How many poles are there in the Arctic? Geography material (9th grade) on the topic: Arctic expedition. Cold but rich

It's no secret that the polar regions of the Earth are its harshest places. For centuries, people have attempted to first simply get to them, and then study them. So what have we learned about the two opposite poles of the Earth?

1. Where is the North and South Pole: 4 types of poles

There are actually 4 types of North Pole from a scientific point of view:

The magnetic north pole is the point on the earth's surface towards which magnetic compasses are directed.

North geographic pole – located directly above the geographic axis of the Earth

North geomagnetic pole – connected to the Earth's magnetic axis

The North Pole of Inaccessibility is the northernmost point in the Arctic Ocean and the farthest from land on all sides.

There were also 4 types of South Pole:

South magnetic pole - a point on the earth's surface at which the earth's magnetic field is directed upward

South geographic pole - a point located above the geographic axis of rotation of the Earth

South geomagnetic pole - associated with the Earth's magnetic axis in the southern hemisphere

The South Pole of Inaccessibility is the point in Antarctica that is farthest from the coast of the Southern Ocean.

In addition, there is a ceremonial south pole - an area designated for photography at Amundsen-Scott Station. It is located a few meters from the geographic south pole, but since the ice sheet is constantly moving, the mark shifts every year by 10 meters.

2. Geographic North and South Pole: ocean versus continent

The North Pole is essentially a frozen ocean surrounded by continents. In contrast, the South Pole is a continent surrounded by oceans.


In addition to the Arctic Ocean, the Arctic region (North Pole) includes parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, the USA, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

The southernmost point of the earth, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, with an area of ​​14 million square kilometers. km, 98 percent of which is covered by glaciers. It is surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Geographic coordinates of the North Pole: 90 degrees north latitude.

Geographic coordinates of the South Pole: 90 degrees south latitude.

All lines of longitude converge at both poles.

3. The South Pole is colder than the North Pole

The South Pole is much colder than the North Pole. The temperature in Antarctica (South Pole) is so low that in some places on this continent the snow never melts.


The average annual temperature in this area is -58 degrees Celsius in winter, and the highest temperature recorded here was in 2011 at -12.3 degrees Celsius.

In contrast, the average annual temperature in the Arctic region (North Pole) is -43 degrees Celsius in winter and about 0 degrees in summer.

There are several reasons why the South Pole is colder than the North Pole. Since Antarctica is a huge landmass, it receives little heat from the ocean. In contrast, the ice in the Arctic region is relatively thin and there is an entire ocean underneath, which moderates the temperature. In addition, Antarctica is located at an altitude of 2.3 km and the air here is colder than in the Arctic Ocean, which is at sea level.

4. There is no time at the poles

Time is determined by longitude. So, for example, when the Sun is directly above us, local time shows noon. However, at the poles all lines of longitude intersect, and the Sun rises and sets only once a year on the equinoxes.


For this reason, scientists and explorers at the poles use whatever time zone they prefer. Typically, they refer to Greenwich Mean Time or the time zone of the country they are coming from.

Scientists at Amundsen-Scott Station in Antarctica can make a quick run around the world, crossing 24 time zones in a few minutes.

5. Animals of the North and South Pole

Many people have the misconception that polar bears and penguins share the same habitat.


In fact, penguins live only in the southern hemisphere - in Antarctica, where they have no natural enemies. If polar bears and penguins lived in the same area, the polar bears would not have to worry about their food source.

Marine animals at the South Pole include whales, porpoises and seals.

Polar bears, in turn, are the largest predators in the northern hemisphere. They live in the northern part of the Arctic Ocean and feed on seals, walruses and sometimes even beached whales.

In addition, the North Pole is home to animals such as reindeer, lemmings, foxes, wolves, as well as marine animals: beluga whales, killer whales, sea otters, seals, walruses and more than 400 known species of fish.

6. No Man's Land

Despite the fact that many flags of different countries can be seen at the South Pole in Antarctica, it is the only place on earth that does not belong to anyone and does not have an indigenous population.


The Antarctic Treaty is in force here, according to which the territory and its resources must be used exclusively for peaceful and scientific purposes. Scientists, explorers and geologists are the only people who set foot on Antarctica from time to time.

In contrast, more than 4 million people live in the Arctic Circle in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia.

7. Polar night and polar day

The Earth's poles are unique places where the longest day is observed, which lasts 178 days, and the longest night, which lasts 187 days.


At the poles there is only one sunrise and one sunset per year. At the North Pole, the Sun begins to rise in March on the vernal equinox and descends in September on the autumn equinox. At the South Pole, on the contrary, sunrise is during the autumn equinox, and sunset is on the day of the spring equinox.

