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How many poles are there in the Arctic? Entertaining Arctic

Preview:

Arctic expedition

The purpose of the lesson: expanding students' knowledge about the Arctic as a unique region of the Russian Federation with extreme natural living conditions and development.

Tasks:

– promoting the formation of knowledge about the nature of the Arctic, the history of its exploration and development;

– promoting the formation of knowledge about the Arctic, its climatic features, flora and fauna;

– promoting the formation of knowledge of the problems of modern development of the northern region;

– promoting the formation of knowledge about modern technologies for research and development of the Arctic;

– promoting an understanding of the significance and value of the Arctic in its geopolitical context;

– promoting increased interest among the younger generation in the Arctic regions, due to the strategic importance of this region;

– nurturing the humanistic qualities of students’ personalities, patriotism, social solidarity, justice, responsibility and pride in the greatness of their country

Organizing time.

There is a place on Earth where there is no time.
There, all time zones are intertwined into one point.
The meridians are frozen into ice by the grain of the seed.
A stripe is burning on the horizon of the northern lights.

There is only one day and only one night in the year.
Only seals, polar bears and seagulls live there.
And humanity was able to overcome such a climate, -
Cold of the Northern Snow Mistress.

Only here, like nowhere else, do you feel greatness
And vulnerability in cosmic terms, the Earth.
Here the planet is dressed in such a holy guise,
That people could not break it for many centuries.

I invite you today to take an unusual trip - to the Arctic, a strategic region of Russia of global importance. Within this natural and economic territory, comparable in area to the largest countries in the world, large deposits of various minerals and other resources have been discovered or are available, which may in the future turn out to be strategically important for the country. There is obvious potential here in the use and development of biological resources, transcontinental shipping, environmental and extreme tourism, and scientific research sites. The presence of a nuclear icebreaker fleet and nuclear submarines in this region ensures Russia’s national interests in the national sector of the Arctic Ocean.If you think that the Arctic is just a cold desert and permafrost zone where not a single blade of grass grows, then you are deeply mistaken. The concept of the Arctic is much broader than our ideas about it. Despite the low temperatures, there is life on the Arctic islands. The harsh living conditions in the Arctic have led to the emergence of species unique to this region.

And we'll start with

Quiz "Arctic Expedition",to which you and I are going in absentia.

1. What is the area of ​​the Arctic?

1) 20 million km² 2) 12 million km² 3) 27 million km² The area of ​​the Arctic is approximately 27 million km2. In other calculations, when the Arctic is limited from the south by the Arctic Circle, the area of ​​the Arctic region is 21 million km2. ARCTIC - a region of the Earth adjacent to the North Pole and including the outskirts of the continents of Eurasia and North America, almost the entire Arctic Ocean with islands (except for the coastal islands of Norway), as well as adjacent parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

2. How many poles are there in the Arctic?

1) 2 2) 3 3) 4

There are four poles in the Arctic: the geographic North Pole, the magnetic North Pole,pole of cold and the pole of inaccessibility

Geographic poleis located in the central part of the Arctic Ocean and is a special point on our planet where meridians and all time zones converge, so time is not defined here. And usually polar expeditions are guided by the time customary in their country.

The magnetic pole is a conventional point on the earth's surface at which the earth's magnetic field is directed to the surface at a right angle. The position of the magnetic pole is unstable and its coordinates are temporary and inaccurate, since every day it moves along an elliptical path and shifts in the north and northwest direction. Since the second half of the 20th century, the pole has been moving towards Taimyr, during “quiet” periods at a speed of a kilometer per year, and during periods of geomagnetic activity up to tens of kilometers per year.

There is a place on the globe that is colder than the North Pole. On the maps of meteorologists around the world it is designated as the pole of cold of the Northern Hemisphere. It is located in the Yakut village of Oymyakon, located in Eastern Siberia. Oymyakon’s rather large distance from the ocean and its location at high latitudes form a sharply continental climate here. In winter, the thermometer in these places drops below minus 50-60 degrees. The absolute minimum at Oymyakon was recorded in February 1933 (- 67.7°C). This is the coldest place on the planet where people constantly live at such low temperatures.

The Pole of Inaccessibility is a place of an ice mass with an area of ​​3 million km2, the most distant from all the shores of the Arctic Ocean and located at the greatest distance from any land. It is located on the 170th meridian east. approximately 600 km from the geographic North Pole. Due to the remoteness of this point from convenient transport routes, the pole of inaccessibility is considered difficult to reach. But, despite this, in 1941, Soviet polar explorers made the first expedition to this pole on the USSR-N-169 aircraft.

3. How many sectors of state responsibility is the Arctic divided into?

1) 7 2) 3 3) 5

The Arctic is divided into five sectors of responsibility between Russia, the USA, Norway, Canada and Denmark. However, the exact border of the Arctic has not been determined. On May 2, 2014, the President of Russia signed a Decree" On the land territories of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation " (follow the link to the official text of the order on the Kremlin website, in PDF format).

In accordance with the Decree, the Russian part of the Arctic includes:

  • Murmansk region;
  • Nenets Autonomous Okrug;
  • Chukotka Autonomous Okrug;
  • Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug;
  • Municipal entity of the urban district "Vorkuta" (Komi Republic);
  • Territories of the Allaikhovsky ulus, Anabarsky national (Dolgano-Evenkisky) ulus, Bulunsky ulus, Nizhnekolymsky district, Ust-Yansky ulus (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia));
  • Territories of the urban district of Norilsk, Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) municipal district, Turukhansky district (Krasnoyarsk Territory);
  • Territories of municipalities "city of Arkhangelsk", "Mezensky municipal district", "Novaya Zemlya", "City of Novodvinsk", "Onezhsky municipal district", "Primorsky municipal district", "Severodvinsk" (Arkhangelsk region);
  • Lands and islands located in the Arctic Ocean, some uluses of Yakutia. These geographical objects were declared the territory of the Soviet Union by the Decree of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR dated April 15, 1926.

4. How many people live in the Yakut village of Oymyakon, located in the Arctic?

1) 120 2) 320 3) 520

village in Oymyakonsky ulus Yakutia, on the left bank of the riverIndigirka .

Oymyakon is best known as one of the"Poles of Cold" on the planet, according to a number of parameters, the Oymyakon Valley is the most severe place on Earth where a permanent population lives.

5. What color layer is closest to the ground during the aurora?

1) green 2) red 3) purple

Aurora (northern lights) - glow(luminescence ) upper layers atmospheres planets having magnetosphere , due to their interaction with charged particlessolar wind .

The aurora is distinguished by a variety of colors and can shimmer in different colors. This is determined by which particular molecule the charged particle collided with, and what the density of the gas is. Thus, oxygen can produce both red and green colors, and nitrogen can produce purple or blue colors. At altitudes of aurora dislocation above 150 km, red color predominates, below 120 km - violet-blue, and in between - yellow-green.

6. How many days does the polar night last at the North Pole?

1) 156 2) 167 3) 176

Polar night is a period when the Sun does not appear above the horizon for more than 24 hours (that is, more than a day).

7. In 2010, the largest iceberg was recorded in the Arctic. What was its area?

1) 60km 2) 260km 3) 420km

The largest iceberg in the Arctic, with an area of ​​about 260 km² and a thickness of up to 50 meters, was recorded in 2010. It broke off from the Peterman Glacier in northwest Greenland. This huge block of ice was 4 times the size of Manhattan Island. There have not been such large icebergs in the Arctic since 1962, and without exaggeration it lived up to its name, since translated into Russian the word “iceberg” means??? "ice mountain"

8. What is the name of a phenomenon unique to the Arctic, which is created as a result of the reflection of light by clouds coming from the ice sheet or floating ice in polar waters?

1) ice sky 2) polar lights 3) ice flowers

There are many amazing natural phenomena in the Arctic. In particular, here you can observe the so-called “ice sky” effect, which is created as a result of the reflection of light by clouds coming from the ice sheet or floating ice in polar waters. By the reflection of the “ice sky,” which indicates the proximity of ice, you can navigate the ocean in order to choose a path free of ice and icebergs. The reflection is especially clear when there is good air transparency, when the ice is covered with snow.

9. How tall do small bushes of crystals, the so-called “ice flowers of the Arctic”, reach?

1) 4cm 2) 9cm 3) 14cm

Another incredibly beautiful phenomenon in the Arctic is ice flowers. These creations of nature are nothing more than small bushes of crystals, no more than 3-4 centimeters high. Scientists have found that the appearance and growth of ice flowers is possible only on a thin, fresh layer of ice and if there is a large difference between the temperatures of the ice surface and air - at least 20 ° C. But, unfortunately, ice flowers are short-lived. As soon as the thickness of the ice increases, its temperature begins to approach the air temperature, and the flowers simply disappear.

10. Who completes the fauna food chain in the Arctic?

1) seal 2) polar bear 3) reindeer

The polar bear is the main symbol of the Arctic. Now the total number of polar bears is just over 22 thousand individuals. You can imagine that they spend half their lives in the water, swimming vast distances in search of food. A polar bear can swim 80 km without rest.

Competition "Guess it!"

