate change. If its ice melts, it will swamp almost every coastal city in the world. Antarctic Atlas illustrates the harsh beauty and magic of this mysterious continent, and shows how, far from being abstract, it has direct relevance to us all.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published November 26, 2020
7 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 28, 2021
“Antarctica is a place apart, like nowhere else on Earth. In a world that is becoming ever more connected, the thought that this untouched white wilderness still exists renders it even more alien and otherworldly. How long Antarctica will stay that way and what its future holds is undecided.”
Visas zvaigznes! Šī ir lieliska grāmata un īsts baudījums tiem, kas mīl Antarktīdu no tālienes. Autors, būdams kartogrāfs, ir izvēlējies Antarktīdas stāstu izstāstīt caur kartēm, un, kā izrādās, to var izdarīt ļoti sekmīgi un aizraujoši, turklāt ar vieglu humora piedevu (vienmēr patīkama īpašība). Protams, es vēl neesmu izlasījusi visas pieejamās grāmatas par Antarktīdu, tāpēc uzzināju gana daudz interesantu lietu, turklāt pluss ir arī tas, ka visas šīs kartes un dati ir tik svaigi un aktuāli, cik jau nu iespējams. Vienīgā kritika, ko varu minēt, ir tas, ka autors ļoti optimistiski pāršļūc pāri problemātiskai tēmai, apgalvojot, ka zvejniecības nozare Antarktīdā ir viena no vislabāk regulētajām visā pasaulē. Tai pat laikā pilnīgi ignorējot to, ka tieši Dienvidu okeāna ūdeņos nelegāla nozveja iet uz urrā. Varbūt viņam negribējās šūpot politisko laiviņu, bet par to ir jārunā, jo ikvienam no mums ir jāapzinās, ka - ja tu nezini savas pārtikas izcelsmi, varbūt tev to nevajadzētu likt uz sava šķīvja. Viss un ikviens ir savstarpēji saistīts, un Antarktīdai, lai arī tālai un saltai, ir ļoti liela nozīme mūsu dzīvēs. Un otrādi.
“You would be forgiven for assuming that finding a continent twice the size of Australia would be easy, but that was not the case with Antarctica.”
Visas zvaigznes! Šī ir lieliska grāmata un īsts baudījums tiem, kas mīl Antarktīdu no tālienes. Autors, būdams kartogrāfs, ir izvēlējies Antarktīdas stāstu izstāstīt caur kartēm, un, kā izrādās, to var izdarīt ļoti sekmīgi un aizraujoši, turklāt ar vieglu humora piedevu (vienmēr patīkama īpašība). Protams, es vēl neesmu izlasījusi visas pieejamās grāmatas par Antarktīdu, tāpēc uzzināju gana daudz interesantu lietu, turklāt pluss ir arī tas, ka visas šīs kartes un dati ir tik svaigi un aktuāli, cik jau nu iespējams. Vienīgā kritika, ko varu minēt, ir tas, ka autors ļoti optimistiski pāršļūc pāri problemātiskai tēmai, apgalvojot, ka zvejniecības nozare Antarktīdā ir viena no vislabāk regulētajām visā pasaulē. Tai pat laikā pilnīgi ignorējot to, ka tieši Dienvidu okeāna ūdeņos nelegāla nozveja iet uz urrā. Varbūt viņam negribējās šūpot politisko laiviņu, bet par to ir jārunā, jo ikvienam no mums ir jāapzinās, ka - ja tu nezini savas pārtikas izcelsmi, varbūt tev to nevajadzētu likt uz sava šķīvja. Viss un ikviens ir savstarpēji saistīts, un Antarktīdai, lai arī tālai un saltai, ir ļoti liela nozīme mūsu dzīvēs. Un otrādi.
“You would be forgiven for assuming that finding a continent twice the size of Australia would be easy, but that was not the case with Antarctica.”