In summer, the Sun is always above the horizon here, and the South Pole receives sunlight around the clock. In winter, the Sun is below the horizon, when there is 24-hour darkness.

8. Conquerors of the North and South Pole

Many travelers tried to reach the poles of the Earth, losing their lives on the way to these extreme points of our planet.

Who was the first to reach the North Pole?


There have been several expeditions to the North Pole since the 18th century. There is disagreement over who was the first to reach the North Pole. In 1908, American explorer Frederick Cook became the first to claim to have reached the North Pole. But his compatriot Robert Peary refuted this statement, and on April 6, 1909, he was officially considered the first conqueror of the North Pole.

First flight over the North Pole: Norwegian traveler Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile on May 12, 1926 on the airship Norway.

First submarine at the North Pole: nuclear submarine Nautilus on August 3, 1956

First trip to the North Pole alone: ​​Japanese Naomi Uemura, April 29, 1978, traveling 725 km by dog ​​sled in 57 days

The first ski expedition: expedition of Dmitry Shparo, May 31, 1979. Participants covered 1,500 km in 77 days.

Lewis Gordon Pugh was the first to swim across the North Pole: he swam 1 km in water with a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius in July 2007.

Who was the first to reach the South Pole?


The first conquerors of the South Pole were the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the British explorer Robert Scott, after whom the first station at the South Pole, the Amundsen-Scott station, was named. Both teams took different routes and reached the South Pole within a few weeks of each other, first by Amundsen on December 14, 1911, and then by R. Scott on January 17, 1912.

First flight over the South Pole: American Richard Byrd, in 1928

The first to cross Antarctica without the use of animals or mechanical transport: Arvid Fuchs and Reinold Meissner, December 30, 1989

9. North and South magnetic poles of the Earth

The Earth's magnetic poles are associated with the Earth's magnetic field. They are located in the north and south, but do not coincide with the geographic poles, since the magnetic field of our planet is changing. Unlike geographic poles, magnetic poles shift.


The magnetic north pole is not located exactly in the Arctic region, but moves east at a speed of 10-40 km per year, as the magnetic field is influenced by underground molten metals and charged particles from the Sun. The south magnetic pole is still in Antarctica, but it is also moving west at a speed of 10-15 km per year.

Some scientists believe that one day the magnetic poles may change, and this could lead to the destruction of the Earth. However, the change of magnetic poles has already occurred, hundreds of times over the past 3 billion years, and this did not lead to any dire consequences.

10. Melting ice at the poles

Arctic ice in the North Pole region typically melts in the summer and freezes again in the winter. However, in recent years, the ice cap has begun to melt at a very rapid pace.


Many researchers believe that by the end of the century, and maybe in a few decades, the Arctic zone will remain ice-free.

On the other hand, the Antarctic region at the South Pole contains 90 percent of the world's ice. The ice thickness in Antarctica averages 2.1 km. If all the ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels around the world would rise by 61 meters.

Fortunately, this will not happen in the near future.

Some fun facts about the North and South Pole:


1. There is an annual tradition at Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. After the last supply plane leaves, the researchers watch two horror films: The Thing (about an alien creature that kills the inhabitants of a polar station in Antarctica) and The Shining (about a writer who is in an empty, remote hotel in winter).

2. Every year the polar tern bird makes a record flight from the Arctic to Antarctica, flying more than 70,000 km.

3. Kaffeklubben Island - a small island in northern Greenland is considered the piece of land that is closest to the North Pole, 707 km from it.

Millions of people in different countries have read, are reading, and re-reading the wonderful books of Yakov Isidorovich Perelman “Entertaining Physics”, “Entertaining Astronomy”, “Entertaining Arithmetic”, - algebra, - geometry, - mechanics... The word “entertaining” in combination with the names of different sciences here is not just a title, it is a special literary genre. Perelman was one of the founders of entertaining science and the creator of the genre of scientific and entertaining literature. He had an amazing gift for telling about complex natural phenomena and dry scientific laws simply, easily, fun, excitingly interesting and at the same time absolutely scientifically reliable. This is how all his books are written - and there are more than 100 of them and another 18 textbooks - a whole library. These are books that from the very first lines attract the reader’s attention, make you wonder what is hidden in the most ordinary things and phenomena, and most importantly, teach you to think.
Perelman is not only an author of books. He was an excellent teacher, a brilliant lecturer, and also the creator of the world's first House of Entertaining Science. This truly unique cultural and educational institution, something like the “Kunstkamera of Entertaining Sciences,” was opened in Leningrad in 1935 according to the idea and with the direct participation of Yakov Isidorovich. 350 large and several hundred small exhibits - instruments, working models - became the material embodiment of what is described in his books. All the exhibits of the House of Entertaining Science could not only be touched, but examined, twirled in your hands, launched, even broken... During the difficult years of the war, in besieged Leningrad, Perelman, hungry, under artillery shelling, walked across the entire city to where he read lectures to army and naval intelligence officers. He taught them to navigate the terrain and determine distances to a target without any instruments... We offer readers the text of a conversation on physical geography. Yakov Isidorovich prepared this conversation for a radio broadcast, which was broadcast at the end of 1937. After this, neither during the author’s life nor after his death (Ya. I. Perelman died of hunger in besieged Leningrad in March 1942) this material was not published.

