Compare and contrast the physical features of East and West Antarctica. How are the two halves of this continent different from one another

East Antarctica is considerably larger than West Antarctica. The ice sheet covering East Antarctica is thick - nearly three miles thick in some regions - and its surface is high and home to some of the coldest and driest condition on Earth. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is also considered more stable than the West Antarctic. One reason for this is the shape and elevation of bedrock beneath the ice. Heavy masses of ice push down on bedrock, depressing areas in the central part of the ice sheet below mean sea level. If those low-lying areas happen to be near the edge of the ice sheet, which is the case in large parts of West Antarctica, then ocean water can make its way under the ice, speeding up glacier flow. This is one of the reasons that while both portions of the ice sheet are losing mass, West Antarctica is moving much faster.