Why is Antarctica a continent but the Arctic is not?
Although both poles are covered in ice, what lies beneath the ice is very different from north to south. If you could lift the ice off the South Pole in Antarctica you would find a rocky landmass (or landmasses) with gorges, canyons and mountain ranges, much like the other great continents on our planet. Antarctica was the last of the Earth’s seven continents to be discovered by humans.
By contrast, there is no single Arctic continent under the Arctic ice. If you lifted the sea ice off the North Pole, you would find the Arctic Ocean. Although there is no Arctic continent, there are many smaller landmasses in the Arctic, including Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, Wrangel Island and parts of Asia, North America and Europe.
Which is bigger, the Arctic or Antarctica?
The Arctic is just slightly larger than Antarctica. The Arctic covers an area of approximately 14.5 million square km (5.5 million square miles). Antarctica comes a close second with an area of about 14.2 million square km (5.4 million square miles), roughly twice the size of Australia.
Which is colder, the Arctic or Antarctica?
Antarctica and the Arctic are the two coldest places on Earth, but Antarctica is much colder than the Arctic. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was in Antarctica at -93.3°C (-135.9°F). Scientists registered this staggeringly cold temperature on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in 2013, after analysing 32 years of satellite data.
In 2020, scientists confirmed the coldest temperature in the Arctic was in Greenland in December 1991, when the mercury dropped to a very chilly -69.6°C (-93.3°F).
What are the average temperatures in Antarctica and the Arctic?
The average winter temperature at the North Pole is -40°C (-40°F). This is seriously cold, but not quite as cold as the winter average at the South Pole, which hovers around -60°C (-76°F)!
Summer temperatures also differ from pole to pole. The average summer temperature at the North Pole is barely freezing at 0°C (-32°F), while the South Pole remains much colder at -28°C (-18°F).
Fortunately for Arctic and Antarctic travellers, all polar expeditions take place during the summer months, when the weather in the Arctic and Antarctica is quite pleasant!
Why are the poles so cold?
There are many reasons why the poles are cold, including:
1. Dark winters
For six months over the winter, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon within the polar circle (66°30′ North and South). Without the warming effect of direct sunlight the poles get very, very cold.
2. Angle of sunlight
When the sun returns to the polar regions in summer, they still receive less sunlight than other places on earth due to their position at the north and south extremes of the globe. In the polar regions, the sun has to push through more atmosphere, and is spread over a bigger area than at the equator.
3. Lots of ice
Large reserves of ice have a cooling effect on the air above them. Both the Arctic and Antarctica have large ice sheets and seasonal sea ice, both of which help keep the poles cold.
4. Large reflective surfaces
The white surfaces of ice and snow are highly reflective. They radiate most of the heat that reaches them back out to space, keeping the air above them relatively cool.
Why is Antarctica so much colder than the Arctic?
Larger ice sheet
Antarctica is covered by a massive ice sheet twice the size of Australia. It is the largest ice sheet in the world, covering an area of 14 million square km (5.4 million square miles). This huge reservoir of ice cools the air above it and reflects most of the heat that reaches it back to space.
By contrast, the largest ice sheet in the Arctic, the Greenland Ice Sheet, is only one eighth the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Antarctica is at altitude
Antarctica is the highest continent on the planet, due to thick layers of ice that raise its average elevation to around 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Temperatures drop by about 1°C (33.8°F) for every 100 metres (320 feet) of altitude you gain, so Antarctica’s high altitude has a big impact on its temperature. Although the Arctic has many rugged mountain ranges and stunning alpine peaks, much of the region lies at sea level, on the Arctic Ocean.
The Arctic Ocean heats the atmosphere
Water warms and cools more slowly than land, so areas near the sea have fewer extremes of temperature. Antarctica is a landmass surrounded by ocean and the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land.
Even when it’s covered by ice, the Arctic Ocean has a moderating effect on the climate, helping to keep the Arctic slightly warmer than Antarctica. Although Antarctica is surrounded by sea, the cooling effect of the massive Antarctic Ice Sheet counteracts any moderating influence of the ocean, except near the coast.
Winds
Antarctica is the windiest continent on the planet, with winds reaching up to 327km/h (199 mph), almost three times stronger than hurricane force winds on the Beaufort Scale. These windy conditions mean that cold temperatures feel even colder in Antarctica due to wind chill.
What is the difference between the North and South Poles?
All at Sea or High and Dry?
The North Pole is located at sea level, in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. By contrast, the South Pole is high and dry on top of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is 2.8 kilometres (1.7 miles) thick in this area. The South Pole is so far above sea level that some people who visit experience altitude sickness!
X marks the spot?
At the North Pole, the Arctic Ocean is frozen into huge plates of sea ice, which are constantly moving, so there is no official marker to mark its location. However, many visitors bring their own sign to commemorate the occasion!
The exact location of the South Pole is marked with a stake, which is stuck into the ice. There is just one slight problem: the ice sheet moves about 10 metres (30 feet) each year, so the stake has to be moved annually to remain accurate!