The constellation Ursa Major in the ancient "Star Atlas" of John Hevelius.

Many hundreds of kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle of the European part of Russia stretches an area that geographers call the Bolshezemelskaya tundra.

Astronomy lovers at a refracting telescope on the summer terrace in the garden of the House of Entertaining Science. 1939

The four points within the Arctic are called the poles.

Yakov Isidorovich Perelman is a student at the St. Petersburg Forestry Institute. 1907

Let's start our conversation with an explanation of the very name of the Arctic. It comes from the Greek word "arktos", meaning "bear". One should not think, however, that the ancients named this country that way because of the polar bears found there. The bear that gave the Arctic its name does not live on any land, but adorns the northern starry sky. We are talking about the famous seven-star Ursa Major, which circles in the Arctic sky, never falling below the horizon. The name of the Arctic comes from this celestial bear.

Which area is designated by this name? Many people believe that the Arctic is limited to the Arctic Circle; in other words, they think that the Arctic and the cold belt of the Northern Hemisphere are one and the same. This, however, is not true. The Arctic boundary does not coincide with the 66.5 degree parallel; it follows the line separating the forest region from the tundra region, and, therefore, the position of the Arctic border is determined not astronomically (by the tilt of the earth's axis), but climatically - by air temperature. This line connects all those points where the average July temperature is plus 10 degrees on land and plus 5 degrees at sea. The Arctic border is therefore not a circle, but a bizarrely twisting curve that deviates from the Arctic Circle in one direction or the other.

Within the Arctic there are several remarkable points, which are called “poles”. There are four main poles in the Arctic, namely: geographical, magnetic, cold pole and inaccessible pole. Contrary to popular belief, these four points in the Northern Hemisphere do not coincide or merge with the geographic pole, but are rather widely scattered. Geographic pole is a point on the earth's surface through which the axis of rotation of the globe passes. The magnetic needle of the compass is not directed to this point, but is oriented to a point of the magnetic pole located quite far from it.

The coldest place on earth is called the pole of cold. In the Northern Hemisphere, it also does not coincide with the geographic pole. It turns out there is a corner of the globe that is colder than the North Pole. This place is located in Eastern Siberia near the settlement of Oymyakon: the temperature there in winter sometimes drops to 69 degrees below zero. This is the pole of cold.

The right to be considered the most inaccessible point on the globe belongs, again, not to the geographic pole, but to another point, which is called the pole of inaccessibility or the ice pole. This is the central point of a continuous ice mass with an area of ​​​​three million square kilometers, extending near the North Geographic Pole towards Alaska. The ice pole is several hundred kilometers away from the geographic pole.

One of the four listed poles has strange features, namely the geographical one. We will now consider some of its peculiar features.

We are accustomed to the fact that the position of each point on the earth's surface is determined by two data, two so-called geographical coordinates - longitude and latitude. The position of Leningrad, for example, is indicated as follows: longitude 30 degrees east, latitude 60 degrees north. East means eastern, in this case - east of the Greenwich meridian, taken as the initial one. Nord means northern, in this case north of the equator. Both longitude and latitude can be zero. If, for example, a point is designated as follows: longitude zero, latitude 40 degrees north, then you will find it at the intersection of the prime meridian with the fortieth parallel of the Northern Hemisphere. It is not difficult to figure out where the point with coordinates is located: longitude zero, latitude zero; it lies on the prime (that is, zero) meridian, at the point of its intersection with the equator.

What, however, would you say about a point whose position is indicated by only one coordinate: latitude 90 degrees north? There is no mention of longitude here. But is there a place on the globe that has no longitude at all?