October 17, 2024
Eine nähere Beschäftigung mit der Geographie der Antarktis war für mich bislang alleine schon deshalb nicht von besonderem Interesse, weil das an meinem Globus immerhin jene Stelle ist, an der die ganze Erdkugel angeklebt - und die Antarktis somit verklebt ist. Eine Schande, der sich begegnen lässt mit diesem Buch voll von Karten, die sich ganz auf die Antarktis konzentrieren. Die Einleitung des Autors liest sich zwar in etwa so übermotiviert und selbstbeweihräuchernd wie ein Bewerbungsschreiben, aber das folgende Kartenmaterial ist tatsächlich 1A.
Ein umfangreicher, ganz besonderer Atlas über einen Kontinent, der immerhin eineinhalb mal so groß ist wie Europa. Und dabei der kälteste, der windigste und der trockenste Ort der Welt. Klingt sofort einleuchtend und nicht nach sensationellem Know-How, aber davon hat das Buch noch extrem viel zu bieten. In seitenweisen Häppchen serviert der Autor ausgewähltes Kartenmaterial, Statistiken und Fakten, die man in meinen Augen gar nicht besser aufbereiten könnte. Man bekommt einen wirklich vielfältigen Eindruck darüber was sich so alles südlich des 60. Breitengrades abspielt. Ein Buch zum zufälligen Rein-Schmökern, zum Immer-wieder-Nachschlagen oder auch zum Freunden vorlegen mit der Frage "Wusstest du eigentlich, dass...?". Oder man saugt sich das Wissen mit großer Faszination von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite rein wie in meinem Fall.
Meine wärmste Empfehlung für dieses Buch über den kältesten Ort der Erde.
Ein umfangreicher, ganz besonderer Atlas über einen Kontinent, der immerhin eineinhalb mal so groß ist wie Europa. Und dabei der kälteste, der windigste und der trockenste Ort der Welt. Klingt sofort einleuchtend und nicht nach sensationellem Know-How, aber davon hat das Buch noch extrem viel zu bieten. In seitenweisen Häppchen serviert der Autor ausgewähltes Kartenmaterial, Statistiken und Fakten, die man in meinen Augen gar nicht besser aufbereiten könnte. Man bekommt einen wirklich vielfältigen Eindruck darüber was sich so alles südlich des 60. Breitengrades abspielt. Ein Buch zum zufälligen Rein-Schmökern, zum Immer-wieder-Nachschlagen oder auch zum Freunden vorlegen mit der Frage "Wusstest du eigentlich, dass...?". Oder man saugt sich das Wissen mit großer Faszination von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite rein wie in meinem Fall.
Meine wärmste Empfehlung für dieses Buch über den kältesten Ort der Erde.
July 16, 2025
At the chagrin of my bucket list budget going up, I’ve decided I’m obsessed with Antarctica. The hardest part of conceptualizing it to me is the scale, so the maps are a great way to digest it. Any description left me feeling like I wanted to double click 5x more
September 8, 2024
A leading cartographer from the British Antarctic Survey maps the continent in ways never seen before, revealing a landscape as alien as it is vital to our very existence
One of the least-known places on the planet, the only continent on earth with no indigenous population, Antarctica is a world apart. From a leading cartographer with the British Antarctic Survey, this new collection of maps and data reveals Antarctica as we have never seen it before.
This is not just a book of traditional maps. It measures everything from the thickness of ice beneath our feet to the direction of ice flows. It maps volcanic lakes, mountain ranges the size of the Alps, and gorges longer than the Grand Canyon, all hidden beneath the ice. It shows us how air bubbles trapped in ice tell us what the earth's atmosphere was like 750,000 years ago, proving the effects of greenhouse gases. Colonies of emperor penguins abound around the coastline, and the journeys of individual seals around the continent and down to the sea bed in search of food have been intricately tracked and mapped. Twenty-nine nations have research stations in Antarctica and their unique architecture is laid out here, along with the challenges of surviving in Antarctica's unforgiving environment.
Antarctica is also the frontier of our fight against climate change. If its ice melts, it will swamp almost every coastal city in the world. Antarctic Atlas illustrates the harsh beauty and magic of this mysterious continent, and shows how, far from being abstract, it has direct relevance to us all.
