Incredible facts
Probably, most people who have graduated from school a long time ago will not be able to immediately answer the difference between the Arctic, Antarctica and Antarctica - where are they located and how do they differ?
Many doubt it mainly because of the similarity of names and almost identical climatic conditions.
We can only say with certainty that there is a lot of snow, ice and icebergs in both places.
How are the Arctic, Antarctic and Antarctica similar to each other?
To better understand how they are similar and how they differ, it’s worth starting with what these places have in common.
Name
To be more precise, this is not a similarity, but rather a contrast.
The word "Arctic" is of Greek origin. "Arktos" means "bear". This is due to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, which people use to navigate in search of North Star, that is, the main northern landmark.
The word "Antarctica" was invented quite recently, or rather in the twentieth century. The history of its origin is not so interesting. The fact is that “Antarctica” is a combination of two words “anti” and “Arctic”, that is, the part opposite to the Arctic, or bear.
Climate
Perpetual snow and icebergs are the result of harsh climate conditions. This is the second similarity between the above territories.
However, it is worth noting that the similarity is not entirely complete, since the Arctic climate is still milder due to warm currents that extend quite far along north coast continent of Eurasia. Here the minimum temperature exceeds minimum temperature Antarctica.
What is the difference between the Arctic, Antarctica and Antarctica?
Arctic
The northern polar region of our planet, which is adjacent to the North Pole.
The Arctic includes the outskirts of two continents - North America and Eurasia.
The Arctic includes almost the entire Arctic Ocean and many islands in it (except for the coastal islands of Norway).
The Arctic includes adjacent parts of two oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic.
The average temperature in the Arctic is -34 C.
Arctic (photo)
Antarctic
This is the south polar region of our planet. As already mentioned, its name can be translated as “opposite to the Arctic.”
Antarctica includes the continent of Antarctica and the adjacent parts of three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian, along with the islands.
Antarctica is the harshest climatic zone Earth. Both the mainland and nearby islands are covered with ice.
The average temperature in Antarctica is -49 C.
Antarctica on the map
Antarctica (photo)
Antarctica
The continent that is located in the southernmost part of the globe.
Antarctica on the map
Simply put:
Antarctica and Antarctica
1. Antarctica is the mainland. The area of this continent is 14.1 million square meters. km., which puts it in 5th place in area among all continents. It has surpassed only Australia in this parameter. Antarctica is a deserted continent, discovered by expedition Lazarev-Bellingshausen in 1820.
2. Antarctica is a territory that includes both the continent of Antarctica itself, and all the islands adjacent to this continent and the waters of three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian. According to foreign scientists who call the Antarctic waters the Southern Ocean, the area of Antarctica is about 86 million square meters. km.
3. Relief Antarctica is much more diverse than the topography of the continent that is part of it.
Lying within 50-60° south latitude, where the warmer and colder waters of the oceans meet. The area of Antarctica is 52.5 million km.” The seas included in this area are very rough, sometimes reaching heights of more than 20 meters. In winter, the water freezes and ice surrounds Antarctica in a ring, the width of which ranges from 500 to 2000 km. In summer, currents carry ice north along with. According to scientists, more than 100 thousand icebergs float simultaneously off the coast of Antarctica different sizes. He was the first to penetrate the Antarctic waters in 1502, discovering a number of islands.
Antarctica is a polar region on the southern side of the globe. Here inside the Arctic Circle is ice continent. It is approximately twice as large - 14 million km2. The average height of the continent is 2040 meters. has not stopped to this day. In the central part, the ice cover rises to almost 4000 meters. Individual peaks of the Antarctic - a ridge stretching along the coast - rise above the ice to 5000 meters or more. At the same time, the height of the continent would be less if there were no ice on it. There is a lot of it here - 24 million km3. This is more than 90% of all reserves fresh water on Earth, which are stored here in a frozen state. The average thickness of the ice cover is more than 1,700 meters, the maximum is more than 4,000 meters. It is thanks to ice that Antarctica looks like a huge white dome on. If the ice suddenly melted, it would raise the level by 60 meters, which would entail a reduction in the area of all continents, including Antarctica itself, which would become an archipelago - a cluster of islands, since a significant part of the continent under the ice dome lies below the level ocean.