Yes, there is, and not even one, but two places that have no longitude. These unusual points are the North and South Poles of the Earth. They do not have longitude because any longitude can be assigned to them with equal right. Let us remember that the poles lie where all the meridians of the globe meet each other. It can therefore be argued that the pole point belongs to each meridian of the globe and that, therefore, it has any longitude. Despite this apparent uncertainty, the coordinate - latitude 90 degrees north - speaks of a strictly defined point - one that is 90 degrees north from the equator; There is only one such point - the North Geographic Pole.

In connection with the lack of longitude is another, no less strange feature of the geographic pole: the uncertainty of the time of day. When the clock in Moscow shows noon, what time do you think it is at the North Pole? It would seem that since the pole lies on the same meridian with Moscow, then the clocks at these points should show the time the same. However, this is not a solution to the problem, because the meridians of Leningrad, Tomsk, Vladivostok, New York, Madrid - in fact, any city that comes to mind - also pass through the geographic pole. Each point on the globe has the right to claim that the time of day is calculated at the geographic poles using its clock. What time should a traveler staying at the pole keep? He is free to choose the time of any meridian: the one on which the capital of his native country lies, or - if it turns out to be technically more convenient - the Greenwich meridian as the initial one, or the meridian of some other point...

Here is another question, the answer to which may sound unexpected: in which direction of the horizon are the ends of the arrow of a magnetic compass placed at the North Pole directed?

The magnetic needle is always directed with one end to the nearest magnetic pole of the Earth, and the other end, of course, in the opposite direction. But the magnetic poles of the Earth, as already mentioned, do not coincide with the geographical ones. This means that one end of the magnetic needle installed at the North Geographic Pole should be directed away from it. Wherever he “looks,” he is certainly facing the south, because there is no other direction from the North Pole: after all, the North Pole is the northernmost point of the globe, and everything around it is located in the south. In which direction does the other end of the magnetic needle “look”? It would seem to be north, since it is directed exactly in the opposite direction of the horizon. But this is the peculiarity of the North Pole, that in all directions from it lies the same side of the horizon - south. Therefore, the other end of the magnetic needle is also directed to the south. We have come to an unusual but indisputable fact: both opposite ends of the compass needle at the North Pole point south!

There is a comic story by Kozma Prutkov about a Turk who allegedly once happened to find himself in the “easternmost country”: “And in front is the east and on the sides is the east. And the west? You might think that it is still visible like a dot some one barely moving in the distance?

Not true! And east behind! In short, there is one endless east everywhere,” writes the author.

Such a country, which is surrounded on all sides by the east, of course, cannot exist. But - as you have now seen - there is a place on the globe that is surrounded on all sides by the south: “one endless south” extends in all directions from this place. And there is another point on our planet, surrounded on all sides by the north. You can guess, without a doubt, what this point is: the South Geographic Pole.

Let's move on to other features of the pole. What do you think: which of the inhabitants of the globe was closest to its center?

As you ponder this question, you might think of those miners in the world's deepest mines who do their hard work more than two kilometers closer to the center of the Earth than their comrades on the surface. However, they are not destined to be considered the people who have come closest to the center of our planet more than anyone else. This honor does not belong to the American explorer of the deep sea, William Beebe, who plunged in his “bathysphere” almost a whole kilometer under the water surface of the ocean. The right to be considered the people who have moved closest to the center of the globe undoubtedly remains with those who have set foot at the North Pole. They approached the earth's center a good ten kilometers more than a significant part of humanity. Why? Because our planet does not have a strictly spherical shape, but is “flattened” near the poles and somewhat “inflated” at the equator. The radius drawn from the center of the Earth to the pole is 21 kilometers shorter than the radius drawn to any point on the equator - if, of course, both points are taken at the same altitude above sea level. Let us add to this that the South Pole is occupied by a high continent, while the sea extends on the North Pole; therefore, a person located at the North Pole is closer to the center of the globe than one located at the South Pole.

The next question is: where on the earth's surface do things weigh the most?

Things weigh the most at the North Pole. This happens for two reasons. The first is the one we just talked about, namely the oblateness of the Earth at the poles. The second reason is the rotation of our planet. Due to the so-called centrifugal effect that occurs during any rotation, things on the earth's surface press on their supports the weaker the faster they move along a circular path; It is not difficult to realize that in places far from the poles, points on the earth’s surface run a longer arc every second than in places close to the poles. The heaviest things should be those located at those points that do not describe a circle at all, that is, at the poles - especially at the North Pole: remember that a hill extends over the South Pole, and with distance from the center of the Earth, the force of gravity weakens.

