What year was the south pole discovered? The one who reached the South Pole first
Expedition of R. Amundsen
The North Pole of the planet has been conquered, which means that the South Pole must also be conquered. It is much colder in Antarctica than in the Arctic, where ferocious gale-force winds practically do not subside, but the will of man turned out to be much stronger. The South Pole also gave up.
Definition 1
South Pole- this is the point of intersection of the earth's axis of rotation with its surface in the southern hemisphere.
The South Pole is located at an altitude of $ 2800 m within the Polar Plateau of Antarctica. The conquest of the two extreme points of the planet can be linked together. As far back as $1909, the famous polar explorer Roald Amundsen wanted to take part in the conquest of the North Pole, but R. Piri, who was the first to succeed, was ahead of him. Without hesitation, the ambitious Amundsen sent his expedition ship Fram to the shores of Antarctica, deciding that he would be the first at the South Pole. Prior to Amundsen, many researchers had made such an attempt, but without success. Amundsen thought through every detail of his event. Through every degree of latitude, the Norwegians arranged warehouses with food and fuel to use on the way back. The expedition, consisting of $4$ people, set off $20$ October $1911$. They moved on sledges pulled by sled dogs. With regard to the costumes of the participants in the campaign, Amundsen's idea fully justified itself - the costumes sewn from old blankets were light and warm, but this did not diminish the difficulties. Almost simultaneously with the Norwegian expedition, a British expedition rushed to the South Pole, headed by Captain $I$ rank, Knight of the Order of Victoria Robert Falcon Scott. For $85$, the Norwegians faced a hard climb from the Ross Ice Shelf to the ridge, which was later named after the Norwegian queen (Queen Maud Ridge). The ending provisions were supplemented by dogs taken specifically for this purpose. Surplus dogs were killed in order to feed them with the meat of other animals and people. The Norwegian expedition $15$ December $1911$ reached the South Pole. Here, at an altitude of $ 2800 $ m, a tent was pitched and the Norwegian flag was raised. The South Pole has submitted to people. On a board nailed to a pole, all members of the expedition left their names. Two days later they turned back, their path lay to the north. On the way back, which took $40$ days, nothing unexpected happened. Every three days, one dog had to be killed to feed people and animals on fresh meat until they reached the $85$ parallel, where the first warehouse they left was located.
Representatives of Russia also took part in those events. On the Fram, the young and talented oceanographer A. Kuchin conducted his numerous studies, and among the British winterers were D. Girev and the groom A. Omelchenko. Amundsen returned to the Bay of Whales, where the Fram expedition ship was waiting for the researchers, on January 26, $1912, having traveled $2,800 km in both directions for $99 a day. The victory of the Norwegian expedition was overshadowed by the terrible tragedy of another expedition to the South Pole.
Expedition of R. Scott
An attempt to reach the South Pole in the same year was made by the second explorer, Englishman Robert Scott. In his lifetime, having managed to command cruisers and battleships, Scott was a naval officer. He spent two years on the Antarctic coast, as the leader of the research wintering. The detachment he led advanced a thousand miles towards the pole in three months. Returning to his homeland, Scott began preparations for the next expedition. On the way to Antarctica, they learned that Amundsen's expedition was moving in the same direction to the South Pole. Scott chose short and very hardy Manchurian ponies as the main vehicle. In addition to these horses, dogs and motor sledges were taken on the road, which at that time were a novelty. The way to the Pole was difficult - $ 800 miles through the terrible cracks of the glaciers and the return return in forty degrees of frost in a fierce blizzard with a complete loss of visibility. On the way to the Pole, people were severely injured, frostbite, motor sledges broke down, all the horses died. All that remained was perseverance and fortitude. The members of the escort group, having not reached the goal of $150 miles, turned back, and the remaining five British, harnessed to heavy sledges, went to the finish line. This line was not straight, it wound through the cracks and icy chaos of the Antarctic highlands.
