Antarctica is roughly semicircular with a radius of 2000 km. The average thickness of its ice cover is 3000 m. How many cubic centimeters of ice does Antarctica contain?

To find the volume of ice in Antarctica, we can model it as a semicircular cylinder. The volume ( V ) can be calculated using the formula ( V = \frac{1}{2} \pi r^2 h ), where ( r = 2000 ) km (or ( 2 \times 10^8 ) cm) and ( h = 3000 ) m (or ( 3 \times 10^5 ) cm). Thus, the volume of ice is approximately ( V \approx \frac{1}{2} \pi (2 \times 10^8)^2 (3 \times 10^5) ), which simplifies to about ( 3.77 \times 10^{14} ) cubic centimeters.