Thanks to the combined effect of both of these reasons, every thing at the North Pole weighs more than at the equator, by about half a percent. A product that weighs a ton at the equator would gain 5 kilograms in weight if it were delivered to the North Pole. When moving things to the pole from other latitudes, the weight gain is less; however, for large loads it can still be expressed in impressive numbers. A ship that weighs 20 thousand tons with cargo in the middle latitudes would increase its weight by 50 tons if it could reach the North Pole. An airplane whose flight weight in Moscow was 24 tons would become 50 kilograms heavier when it landed at the North Pole. It is possible to detect such increases, but only with the help of spring scales, because on lever scales the weights are also made correspondingly heavier.

The last paradox we will consider is this: where on the globe is the shadow of an object the same length around the clock?

Such unusual shadows are cast by a pole erected at the point of the geographic pole. The height of the Sun in the sky for this point does not change during the 24-hour daytime circumambulation of the celestial body. The daily path of the Sun (and any other luminary) is located there parallel to the horizon. And since the Sun does not change its height, then the shadows cast by things remain the same length throughout the whole day (remember that in the bright half of the year there is a multi-day day at the poles).

In conclusion, I propose a few questions for you to solve on your own:

1. Where on the globe can you build a house with the windows of all four walls “looking” to the south?

2. In what direction does the flag hoisted at the North Pole stretch when the wind blows?

3. Where on Earth can only south winds blow?

4. Is there a place on Earth that can only be reached from the north?

5. Why are there no “white nights” in equatorial and mid-latitude regions?

The polar regions of the Earth are the harshest places on our planet.

For centuries, people have tried at the cost of life and health to reach and explore the Northern and Southern Arctic Circle.

So what have we learned about the two opposite poles of the Earth?

1. Where is the North and South Pole: 4 types of poles

The magnetic north pole is the point on the earth's surface towards which magnetic compasses are directed.

North geographic pole – located directly above the geographic axis of the Earth

North geomagnetic pole – connected to the Earth's magnetic axis

The North Pole of Inaccessibility is the northernmost point in the Arctic Ocean and the farthest from land on all sides.

Similarly, 4 types of the South Pole were established:

South magnetic pole - a point on the earth's surface at which the earth's magnetic field is directed upward

South geographic pole - a point located above the geographic axis of rotation of the Earth

South geomagnetic pole - associated with the Earth's magnetic axis in the southern hemisphere

The South Pole of Inaccessibility is the point in Antarctica that is farthest from the coast of the Southern Ocean.

In addition, there is a ceremonial south pole - an area designated for photography at Amundsen-Scott Station. It is located a few meters from the geographic south pole, but since the ice sheet is constantly moving, the mark shifts every year by 10 meters.

2. Geographic North and South Pole: ocean versus continent

In addition to the Arctic Ocean, the Arctic region (North Pole) includes parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, the USA, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

The southernmost point of the earth, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, with an area of ​​14 million square kilometers. km, 98 percent of which is covered by glaciers. It is surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

Geographic coordinates of the North Pole: 90 degrees north latitude.

Geographic coordinates of the South Pole: 90 degrees south latitude.

All lines of longitude converge at both poles.

3. The South Pole is colder than the North Pole

The average annual temperature in this area is -58 degrees Celsius in winter, and the highest temperature recorded here was in 2011 at -12.3 degrees Celsius.

In contrast, the average annual temperature in the Arctic region (North Pole) is -43 degrees Celsius in winter and about 0 degrees in summer.

There are several reasons why the South Pole is colder than the North Pole. Since Antarctica is a huge landmass, it receives little heat from the ocean. In contrast, the ice in the Arctic region is relatively thin and there is an entire ocean underneath, which moderates the temperature. In addition, Antarctica is located at an altitude of 2.3 km and the air here is colder than in the Arctic Ocean, which is at sea level.

4. There is no time at the poles

For this reason, scientists and explorers at the poles use whatever time zone they prefer. Typically, they refer to Greenwich Mean Time or the time zone of the country they are coming from.

Scientists at Amundsen-Scott Station in Antarctica can make a quick run around the world, crossing 24 time zones in a few minutes.

5. Animals of the North and South Pole

In fact, penguins live only in the southern hemisphere - in Antarctica, where they have no natural enemies. If polar bears and penguins lived in the same area, the polar bears would not have to worry about their food source.

Marine animals at the South Pole include whales, porpoises and seals.

Polar bears, in turn, are the largest predators in the northern hemisphere. They live in the northern part of the Arctic Ocean and feed on seals, walruses and sometimes even beached whales.

In addition, the North Pole is home to animals such as reindeer, lemmings, foxes, wolves, as well as marine animals: beluga whales, killer whales, sea otters, seals, walruses and more than 400 known species of fish.