My review: maps have always fascinated me but the maps in this book are truly cartographer magic. Besides the wonderful maps, that are very easy to read, there is commentary on the importance of this continent and why climate change could mean that if we lose the ice from the Antarctic and the Arctic the rest of the world will change irrevocably in the resulting rising seas. At once a sobering read but a celebration of the art of cartography. A great read.
One of the least-known places on the planet, the only continent on earth with no indigenous population, Antarctica is a world apart. From a leading cartographer with the British Antarctic Survey, this new collection of maps and data reveals Antarctica as we have never seen it before.
This is not just a book of traditional maps. It measures everything from the thickness of ice beneath our feet to the direction of ice flows. It maps volcanic lakes, mountain ranges the size of the Alps, and gorges longer than the Grand Canyon, all hidden beneath the ice. It shows us how air bubbles trapped in ice tell us what the earth's atmosphere was like 750,000 years ago, proving the effects of greenhouse gases. Colonies of emperor penguins abound around the coastline, and the journeys of individual seals around the continent and down to the sea bed in search of food have been intricately tracked and mapped. Twenty-nine nations have research stations in Antarctica and their unique architecture is laid out here, along with the challenges of surviving in Antarctica's unforgiving environment.
Antarctica is also the frontier of our fight against climate change. If its ice melts, it will swamp almost every coastal city in the world. Antarctic Atlas illustrates the harsh beauty and magic of this mysterious continent, and shows how, far from being abstract, it has direct relevance to us all.
My review: maps have always fascinated me but the maps in this book are truly cartographer magic. Besides the wonderful maps, that are very easy to read, there is commentary on the importance of this continent and why climate change could mean that if we lose the ice from the Antarctic and the Arctic the rest of the world will change irrevocably in the resulting rising seas. At once a sobering read but a celebration of the art of cartography. A great read.
February 6, 2021
Antartic Atlas Book Review
- the book illustrates concepts well such as the thermohaline circulation
- has creative maps that map unexpected things such as the the lifespan of an ice berg, the various definitions of antartica, volcanoes, ice bores
- makes you reconsider what data is visual, gis, how visual learners
- the author notes that pictures are worth a 1000 words and in that case, maps are worth a whole story (intro)
- very dense with knowledge
5 cool facts to get you interested:
1. The polar vortex, a strong current of air circulating ariund the Antartic in the high upper Atmosphere, is thought to be intesified by the cooling of the upper atmosphere - a consequence of the ozone hole. Thus the vortex has gotten stronger and could be a reason why the Antartic has not melted as much as we wld expect or as the Artic.
2. Mount Micheal (Saunders Island). Volcano. in south sandwich archipelago: continually actibe and has a rare open lava lake. one of only 7 in the world. never been visited by human. satellite imagerz shows the fiery depths
3. Under the ice sheets there are loads of lakes and streams: the ice 1-5km thick acts as a strong insulator. Ghost Lakes
4. Accomodation on Antartica is usually built on stilts, because snow in antartica never melts, so buildings on the surface are quickly crushed by snow and ice.
5. 10000 yrs into the future, if we exploit all known reserves of coal, oil and gas all the ice on antartica will melt dur to global warming. This will cause an average global sea level rise of 66meters. On antartica the melted ice, that weighs 2000 tonnes per square kilometer, will allow the earths crust to bounce back by up to a kilometer. Around 4 million square km will rise out of the sea.
My favourite chapters were ice, land and people, but every chapter was amazing.
- the book illustrates concepts well such as the thermohaline circulation
- has creative maps that map unexpected things such as the the lifespan of an ice berg, the various definitions of antartica, volcanoes, ice bores
- makes you reconsider what data is visual, gis, how visual learners
- the author notes that pictures are worth a 1000 words and in that case, maps are worth a whole story (intro)
- very dense with knowledge
5 cool facts to get you interested:
1. The polar vortex, a strong current of air circulating ariund the Antartic in the high upper Atmosphere, is thought to be intesified by the cooling of the upper atmosphere - a consequence of the ozone hole. Thus the vortex has gotten stronger and could be a reason why the Antartic has not melted as much as we wld expect or as the Artic.