R. Scott and the participants of the campaign approached the mathematical point of the South Pole on January 17, $1912$. Everything was clear - the rivals reached the pole exactly one month before their arrival. After a little rest and saluting, the British detachment moved back. They also moved from one intermediate warehouse to another. In conditions of terrible bad weather, the strength of young and hardy people was melting away. The youngest and strongest Edgar Evans dies. Lawrence Oates, the captain of the dragoon regiment, had frostbite on his legs and arms, and it became unbearably painful to move around. At one of the nights, Ots leaves the tent so as not to be a burden to his comrades. Everyone understood that he voluntarily went to meet his death. Only $3$ of a person remained alive, but severe snowstorms did not allow them to move forward to the warehouse with food and warmth. There were $11$ miles left, only $11$ of those $1600$ already covered, but the March blizzard stopped them forever.
After $7$ months, the bodies of Lieutenant G. Bowers, Dr. E. Wilson and R. Scott were discovered by a rescue team that went out in search of them. Rescuers found a bag containing diaries and farewell letters next to Scott's body. The bag contained $35 pounds of geological samples that had been collected along the way. Looking into the eyes of death, people continued to drag these stones until their last breath.
Remark 1
In the last minutes of his life, this brave researcher carefully analyzed the causes of the disaster, managed to give the highest moral assessment to each of his companions. The last entry in his diaries was a phrase that spread around the world: "For God's sake, do not leave our loved ones."
Addressing his wife, Robert Scott asked her that his son, having matured, took up natural history and continued the work of his father. Dr. Peter Scott, who died in the $90s, became an outstanding biologist and ecologist at the behest of his father. He was one of the leaders of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Modern exploration of Antarctica
A number of states - the USA, Great Britain, Norway, the Commonwealth of Australia - organized special expeditions in the first half of the $20th century to continue exploring this harsh white continent. The studies carried out concerned only the coast of the mainland, the interior of which remained completely unknown. Only the International Geophysical Year, which took place in $1957$-$1958$, marked the beginning of the joint study of Antarctica. $12$ of the states of the world united their efforts in solving this problem, and one of the leading places in this work was occupied by Soviet researchers. For the expeditions, which were organized at a high scientific and technical level, a rich practical experience in the development of the Arctic was used.
Remark 2
The first Soviet Antarctic expedition was headed by an experienced polar explorer and a prominent scientist, Mikhail Mikhailovich Somov, and Alexei Fedorovich Treshnikov was at the head of the second expedition. In the most difficult climatic conditions, Soviet researchers moved deep into the continent and in a short period of time built several scientific stations - Mirny, Pionerskaya, Vostok. Soviet scientific stations were located not only on the coast of the mainland, but also in the interior and very inaccessible parts of Antarctica. The Pole of Inaccessibility station was built in the literal sense, where no human foot had yet set foot.
Nowadays, the largest and main station is the Molodezhnaya station, where the Antarctic Aerometeorological Center is located. Antarctica has no permanent population and is not owned by anyone. In harsh natural conditions, it is impossible to work on the mainland for a long time, the maximum time for scientists to stay there is limited to a year. This is a continent of peace and science, where, by international agreement, any weapons testing and nuclear explosions are prohibited. To date, there are many scientific works on Antarctica, the first domestic atlas of the continent has been created, containing information about all components of its nature. Hundreds of names of Russian explorers are immortalized on the map of Antarctica.
Once a person managed to conquer the North Pole, sooner or later he had to reach the South, located in the center of the icy continent of Antarctica.
It's even colder here than in the Arctic. In addition, fierce gale-force winds almost never subside... But the South Pole also gave up, and the history of conquering the two extreme points of the Earth was curiously linked together. The fact is that in 1909, like Piri, the famous polar explorer intended to take part in the conquest of the North PoleRoald Amundsen
- the same one that a few years earlier managed to lead his ship fromAtlantic Ocean to the Pacific Northwest Sea Route. Having learned that Peary was the first to achieve success, the ambitious Amundsen, without hesitation, sent his expedition ship Fram to the shores of Antarctica. He decided that he would be the first at the South Pole!
They tried to get to the southernmost point of the Earth before. AT1902
Captain of the English Royal NavyRobert Scott
together with two satellites managed to reach 82 degrees 17 minutes south latitude. But then I had to retreat. Having lost all the sled dogs with which they began the journey, the three daredevils barely managed to return to the coast of Antarctica, where the Discovery expedition vessel was moored.
AT1908 year a new attempt was made by another Englishman -Ernst Shackleton . And again, failure: despite the fact that only 179 kilometers remained to the goal, Shackleton turned back, unable to withstand the hardships of the path.
Amundsen, in fact, succeeded the first time, having thought through literally every little thing.
His journey to the pole was played out like clockwork. Between the 80th and 85th degrees of south latitude, every degree, the Norwegians arranged warehouses with food and fuel in advance. Amundsen set offOctober 20, 1911
of the year, with him were four Norwegian companions: Hansen, Wisting, Hassel, Bjoland. Travelers moved on sledges pulled by sled dogs.
The costumes for the hikers were made from old blankets. Amundsen's idea, unexpected at first glance, fully justified itself - the suits were light and at the same time very warm. But the Norwegians also faced many difficulties. The blows of the blizzard bled the faces of Hansen, Wisting, and Amundsen himself; These wounds did not heal for a long time. But hardened, courageous people did not pay attention to such trifles.
On December 14, 1911, at 3 p.m., the Norwegians reached the South Pole.
They stayed here for three days, making astronomical pinpointings to eliminate the slightest possibility of error. At the southernmost point of the Earth, a tall pole was erected with the Norwegian flag and the Fram pennant. On a board nailed to a pole, all five left their names.
The way back took the Norwegians 40 days. Nothing unexpected happened. And early in the morning on January 26, 1912, Amundsen, together with his companions, returned to the shore of the icy continent, where the Fram expedition ship was waiting for him in the Bay of Whales.
Alas, Amundsen's victory was overshadowed by the tragedy of another expedition. In the same 1911, a new attempt to reach the South Pole was made byRobert Scott
. This time she was successful. ButJanuary 18, 1912 Scott
and four of his satellites found the Norwegian flag at the South Pole, left by Amundsen back in December. The disappointment of the British, who came to the goal only second, turned out to be so great that they no longer had the strength to endure the return journey.
A few months later, British search parties, concerned about Scott's long absence, found a tent with the frozen bodies of the captain and his companions in the Antarctic ice. In addition to miserable crumbs of food, 16 kilograms of rare geological samples of Antarctica, collected during a trip to the pole, were found in it. As it turned out, only twenty kilometers remained from this tent to the rescue camp, where food was stored ...
Amundsen and Scott
They have never been on the same expedition, in the same "bundle", but that's exactly what, "Amundsen-Scott", is now the name of the American Antarctic research station, located right on the South Pole.
To volunteer to go to the ends of the world in the name of science, you need to be a special person. But that's what a bunch of people do every summer (it's winter in the southern hemisphere at this time) at the geographic South Pole. is the coldest and driest place on earth, and our south pole is among the most godforsaken places. Living at the Amundsen-Scott polar station during the winter, they experience a time full of adventure, isolation and the very experience that very few people have. Living at the South Pole is difficult, but very interesting. Where else can you find...
Due to the unique location of the South Pole at the very bottom of the globe, the sun is visible there like nowhere else. It is at the ends of the Earth that you can watch the longest sunset.
Due to the tilt of the planet's axis, the South Pole experiences one sunset and one sunrise per year. It takes many days to replace these two phenomena, so lovers of looking at the Sun will have something to see, in every sense.
No watch needed
If you work outdoors, you won't need a watch. When the sun finally rises, it will gradually rise until midsummer and then slowly descend towards the horizon.
As long as the luminous ball crawls across the sky, illuminating it 24/7, it will be very easy to understand the time of day. When a luminary is at a certain building or sign at a certain time, it will be there every day at the same time. If it's lunchtime when the sun is over the object with the weather balloon, you can head to the cafeteria whenever that happens.
A dizzying journey
Upon arrival at the South Pole, you will find that walking there is not so difficult. The ice is well compressed and crystallized, forming a non-slippery surface. Antarctica is the same everywhere, except for the height.