6. No Man's Land

The Antarctic Treaty is in force here, according to which the territory and its resources must be used exclusively for peaceful and scientific purposes. Scientists, explorers and geologists are the only people who set foot on Antarctica from time to time.

In contrast, more than 4 million people live in the Arctic Circle in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia.

7. Polar night and polar day

At the poles there is only one sunrise and one sunset per year. At the North Pole, the Sun begins to rise in March on the vernal equinox and descends in September on the autumn equinox. At the South Pole, on the contrary, sunrise is during the autumn equinox, and sunset is on the day of the spring equinox.

In summer, the Sun is always above the horizon here, and the South Pole receives sunlight around the clock. In winter, the Sun is below the horizon, when there is 24-hour darkness.

8. Conquerors of the North and South Pole

Who was the first to reach the North Pole?

There have been several expeditions to the North Pole since the 18th century. There is disagreement over who was the first to reach the North Pole. In 1908, American explorer Frederick Cook became the first to claim to have reached the North Pole. But his compatriot Robert Peary refuted this statement, and on April 6, 1909, he was officially considered the first conqueror of the North Pole.

First flight over the North Pole: Norwegian traveler Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile on May 12, 1926 on the airship "Norway"

First submarine at the North Pole: nuclear submarine Nautilus on August 3, 1956

First trip to the North Pole alone: ​​Japanese Naomi Uemura, April 29, 1978, traveling 725 km by dog ​​sled in 57 days

The first ski expedition: expedition of Dmitry Shparo, May 31, 1979. Participants covered 1,500 km in 77 days.

Lewis Gordon Pugh was the first to swim across the North Pole: he swam 1 km in water with a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius in July 2007.

Who was the first to reach the South Pole?

The first conquerors of the South Pole were the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the British explorer Robert Scott, after whom the first station at the South Pole, the Amundsen-Scott station, was named. Both teams took different routes and reached the South Pole within a few weeks of each other, first by Amundsen on December 14, 1911, and then by R. Scott on January 17, 1912.

First flight over the South Pole: American Richard Byrd, in 1928

The first to cross Antarctica without the use of animals or mechanical transport: Arvid Fuchs and Reinold Meissner, December 30, 1989

9. North and South magnetic poles of the Earth

The magnetic north pole is not located exactly in the Arctic region, but moves east at a speed of 10-40 km per year, as the magnetic field is influenced by underground molten metals and charged particles from the Sun. The south magnetic pole is still in Antarctica, but it is also moving west at a speed of 10-15 km per year.

Some scientists believe that one day the magnetic poles may change, and this could lead to the destruction of the Earth. However, the change of magnetic poles has already occurred, hundreds of times over the past 3 billion years, and this did not lead to any dire consequences.

10. Melting ice at the poles

Many researchers believe that by the end of the century, and maybe in a few decades, the Arctic zone will remain ice-free.

On the other hand, the Antarctic region at the South Pole contains 90 percent of the world's ice. The ice thickness in Antarctica averages 2.1 km. If all the ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels around the world would rise by 61 meters.

Fortunately, this will not happen in the near future.

Some fun facts about the North and South Pole:

1. There is an annual tradition at Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. After the last supply plane leaves, the researchers watch two horror films: The Thing (about an alien creature that kills the inhabitants of a polar station in Antarctica) and The Shining (about a writer who is in an empty, remote hotel in winter).

2. Every year the polar tern bird makes a record flight from the Arctic to Antarctica, flying more than 70,000 km.

3. Kaffeklubben Island - a small island in northern Greenland is considered the piece of land that is closest to the North Pole, 707 km from it.

1. Where is the North and South Pole: 4 types of poles

There are actually 4 types of North Pole from a scientific point of view:

North magnetic pole- a point on the earth's surface to which magnetic compasses are directed
North geographic pole– located directly above the geographic axis of the Earth
North geomagnetic pole– connected to the Earth’s magnetic axis
North Pole of Inaccessibility– the northernmost point in the Arctic Ocean and the farthest from land on all sides

Similarly, 4 types of the South Pole were established:


South magnetic pole- a point on the earth's surface at which the earth's magnetic field is directed upward
South geographic pole- a point located above the geographic axis of rotation of the Earth
South geomagnetic pole- connected to the Earth's magnetic axis in the southern hemisphere
South Pole of Inaccessibility- the point in Antarctica that is farthest from the coast of the Southern Ocean.
In addition there is ceremonial south pole– area designated for photography at Amundsen-Scott Station. It is located a few meters from the geographic south pole, but since the ice sheet is constantly moving, the mark shifts every year by 10 meters.