2. Mount Micheal (Saunders Island). Volcano. in south sandwich archipelago: continually actibe and has a rare open lava lake. one of only 7 in the world. never been visited by human. satellite imagerz shows the fiery depths
3. Under the ice sheets there are loads of lakes and streams: the ice 1-5km thick acts as a strong insulator. Ghost Lakes
4. Accomodation on Antartica is usually built on stilts, because snow in antartica never melts, so buildings on the surface are quickly crushed by snow and ice.
5. 10000 yrs into the future, if we exploit all known reserves of coal, oil and gas all the ice on antartica will melt dur to global warming. This will cause an average global sea level rise of 66meters. On antartica the melted ice, that weighs 2000 tonnes per square kilometer, will allow the earths crust to bounce back by up to a kilometer. Around 4 million square km will rise out of the sea.
My favourite chapters were ice, land and people, but every chapter was amazing.
February 9, 2022
Beautiful book, packed with so much information about the southern continent, and a very good entry point into understanding Antarctica.
The maps and infographics are top quality, putting the data into a nice perspective. It is written in a very concise way, keeping it interesting without going into lifeless scientific writing.
The first half of the book focuses on topics related to the environment, highlighting the extent of climate change, and explaining the geography/climate/surface/oceans/wildlife. The second half does a good job of picturing the history of the continent, explaining the harsh conditions that pioneers of Antarctic exploration had to endure, and tells the stories of their journeys, with all the joyous victories as well as all the dark mishaps.
Loved it!
The maps and infographics are top quality, putting the data into a nice perspective. It is written in a very concise way, keeping it interesting without going into lifeless scientific writing.
The first half of the book focuses on topics related to the environment, highlighting the extent of climate change, and explaining the geography/climate/surface/oceans/wildlife. The second half does a good job of picturing the history of the continent, explaining the harsh conditions that pioneers of Antarctic exploration had to endure, and tells the stories of their journeys, with all the joyous victories as well as all the dark mishaps.
Loved it!
November 16, 2022
I was lucky to come across this book on the recommended section of my local library. A wonderful glimpse into a world completely unknown to me. I especially enjoyed the visuals of the book: the patterns of the blue sea and white ice resemble abstract art. The educational part tickles my inner geography geek.
October 16, 2024
Ein sehr schönes Buch mit vielen Karten um die verschiedenen Aspekte der Antarktis zu verstehen. Die Themen sind meist auf zwei Seiten zusammengefasst, was einen schnellen Einblick ermöglicht. An manchen Stellen hätte ich mir etwas mehr Tiefgang gewünscht und vielleicht noch ein paar Fotos des Autors anstatt der vielen Satelliten Bilder.
Unbedingt zu Empfehlender Einstieg zum Kontinent Antarktia.
Unbedingt zu Empfehlender Einstieg zum Kontinent Antarktia.
December 30, 2023
Amazing. Maps on every page tell the story of Antarctica. Geology, biology, history, present, and future. From plate tectonics to cruise ships, Antarctic explorers to the ozone hole and sea level rise. Engaging and beautifully designed throughout.
August 14, 2024
A most beautiful book showcasing the wondrous world of Antarctica, the good, the bad, and the perseverance.
Let the word atlas not mislead you: it is a great read with powerful illustrations.
I use it now as a desktop reference for anything related to Antarctica.
Let the word atlas not mislead you: it is a great read with powerful illustrations.
I use it now as a desktop reference for anything related to Antarctica.
January 24, 2021
Great book!
« I have always felt that, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a map can tell a whole story»
- Peter Fretwell.
« I have always felt that, if a picture is worth a thousand words, a map can tell a whole story»
- Peter Fretwell.
January 12, 2023
I LOVE MAPS ESPECIALLY OF ANTARTCIA
April 6, 2022
I love going back to this atlas. It goes without saying as it is, of course, an atlas, but each page of writing is standalone so you can dive in and out of it. It's extremely visually pleasing too.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews