Antarctic vs. Arctic Pole Comparison
While the Earth's polar regions are similar in many ways, the North and South Poles also display stark differences. Here is a brief comparision of the two poles.
Natural Features |
Antarctic
- The Antarctic is a continent surrounded by ocean.
- Icebergs are calved from glaciers and shelf ice year round, and may measure in excess of 25 cubic miles.
- The sea ice accumulates annually and more than doubles the size of the continent.
- Over 97% of the Antarctic landmass is covered by the unbroken South Polar ice sheet.
- Elevation at the South Pole is 9300 feet above sea level, although the bedrock is only 100 feet above sea level the annual mean temperature at the South Pole is -58°F.
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Arctic
- The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents.
- Icebergs are calved from glaciers and are seasonal. The icebergs are measured in cubic yards.
- Sea ice accumulates over several years.
- Land ice is found in limited areas, the largest being the Greenland ice sheet.
- The elevation at the North Pole is 3 feet of sea ice. The bedrock is located 1400 feet below sea level.
- The annual mean temperature at the North Pole is 0°F.
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Plants and Animals |
Antarctic
- No tundra or tree lines. The subantarctic zone is marked by the Antarctic Convergence.
- No terrestrial mammals.
- Marine mammals include whales, porpoises and seals.
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Arctic
- The Tundra is well developed and marked by a tree shrubline.
- Terrestrial mammals include musk ox, reindeer, caribou, fox, hare, wolf, lemming, bears, and more.
- Marine mammals include whales, porpoises, seals, and amphibious mammals.
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Human Activities |
Antarctic
- No record of primitive humans and no native groups.
- The population south of 60°S is sparse and occurs at scattered scientific stations.
- There is no exploitation of terrestrial resources.
- First crossing of the Antarctic Circle was by James Cook on January 17, 1773.
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Arctic
- There are native people with a long cultural record and ethnic groups on continents all around the Arctic.
- Human population north of 60°N is in excess of 2 million with modern settlements.
- There is widespread exploitation of natural resources and technological development.
- The first crossing of the Arctic Circle is prehistoric.
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Adapted from: United States National Science Foundation. The United States in Antarctica: Report of the U.S. Antarctic Program External Panel. 1997 [Washington, D.C.]