The South Pole lies on a 3,000-meter sheet of ice, and newcomers find themselves about 3 kilometers above sea level. There are no elevators, so whenever luggage has to be lifted 15 meters, they will sternly remind you of a hill.
Sleepiness can be a problem
Your body will eventually acclimate to the altitude, but physiologically the ascent will be even more difficult due to an atmospheric phenomenon that can only be found at the poles. As barometric pressure drops, the air becomes denser, just like everywhere else on Earth. Our planet rotates around its axis, creating centrifugal force. This force pulls the atmosphere towards the equator, "lowering" the sky at the poles.
As the skies fall, the air becomes thinner, making the height of the South Pole higher than it really is. Since the inhabitants live at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level, an extra 600 meters can cause the drowsiness that climbers experience when climbing to a height.
Trapped
Although the South Pole research stations are buzzing with scientific activity during the short summer seasons, only a small team of 50 people stay there for the winter. These brave souls are in isolation at the bottom of the planet, from the moment the last plane leaves in mid-February until the next one returns in late October - early November.
No matter how sick or crazy, people have to stay trapped, because the low temperatures in winter are sure to freeze jet fuel, making any flight impossible.
dull month
For those who dare to put themselves in the name of science, the winter will be long. After sunsets of several days and a month of twilight, night reigns for several months. Some suffer from seasonal affective disorder, but more often than not, working, living and creating in close contact with the same 50 people for weeks affects the worst of everything else.
Such conditions will make anyone moody, and even the most cheerful come out with a sour face when the winter ends. In most cases, this happens around August. Although the influence is different for everyone, seeing the same faces in endless darkness is rather annoying.
Changing rooms with friends
Although the temperature is brutally low and even deadly without the right equipment, the thermometer rarely drops below -73 degrees Celsius. But when it does, the locals have the opportunity to join one of the planet's most exclusive fraternities: the 300 Club.
They gather naked in the research station's sauna and heat it up to 93 degrees Celsius (200 Fahrenheit). And when everyone is already good, wet and hot, they put on only boots and jump out to the mark of the geographical South Pole. Exiting the sauna to the mark entails a temperature change of 300 degrees (Fahrenheit) and a beautiful naked shot, with a thin silver layer of frozen sweat, right next to the historic South Pole.
When the earth wears
The South Pole lies on a plate of ice 3 kilometers thick. And when the ice is on top, it has a tendency to slip… slide a lot. Although the true geographic South Pole is not moving, the marker and buildings above it are still, at 2.5 centimeters a day. Everything relative to the pole is shifting by 9 meters per year.
Surveyors pinpoint the exact location of the South Pole, and the pole marker moves annually to compensate for the long, slow slip.
Run around the world
Running is a great way to stay in shape, but running in the cold can burn your lungs. However, few can resist the temptation to be able to boast that they have literally run around the world. At the South Pole, this will require about 20 steps.
To put the runners on a fair footing, the station hosts an annual race. The route circles around the pole mark, allowing the participants to absolutely honestly say that they really have circled the whole world.
New Year and again and again and again
The time zones are divided into 15 degrees of longitude. These degrees are most separated at the equator - there are approximately 111 kilometers between them. From the equator, they go north and south, gradually reducing the distance between them, until all 24 converge at the poles. Living at the South Pole, people have the ability to move from one time zone to another in a few steps.
In the New Year, this takes on a special dimension. The polar inhabitants can celebrate the New Year in every time zone on Earth by simply moving their feet. Only the strongest will be able to survive the 24-hour celebration.
Every inhabitant of the Earth knows that the South Pole is located in Antarctica. Antarctica itself is a huge piece of land surrounded on all sides by water. That is, it is a continent. It should not be confused with the mainland - a huge piece of land surrounded by water and connected by a small piece of land to another mainland. The area of Antarctica is 13.7 million square meters. km. For example, the area of the same Europe is 10.2 million square meters. km, and Australia - 7.6 million square meters. km.
