The Antarctic is unique, geographically, politically, and scientifically. It is the most remote, hostile, and dangerous continent, while at the same time it is the most pristine and least developed. Antarctica is the only major part of the Earth's landmass not directly governed by one nation, but under the control of a Treaty, with a multitude of acceding nations.

The Encyclopedia of the Antarctic brings together large quantities of information on the wide variety of factors, issues and individuals influencing and relating to the Antarctic. No comparable book currently exists for this region.

The Encyclopedia of the Antarctic discusses scientific activities and topics, but the 'human element' is also a significant part of the work, with entries on history, politics, legal issues, national research programs, scientific bases, historic huts, the United Nation's 'Question of Antarctica,' compliance with the Environmental Protocol, and tourism.

From Booklist

Antarctica is defined politically by the Antarctic Treaty as all areas south of 60 degrees S latitude. Scholars generally consider the boundary to be the Polar Front, an irregularly located current in the Southern Ocean where cold waters meet the warmer waters of the southern Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. The Encyclopedia of the Antarctic covers these areas as well as a few related geographic locations. Editor Riffenburgh is affiliated with the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. The encyclopedia follows Encyclopedia of the Arctic, published by Routledge in 2004. The detail of coverage is amazing. The nearly 500 articles range from 500 to 6,000 words and cover Antarctic subjects from islands of the region to various animal life, from plankton to sea mammals. Geologic articles on topics such as fossils, plate tectonics, and volcanoes explore the ties the continent has to the rest of the planet. Countries having Antarctic research stations—for instance, Brazil, Finland, and South Africa—each have a separate entry describing the station, its location, and type of research. Polar exploration is heavily represented through biographical as well as expedition articles. The several appendixes include a chronology, the Antarctic Treaty, a list of signatories to the treaty, a list of research stations, and more. Alphabetical and classified tables of contents initially guide the reader, and the detailed index is repeated in each volume. With shorter entries and color pictures, Antarctica: An Encyclopedia from Abbott Shelf to Zooplankton (Firefly, 2002) is geared more to the general reader. The title under review contains graphs, maps, photographs, and illustrations, but though none are in color, the lack of splash in no way detracts from the usefulness of the title. Highly recommended for all academic and large public libraries. Stratton, Steve

Review

'The Encyclopedia of the Antarctic is a work of high academic distinction. It demands the rigorous attention of historians, scientists and environmentalists alike.' - Reference Reviews

"The first authoritative reference point for the Antarctic and provides the reader with a comprehensive range of subjects all laid out clearly and with excellent cross-referencing." - Antarctic Science

About the Author

Beau Riffenburgh