QUESTION:
Hello, I am in the 4th grade in Minot,North Dakota. If there's 
land under the ice in Antarctica, was it once all land, and if it 
was all land, how hot was it there?
       
        Thank you!
        Justin R.  
        4th grade 


ANSWER from Mary Lenox, Antarctic Support Associates
            Palmer Station, Antarctica 
            Tue, 15 Apr 1997 11:51:58 -0500 

Hello, Justin.

  There is indeed a true continent and real "land" underneath the ice
of Antarctica.  Until about 140 million years ago, Antarctica was
part of a supercontinent referred to as "Gondwanaland".  South 
America, Africa, Australia/New Zealand, and India (which was not 
attached to the rest of Asia at the time) were also parts of this 
supercontinent. When the supercontinent broke apart, Antarctica 
drifted south to its current position at the bottom of the globe.  (As 
a side note, India drifted north and ran into Asia, which caused the 
formation of the Himalayas.)  Before the separation of Gondwanaland, 
Antarctica was warm enough to support a wide range of both plant and 
animal life, evidence of which can be found as fossils today.

  Although there is land underlying most of the Antarctican ice cap
today, it's not attached into one land mass.  If the ice were to
melt away completely, "East Antarctica" (the side opposite the
peninsula) would remain mostly intact, but "West Antarctica",
including the penisula, would break up into several sizeable islands.

  Thanks for your question!

Mary Lenox