South Pole
Antarctica has concentrated in itself 90% of all fresh waters of the planet. It is fabulously rich in minerals, but fenced off from the whole world by a huge ice crust and bitter frosts. In winter, the temperature on the continent drops to minus 60° Celsius. Summer also does not indulge in warmth. In the most fertile months of December and January, the average temperature is minus 30 °.
Strong winds blow over the icy desert all year round. The animal world lives only in coastal zones and on the Antarctic Peninsula. On this small stretch of land stretched to the north, winter temperatures sometimes reach minus 10 ° Celsius, and in summer it rises to 12 ° Celsius.
It is in Antarctica, among the permafrost and severe cold, that the South Pole of the Earth is located. It is the southernmost point on the planet and is located at 90°S. sh. She has no longitude, since all the meridians converge in this place to one point.
The South Pole has chosen for itself the so-called Arctic Plateau. That is, he did not settle down somewhere in a lowland, but freely settled down at an altitude of 2800 meters above sea level. Hence, there is a lack of oxygen and low humidity, the average value of which is 18%. In this area, the force of gravity is greater than in other areas of the planet by about 15%. Atmospheric pressure is below the norm by 150 mm. rt. pillar. Increased solar radiation and magnetic anomalies are also observed.
Speaking of magnetic anomalies. In addition to the South Pole, which is a purely geographical quantity, there is also the South Magnetic Pole. In 2007, its coordinates were 64° 30′ S. sh. and 137° 42′ E. e. This is the D'Urville Sea. Behind it, the waters of the Indian Ocean begin. On the coast of the sea, which is called Adélie Land, is the French Antarctic station Dumont d'Urville. It has been located in this place since 1956.
For the sake of reference, it should be noted that in 1909 the coordinates of the South Magnetic Pole were completely different and equaled 72 ° 25′ S. sh. and 155° 16′ in. e. The pole was located on the mainland, but over the past 100 years it has shifted into the depths of the sea and continues to “creep” to the north. No one knows how this anomalous magnetic phenomenon will end.
Antarctica itself was officially discovered in January 1820. This significant event was accomplished by the Russian expedition. It was headed by Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen (1778-1852) and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (1788-1851). The first to winter on the icy continent was the Norwegian polar explorer Karsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (1864-1934). This historical event took place in 1895.
Once on the coast of the icy continent, the restless human nature decided to find out what is in the depths of the mysterious land. The excitement around the South Pole began in 1909, when the conquest of the North Pole was announced first by Frederick Cook, and then by Robert Peary. Other venerable explorers and travelers decided to glorify their names in the cold south. The first place among them was occupied by the Norwegian polar traveler and explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928).
Roald Amundsen
At first, the Norwegian planned to conquer the North Pole and even began to prepare an expedition. But the nimble shameless Americans overtook him, and the trip to the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean lost all meaning.
Amundsen needed sponsors. He found such in the face of the army. The military provided the traveler with food, tents, and other necessary equipment. The generals needed to test the effectiveness of soldiers' rations in extreme conditions, so they went to meet their compatriot.
The Argentine tycoon Don Pedro Christophersen also provided great material support. He was Norwegian by origin and readily supported his countryman.
The path to the shores of Antarctica was carried out on the legendary ship "Fram". From 1893 to 1912, Norwegian expeditions were regularly carried out on it in the northern and southern latitudes. The ship was 39 meters long, 11 meters wide, displaced 1,100 tons, and had a speed of 5.5 knots.
On a significant day on January 13, 1911, the ship anchored in the Bay of Whales off the coast of Ross in Antarctica. From that moment, in fact, the polar expedition began, which glorified Roald Amundsen throughout the world.
The Norwegian went to the South Pole on October 19, 1911. He was accompanied by four people. The names of these people are also known to the whole world. These are Oskar Wisting, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel and Olaf Bjoland. All Norwegians. The expedition consisted of four dog teams. Already on December 14, 1911, a small group of courageous people, having overcome 1500 km through the icy desert, reached the desired point. It is this date that is considered the official time of the discovery and conquest of the South Pole.
At the southernmost point of the planet, the travelers hoisted the Norwegian flag and set off back. The expedition returned to the original point of the route after 99 days. Thus, 3000 km was covered in just over three months. It should also be taken into account that the path lay through an icy desert, and besides, it was not even, but with constant ascents, descents, snow drifts and icy winds.
The second to challenge severe frosts and permafrost was the English polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912). He went to the intended goal a month later than Amundsen. The English expedition also consisted of five people. It was in this number that the British reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912.
Robert Falcon Scott
The expedition began on October 24, 1911. It consisted of 12 people. All of them were divided into 3 groups. The first detachment and set off on the specified date. He had to take away several tons of provisions and thus provide for the other members of the expedition.
Scott himself marched with his men on November 1, 1911. He made a serious mistake by taking Manchurian ponies instead of sled dogs. These animals were not adapted to the harsh southern cold and became not a help, but a burden on a difficult journey.
The third detachment, walking on sled dogs, caught up with Scott a week later, and on November 15, all three detachments were reunited. Already on December 4, the expedition reached the foothills of the Arctic plateau. It became obvious that the little horses could not stand the climb, and they had to be shot.
After that, people themselves had to pull up heavy sleds with provisions. And the ascent ended in the first days of January. The snow storm was very disturbing. She delayed the detachment for more than a week.
English expedition (Scott stands in the middle)
Scott took only four people with him to the South Pole. They were Wilson, a physician, zoologist, and artist; Oates, a pony specialist; Bowers and Evans, regular Navy officers. The rest of the expedition went back on December 5.
As already mentioned, on January 17, the British were on target. What was their disappointment when they saw the Norwegian flag, as well as a tent. It contained a friendly letter from Amundsen. All efforts and labors were in vain. Representatives of the English crown ahead.
The return trip was complicated by a strong blizzard. She interfered with walking, took all the strength from people. After a couple of days of travel, Evans received severe frostbite. Behind him, Wilson failed. He fell and injured the ligaments in his leg.
The first tragedy happened on February 17, 1912 - Evans died. This made a deep impression on the small detachment. The body was buried in a glacier and continued on their way. Oates was next to die on March 16th. The rest of the expedition only held out for the next two weeks. The last entry in Scott's diary, which he kept throughout the journey, is dated March 29, 1912.
The expedition leader was the last to die, as the bodies of Wilson and Bowers lay in the tent, neatly tied up in sleeping bags. The search group found the tent itself only on November 12, 1912. The ship's doctor Edward Atkinson examined the dead.
The bodies were not taken with them. They were buried in a tent, having previously removed the stretch marks from it. A pile of snow was piled on top and the skis were crossed.
Upon arrival at the ship, the rescuers made a large mahogany cross. They carved an inscription on it - “Fight and seek, find and not give up” and installed it on top of a high hill called the Observer. Thus ended one of the attempts to conquer the harsh and inhospitable southern land.
The victory over Antarctica was won in 1929 by Richard Baird. This American pilot flew over the South Pole in an airplane. Briton Vivian Fuchs and New Zealander Edmund Hillary were next. In 1958, they made a sledge-caterpillar crossing through the icy desert. These courageous people traveled from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea and back. Thus, they crossed the South Pole twice and left 3,500 km behind them.
American Antarctic Station at the South Pole
Today, the American Antarctic station is located at the South Pole. It is a structure on piles. This prevents snow from accumulating near the building. It has a telescope 10 meters high, equipment that predicts magnetic storms, as well as a powerful drilling rig.
Lives at the station, a total of 200 people. Communication with the outside world is maintained through NASA satellites. Scientists working in this coldest corner of the world are specialists in geophysics, meteorology, physics, astrophysics and astronomy. Living conditions are very difficult. An untrained person is subject to ailments and fainting. There may be thickening of the blood, headaches, muscle cramps. Neglecting basic safety, you can easily get lung burns and frostbite.
So the South Pole is not a place for idle rest. Only very courageous and strong people can survive on it. The lowest temperature recorded in this place was minus 74°. There is no such thing at the North Pole. From here you can imagine the strength of the spirit of those people who a hundred years ago went to this icy desert to conquer it. And they did it, otherwise we would still know nothing about the southernmost point of our planet.