2. Geographic North and South Pole: ocean versus continent

The North Pole is essentially a frozen ocean surrounded by continents. In contrast, the South Pole is a continent surrounded by oceans.


In addition to the Arctic Ocean, the Arctic region (North Pole) includes parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, the USA, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.


The southernmost point of the earth, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, with an area of ​​14 million square kilometers. km, 98 percent of which is covered by glaciers. It is surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Geographic coordinates of the North Pole: 90 degrees north latitude.
Geographic coordinates of the South Pole: 90 degrees south latitude.
All lines of longitude converge at both poles.

3. The South Pole is colder than the North Pole

The South Pole is much colder than the North Pole. The temperature in Antarctica (South Pole) is so low that in some places on this continent the snow never melts.


The average annual temperature in this area is -58 degrees Celsius in winter, and the highest temperature recorded here was in 2011 at -12.3 degrees Celsius.
In contrast, the average annual temperature in the Arctic region (North Pole) is -43 degrees Celsius in winter and about 0 degrees in summer.


There are several reasons why the South Pole is colder than the North Pole. Since Antarctica is a huge landmass, it receives little heat from the ocean. In contrast, the ice in the Arctic region is relatively thin and there is an entire ocean underneath, which moderates the temperature. In addition, Antarctica is located at an altitude of 2.3 km and the air here is colder than in the Arctic Ocean, which is at sea level.

4. There is no time at the poles

Time is determined by longitude. So, for example, when the Sun is directly above us, local time shows noon. However, at the poles all lines of longitude intersect, and the Sun rises and sets only once a year on the equinoxes.


For this reason, scientists and explorers at the poles use whatever time zone they prefer. Typically, they refer to Greenwich Mean Time or the time zone of the country they are coming from.
Scientists at Amundsen-Scott Station in Antarctica can make a quick run around the world, crossing 24 time zones in a few minutes.

5. Animals of the North and South Pole

Many people have the misconception that polar bears and penguins share the same habitat.


In fact, penguins live only in the southern hemisphere - in Antarctica, where they have no natural enemies. If polar bears and penguins lived in the same area, the polar bears would not have to worry about their food source.
Marine animals at the South Pole include whales, porpoises and seals.


Polar bears, in turn, are the largest predators in the northern hemisphere. They live in the northern part of the Arctic Ocean and feed on seals, walruses and sometimes even beached whales.
In addition, the North Pole is home to animals such as reindeer, lemmings, foxes, wolves, as well as marine animals: beluga whales, killer whales, sea otters, seals, walruses and more than 400 known species of fish.

6. No Man's Land

Despite the fact that many flags of different countries can be seen at the South Pole in Antarctica, it is the only place on earth that does not belong to anyone and does not have an indigenous population.


The Antarctic Treaty is in force here, according to which the territory and its resources must be used exclusively for peaceful and scientific purposes. Scientists, explorers and geologists are the only people who set foot on Antarctica from time to time.
In contrast, more than 4 million people live in the Arctic Circle in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia.

7. Polar night and polar day

The Earth's poles are unique places where the longest day is observed, which lasts 178 days, and the longest night, which lasts 187 days.


At the poles there is only one sunrise and one sunset per year. At the North Pole, the Sun begins to rise in March on the vernal equinox and descends in September on the autumn equinox. At the South Pole, on the contrary, sunrise is during the autumn equinox, and sunset is on the day of the spring equinox.
In summer, the Sun is always above the horizon here, and the South Pole receives sunlight around the clock. In winter, the Sun is below the horizon, when there is 24-hour darkness.

8. Conquerors of the North and South Pole

Many travelers tried to reach the poles of the Earth, losing their lives on the way to these extreme points of our planet.

Who was the first to reach the North Pole?

There have been several expeditions to the North Pole since the 18th century. There is disagreement over who was the first to reach the North Pole. In 1908, American explorer Frederick Cook became the first to claim to have reached the North Pole. But his compatriot Robert Peary refuted this statement, and on April 6, 1909, he was officially considered the first conqueror of the North Pole.
First flight over the North Pole: Norwegian traveler Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile on May 12, 1926 on the airship "Norway"
First submarine at the North Pole: nuclear submarine "Nautilus" 3 August 1956
First trip to the North Pole alone: Japanese Naomi Uemura, April 29, 1978, sledding 725 km in 57 days
First ski expedition: expedition of Dmitry Shparo, May 31, 1979. Participants covered 1,500 km in 77 days.
The first to swim across the North Pole: Lewis Gordon Pugh walked 1 km in -2 degrees Celsius water in July 2007.

Who was the first to reach the South Pole?


