1. Antarctica
Find out where the Transantarctic Mountains are and learn about the environment of the Dry Valleys

2. The Ross Dependency
As a result of the Antarctica Treaty, the continent was divided into what look like 12 pizza slices!
NZ’ has territorial claim to the Ross Dependency
This slice includes part of the Ross Sea, the Ross Ice Shelf and some land.
Part of the land includes the Trans-Antarctic mountains which is where we find the Dry Valleys and some very interesting terrestrial life forms.
NZ’s claim to Antarctica as one of 12 nations who signed the Antarctic Treaty. Slice of pizza.
Sea
Sea Ice
Land
Mountains
NZ’s claim is the red bit of land

3. Trans-Antarctic Mountains
Shows the mountains

4. Captain Scott’s Discovery Expedition (1903)
When Scott accidently came across the Taylor Valley he said:
“We have seen no living thing, not even a moss or lichen”
when Captain Scott passed through the Taylor Valley in 1903, he famously said “we have seen no living thing, not even a moss or lichen”, a statement modern mycologists and lichenologists working in Antarctica will be fast to reject.

5. The Environment
Named ‘dry’ because of the lack of moisture in the air and lack of snow or ice cover.
Rock, soil and sand is exposed
Average annual air temperature is -200C
Average summer temperature of 00C
Winter temperatures can drop below -500C
Precipitation <100mm per year
Winds can be in excess of 180Km/h
Named for their lack of ice cover, the Dry Valleys are cut off from the flow of ice from the continent’s interior by the Transantarctic Mountains and remain ice free due to the little precipitation the valleys receive. Glaciers and ice-covered lakes can be found throughout the Dry Valleys, but apart from these areas, the region is mostly free of ice and snow cover.  Mountain ranges with peaks over 2000 meters frame the valleys and rock, soil, and sand are exposed throughout the region. The Dry Valleys are the coldest and driest desert on Earth, and represent one of the harshest environments in the world. The average annual air temperature in the Dry Valleys is -20 °C, with an average summer temperature near 0 °C.  In the winter, the temperature can drop below -50 °C. The annual precipitation is less than 100 mm of water equivalent. Winds in the Dry Valleys can rise to more than 180 km/hour. Despite these harsh environmental conditions, the Dry Valleys are home to many microorganisms, making the area a unique and exciting ecosystem to study. 

6. Scott Base to Taylor Valley

7. Environmental Code of Conduct
The Dry Valleys have been designated as an Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA) since 2004, meaning that people visiting and working in the Dry Valleys must follow a code of conduct to ensure that their activities have minimal impact on the fragile ecosystem and unique environment.
See the tourism section for
more info