1. How is the word “Arctic” translated from Greek?(bear)

2. A contemporary of the mammoth, which has survived to this day in the wildest places of the Arctic (musk ox)

3. Why do reindeer graze closer to the sea? (because the wind drives away blood-sucking insects)

4. Name the polar rodent that eats moss and grass and lives under the snow in winter (lemming)

5. What bird hatches its chicks in the midst of the Arctic spring? (White goose)

6. Why are places where birds congregate called “bird colonies”?
(there is a terrible noise and din there)

7. Polar flowers that bloom very beautifully in the Arctic in spring.(Poppies.)

8. A polar plant that is the main food of reindeer.(Lichen.)

9. One of the noisiest birds in the Arctic bird markets".(Guillemot.)

10. What is the name of the non-melting layer of ice that is located under a thin layer of soil?. (Permafrost.)

Your opinion:

The Arctic for Russia is……..

It is impossible to imagine our country without this amazing, mysterious and rich region. Each of you today realized that the Arctic territory is an integral part of our country. We can already say with complete certainty that the era of large Russian Arctic projects has begun.


In the VKontakte group NORDAVIA - Regional Airlines posted a message: Quote:

New flight: Murmansk - Arctic - Arkhangelsk. Currently, tour operators and government officials are actively discussing the issue of developing Arctic tourism. In particular, a completely new route is being discussed - tourists arrive in Murmansk, from where they go to the vastness of the Russian Arctic, and end the trip in Arkhangelsk. We believe that this area of ​​tourism is very promising, and therefore we carried out a set of works to study the capabilities of the Boeing 737 aircraft in terms of landing on Arctic ice. There is successful experience of similar operation of aircraft of this type in the world, on the basis of which we decided on the possibility of such flights. The North is perhaps the most underrated region by tourists. It is full of majestic beauty, tranquility and grace. At the same time, its effective development has always been associated with aviation, and its modern development has made flights over the Arctic as comfortable and safe as in other parts of our planet. In the near future, we will complete all approvals with tour operators, and the new product will be offered to potential consumers. Experience all the beauty of the North with us!

Most people took it as an April Fool's joke. Yes, maybe the group administrators themselves created this message as banter. Although, someone believed it, deciding that flights were planned all the way to the North Pole itself. But that's not the point. It turns out that people don’t know that there really are flights to the Arctic? After all, what is included in the Arctic region of Russia: The Arctic zone of Russia is a part of the Arctic that is under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. The Arctic zone of Russia includes such territories of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation as the Kola, Lovozersky, Pechenga regions, the closed administrative-territorial formations of Zaozersk, Ostrovnoy, Skalisty, Snezhnogorsk, the cities of. Polyarny and Severomorsk, Murmansk region, Murmansk; Belomorsky district of the Republic of Karelia, Nenets Autonomous Okrug; Mezensky, Leshukonsky, Onega, Pinezhsky, Primorsky, Solovetsky districts, Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region, Arkhangelsk; Vorkuta, Komi Republic; Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug; Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Okrug; Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory; Allaikhovsky, Abyisky, Bulunsky, Verkhnekolymsky, Nizhnekolymsky, Oleneksky, Ust-Yansky, Gorny uluses of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Chukotka Autonomous Okrug; Olyutorsky district of Koryak Autonomous Okrug. Okay, Vorkuta, Naryan-Mar... But for example, to Amderma, Tiksi, Anadyr - passenger planes fly only this way, and this is the Arctic, without any kind there. Don't people know about this? Or does only the North Pole, and the Polar Region with Wrangel, Taimyr and Novaya Zemlya consider the Arctic? Or maybe we need to directly create “tourist products” and announce “here’s your opportunity to fly to the Arctic” so that people get the message?

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

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.

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

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 the north of Greenland is considered the piece of land that is closest to the North Pole, 707 km from it.

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 the north of Greenland is considered the piece of land that is closest to the North Pole, 707 km from it.

Ecology

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

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

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- 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 and 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 was recorded here in 2011 and was -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 time from any time zone whichever they like best. 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 take a quick run around the world by walking 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

Although many flags of different countries can be seen at the South Pole in Antarctica, this the only place on earth that belongs to no one, and where there is no 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.

Against, 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, 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 officially began to be 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.

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?


A Norwegian explorer became the first to conquer the South Pole Roald Amundsen and 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

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 in the north and south, but do not coincide with geographic poles, since the magnetic field of our planet is changing. Unlike geographic poles, magnetic poles shift.


The North Magnetic Pole is not located exactly in the Arctic region, but shifts east at a speed of 10-40 km per year, since 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 already 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 food plane leaves, researchers watch two horror films: the film "The Thing" (about an alien creature that kills the inhabitants of a polar station in Antarctica) and the film "The Shining" (about a writer who is in an empty remote hotel in winter)

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

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