Antarctica is the coldest of all continents. In the winter months, frosts can reach -90°C. In summer the frosts are less, only -20°C. There is no rain in Antarctica: precipitation here falls in the form of snow. The center of the continent and its coasts are very different: in the center there is almost all year round calm and clear skies, and strong winds reign on the shores. there it can reach 90 m/s. Such winds can easily carry heavy objects over considerable distances. Dry snow, rushing at high speed, is capable of sawing through thick ropes and polishes metal to a shine.
Icy Antarctica is considered the main “refrigerator” of our planet and affects its climate. The continent receives a very large amount of solar heat. It turns out that in the south polar summer you can’t leave the room without sunglasses; the skin tans quickly. But Antarctica's ice reflects up to 90%, and the continent does not warm up. And during the polar night it becomes very cold.
Most of Antarctica is icy, only life glimmers near the coast. Where a few rocks protrude from under the ice, there are oases of life on the mainland. This is only 0.02% of its territory. The organic world of Antarctica is poor; only rare mosses, lichens and algae inhabit it. Penguins are the main decoration of the continent. Whales and seals live in the waters of the seas.
Antarctica does not belong to any state; no one lives there permanently. Nevertheless, 16 countries have founded their research stations here, where various studies of the nature of this continent are carried out. Antarctica is a continent of peace and cooperation. Any military preparations are prohibited within its boundaries. No country can claim it as their land. This is legally enshrined in an international treaty that was signed on December 1, 1959.
The discovery of Antarctica occurred in 1820 by Russian navigators and M.P. Lazarev, and in December 1911, a Norwegian expedition, followed by an English expedition, reached the South Pole.
: average height mainland 2350 m; extensive plateau, IGY valley, Queen Maud Land and Prince Charles mountains, subglacial mountains of Gamburtsev and Vernalsky; Transantarctic Mountains
Additional information: Antarctica is washed; only 0.3% of the land is not covered with ice; the average thickness of the ice cover is 1800 m; There is no permanent population on the mainland.
Of course, one of the most mysterious and mysterious places on the planet is Antarctica - a land of ice. It is impossible to briefly describe this amazing continent: no matter how poor the nature of the endless frozen expanses may seem to us, there are many interesting landscapes here. And if earlier the mainland was known exclusively to researchers and polar explorers, today many extreme tourists are trying to see huge icebergs and snowy deserts with their own eyes.
General information
Antarctica is translated from Greek as “the opposite of the Arctic.” This is a huge continent that occupies the southernmost part of the planet. The earth's axis conventionally passes through its center, since this is where the south pole is located. About 15 million square kilometers is the area occupied by Antarctica. It is not for nothing that the country of ice received such a snowy name, because 1.5 million km² of its total territory is occupied by ice shelves.
Due to its isolated and distant location, Antarctica became the last continent on which man set foot. This happened only in the 19th century: a Russian expedition led by Mikhail Lazarev and Thaddeus Bellingshausen discovered these lands. Due to the eternal cold and endless nights, people were never able to populate them. The climatic conditions here are really harsh: temperatures can drop to -80 ºС, icy winds blow at a speed of 90 m/s. Nowadays, the territory does not belong to any state. Representatives different countries doing research here. Antarctica, a land of ice, has kindly sheltered 3 thousand scientists who work at 37 different stations.
Endless ice
They are the main attraction of the continent. By the way, among the rest of his brothers he is the tallest. Antarctica rises 2 thousand kilometers above sea level, in the center - by as much as 4 thousand. Most of the height is a glacial surface, hiding a continental plume in its depths. Only about 5% of the area is ice-free - in the western part and
Since Antarctica is a country of ice, a lot of information about its volume is written in encyclopedias for children and adults. Scientists claim that the frozen cover here is the most gigantic on the planet, in size it is 10 times larger than the snow cover of Greenland. Consists of 30 million km² - this is 90% of all land ice. A feature of the continent is the huge number of ice shelves located here - these are low “blue” areas that make up a tenth of the territory. Very beautiful icebergs, rising above sea level and sometimes reaching enormous sizes.
Frozen tsunami
It is clear that for many people Antarctica is associated exclusively with cold ice. But don’t think that the snow formations lie in boring layers or blocks: sometimes they take the form of frozen giant waves that seem to have stopped on their crushing path and suddenly become exquisite sculptures. This so-called ice tsunami is a real place of pilgrimage for tourists, a landscape of unusual beauty. What can I say - the highlight of the snowy continent. The blocks are stunningly beautiful, as they consist of pure, dazzling blue ice.