Yuri Syromyatnikov
Ecology
The polar regions of the Earth are the most severe places on our planet.
For centuries, people have tried at the cost of life and health to get and explore the Arctic and the 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
In fact, there are 4 types of the North Pole in terms of science:
north magnetic pole 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- linked to the earth's magnetic axis
North Pole of Inaccessibility- the northernmost point in the Arctic Ocean and the farthest from the earth on all sides
4 types of South Pole were also established:
south magnetic pole point on the earth's surface where 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- linked to Earth's magnetic axis in the southern hemisphere
South Pole of Inaccessibility- a point in Antarctica, the most distant from the coast of the Southern Ocean.
In addition, there 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 part of Canada, Greenland, Russia, 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 meters. 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.
Geographical 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 amounted to -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. 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 on a hill 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 the time of any time zone which they like best. As a rule, they are guided by Greenwich Mean Time or the time zone of the country from which they arrived.
Scientists at Amundsen-Scott Station in Antarctica can do 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 are in 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, polar bears wouldn't have to worry about their food source.
Among the marine animals of the South Pole are 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, animals such as reindeer, lemmings, foxes, wolves, as well as marine animals such as beluga whales, killer whales, sea otters, seals, walruses and more than 400 known species of fish live at the North Pole.
6. No Man's Land
Despite the fact that many flags of different countries can be seen at the South Pole in Antarctica, this the only place on earth that doesn't belong to anyone, and where there is no indigenous population.
There is an agreement on Antarctica, 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 sets 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 vernal 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 get to the poles of the Earth, losing their lives on the way to these extreme points of our planet.
Who first reached the North Pole?
There have been several expeditions to the North Pole since the 18th century. There is controversy over who reached the North Pole first. In 1908, American traveler 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 Humberto Nobile on May 12, 1926 on the airship "Norway"
First submarine at the North Pole: nuclear submarine "Nautilus" 3 August 1956
First solo trip to the North Pole: Japanese Naomi Uemura, April 29, 1978, traveled 725 km on a dog sled in 57 days
First ski expedition: expedition of Dmitry Shparo, May 31, 1979. Participants walked 1,500 km in 77 days.
First to cross the North Pole: Lewis Gordon Pugh covered 1 km in -2 degrees Celsius water in July 2007.
Who first reached the South Pole?
The first conquerors of the South Pole were the Norwegian traveler Roald Amundsen and British explorer Robert Scott, after whom the first station at the South Pole, Amundsen-Scott Station, was named. Both teams went different ways and reached the South Pole with a difference of several weeks, the first was Amundsen on December 14, 1911, and then R. Scott on January 17, 1912.
First flight over the South Pole: American Richard Baird, in 1928
First to cross Antarctica without the use of animals and mechanical transport: Arvid Fuchs and Reinold Meissner, December 30, 1989
9. North and South Magnetic Pole of the Earth
The Earth's magnetic poles are related to the Earth's magnetic field. They are in the north and south, but do not coincide with geographic poles, as the magnetic field of our planet is changing. Unlike geographic, magnetic poles shift.
The north magnetic pole is not exactly in the arctic region, but moving east at a rate of 10-40 km per year, since the underground molten metals and charged particles from the Sun influence the magnetic field. The South Magnetic Pole is still in Antarctica, but it is also moving westward at a rate of 10-15 km per year.
Some scientists believe that one day a change in the magnetic poles can occur, and this can lead to the destruction of the Earth. However, the reversal of the magnetic poles has already occurred, hundreds of times over the past 3 billion years, and this has not led to any dire consequences.
10. Melting ice at the poles
Ice in the Arctic at the North Pole tends to melt in the summer and refreeze in the winter. However, in recent years, the ice cap has been melting 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 without ice.
On the other hand, the Antarctic region at the South Pole contains 90 percent of the world's ice. Ice thickness in Antarctica averages 2.1 km. If all the ice of Antarctica melted, sea levels worldwide would rise by 61 meters.
Fortunately, this will not happen in the near future.
Some interesting 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, explorers watch two horror movies: 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.