The first conquerors of the South Pole were the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and the British explorer Robert Scott, after whom the first station at the South Pole, the Amundsen-Scott station, was named. Both teams took different routes and reached the South Pole within a few weeks of each other, first by Amundsen on December 14, 1911, and then by R. Scott on January 17, 1912.
First flight over the South Pole: American Richard Byrd, in 1928
The first to cross Antarctica without the use of animals or mechanical transport: Arvid Fuchs and Reinold Meissner, December 30, 1989

9. North and South magnetic poles of the Earth

The Earth's magnetic poles are associated with the Earth's magnetic field. They are located in the north and south, but do not coincide with the geographic poles, since the magnetic field of our planet is changing. Unlike geographic poles, magnetic poles shift.


The magnetic north pole is not located exactly in the Arctic region, but moves east at a speed of 10-40 km per year, as the magnetic field is influenced by underground molten metals and charged particles from the Sun. The south magnetic pole is still in Antarctica, but it is also moving west at a speed of 10-15 km per year.
Some scientists believe that one day the magnetic poles may change, and this could lead to the destruction of the Earth. However, the change of magnetic poles has already occurred, hundreds of times over the past 3 billion years, and this did not lead to any dire consequences.

10. Melting ice at the poles

Arctic ice in the North Pole region typically melts in the summer and freezes again in the winter. However, in recent years, the ice cap has begun to melt at a very rapid pace.


Many researchers believe that by the end of the century, and maybe in a few decades, the Arctic zone will remain ice-free.
On the other hand, the Antarctic region at the South Pole contains 90 percent of the world's ice. The ice thickness in Antarctica averages 2.1 km. If all the ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels around the world would rise by 61 meters.
Fortunately, this will not happen in the near future.

Some fun facts about the North and South Pole:


1. There is an annual tradition at Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. After the last supply plane leaves, the researchers watch two horror films: The Thing (about an alien creature that kills the inhabitants of a polar station in Antarctica) and The Shining (about a writer who is in an empty, remote hotel in winter).
2. Every year the polar tern bird makes a record flight from the Arctic to Antarctica, flying more than 70,000 km.
3. Kaffeklubben Island - a small island in northern Greenland is considered the piece of land that is closest to the North Pole, 707 km from it.

Antarctica	Arctic
Antarctica is a continent (land) surrounded by ocean	The Arctic is an ocean (ice) surrounded by continents (land)
Southern Ocean sea ice cover - 18.83 million square kilometers	Arctic ice cover - 14.52 million square kilometers
The area of ​​Antarctica within these limits, including the continent of Antarctica (14 million km²), is approximately 52.5 million km²	The area of ​​the Arctic is about 27 million km²
The length of the coastline is just over 30 km	The length of the coastline of the Arctic basin is 45,389 km
The ice was formed from precipitation many years ago and is practically not renewed.	In the Arctic, ice is formed from sea water and, unlike Antarctic ice, is renewed throughout the year.

Even though they are both located at the “ends of the earth,” the Arctic and Antarctic poles are different in many ways. The Arctic, also known as the North Pole, is a vast, ice-covered ocean surrounded by land. The ice here is massive, its thickness varies from a few centimeters to more than two meters; under the ice there are bodies of water up to one and a half kilometers deep and with temperatures just above freezing. The ice surface of the Arctic Ocean is quite thin and can be easily overcome by icebreakers, especially in summer, when the ice area is minimal. Because glaciers are constantly in motion, there is no actual marking of 90 degrees north latitude.

In contrast to the Arctic, the Antarctic is land surrounded by ocean. The height of the glaciers here reaches 4,700 meters in thickness, and they cover 98-99% of the land of the entire Antarctic continent. Almost 85% of the entire ice cover of the earth is concentrated here. Unlike the North,

The South Pole has a special mark - a copper pillar with an engraved plaque.
Since the Arctic and Antarctic are separated by a huge belt of warm waters, there is a big difference in the world of flora and fauna between them, and all because they developed independently of each other. For example, polar bears are found only in the Arctic, and penguins only in the Antarctic. There are many species of land mammals in the north, as these animals were able to migrate across the long landmass surrounding the Arctic. Thanks to the relatively warm summers, animals here have a chance to survive. Some of the forty species of Arctic land mammals migrate south, where winters are much colder. On the other hand, Antarctica is separated from neighboring land areas by the Southern Ocean. The largest local living creature is the midge, which is 1 mm long. The Southern Ocean is extremely fertile, and is an important habitat for seabirds and mammals.

Sea ice can take many forms, as seen in this aerial photo of the Arctic. Shown here are sea ice of varying thicknesses. From thin, almost transparent layers to old, thick ice covered with snow