Antarctica   02/24/08

This image, captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on February 24, 2008, shows sea ice off the coast of Antarctica. Antarctica, the southernmost continent on Earth, lies over the South Pole. Approximately 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice, averaging 1 mile in thickness. On average, it is also the coldest, driest, and windiest continent. Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, and divided in half by the Transantarctic Mountains.

Text and image courtesy of NASA's MODIS Land Rapid Response Team.