Antarctica, a land of ice, has adorned its surface with them for hundreds of years. Her frosts were her main assistant, and also active participation in the process they took in water and sun. The mechanism for creating a tsunami is simple. Initially the ice has white, since it contains a lot of air bubbles, with the onset of summer under the influence sun rays it thaws, in winter, on the contrary, it freezes - and so on without stopping. But the trick is that the newly icy layers push out air bubbles, so the light passes into the very depths of the ice floe. Thus, huge turquoise frozen tsunamis grow in front of us, which in spring and summer play with all the colors of the rainbow.
Nature
The coastline is richest, especially in the southern part of Antarctica. Therefore, many birds nest here, including the symbol of the mainland - penguins, as well as cormorants, petrels, and skuas. In the icy sea they feel good, and therefore sperm whales and various pinnipeds actively live and breed. Most of Antarctica is located above the Arctic Circle and experiences long nights. At the pole itself they reach six months, so you can see the sunrise and sunset here only once a year.
Erebus
Oddly enough, but among the permafrost and endless expanses of snow, there is the most active and active volcano on the planet. It was first noticed in the mid-19th century by an expedition from Great Britain: it sailed along the coast of the continent. One of the English ships was called “Erebus” - hence the first man climbed this peak on March 10, 1908. Nowadays, the height of the fiery mountain is about 3794 meters above sea level, its huge crater constantly spews out hot clouds of steam.
Antarctica, a land of ice, can rightfully be proud of Erebus. After all, this is one of three volcanoes on the planet that hides an inexhaustible lake of lava in its depths. Besides the Arctic giant, only Kilauea in Hawaii and Nyiragongo in Africa have inexhaustible reserves of lava liquid. For last century 8 eruptions occurred here, the largest in 1972. Interestingly, the surface of Erebus is dotted with ice towers of strange and bizarre shapes - these are icy steam geysers and lava that flow in an endless stream from the depths of the fiery mountain.
dry valleys
Many interesting facts can be gleaned by preparing a report or project about the continent. Antarctica is a country of ice, but who would have thought that the driest place on Earth is located here. There has been no precipitation here for almost two million years. The reason for everything strong winds that walk at a speed of 320 km/h: by evaporating moisture, they ensured the complete absence of snow and rain in the local area. And this despite the fact that it is in the Dry Valleys that Lake Vida is located, as well as Onyx, the longest river in Antarctica.
Surprisingly, there are a lot of educational and beautiful places. For example, Don Juan is the saltiest lake in the world, with a salt concentration of as much as 40%, which is twice the level of the Dead Sea. Dry valleys are of great interest to NASA representatives, since the local climate is very similar to that of Mars. Every day, Americans conduct research, which, by the way, is quite successful. They make it possible to detect many bacteria, which are evidence that life does exist on the Red Planet.
Bloody Falls
It was in the Dry Valleys that the Australian geologist and scientist Griffith Taylor discovered a stunning place in 1911: bright scarlet streams flowed from a giant glacier. At first they thought it was red algae, but this version was wrong. Only decades later, scientists revealed the secret of the Bloody Falls: the source contains a large amount of divalent iron, which, when oxidized by air, turns into rust. The metal itself is a product of metabolism. various organisms inhabiting these waters.
There is enough water at the Bloody Falls: it comes from a lake hidden in the depths of a glacier at a depth of 400 meters. The living creatures that inhabit it calmly survive in the complete absence of oxygen, heat and light. Although many are more interested in the question of how a real waterfall could have formed here in the first place, because Antarctica is a country of ice, and therefore the air temperature here is always low. And it's all about the same salt. There is really too much of it in continental waters, so the springs do not freeze even in very bitter frosts.
Antarctica is a continent located in the very south of the Earth; the center of Antarctica approximately coincides with the southern geographic pole. The continent of Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, sometimes unofficially separated into a separate Southern Ocean.
Where is Antarctica
In the southernmost part of our planet there is a huge continent covered with eternal ice. Antarctica in the south is not only the coldest, but also the most deserted continent. It is washed by the waters of 13 seas.
1820 is the year of the discovery of Antarctica. It was then that Russian navigators F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev discovered it during a round-the-world Antarctic expedition. The researchers gave the discovered land the definition of “ice continent” and compiled the first description of the continent.
Rice. 1. Antarctica
The area of Antarctica is about 14,107,000 square meters. km (of which ice shelves - 930,000 sq. km, islands - 75,500 sq. km). Moreover, the average surface height of Antarctica is the highest of all continents.
In addition, Antarctica is characterized by following features:
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- lowest relative humidity;
- the strongest sustained wind;
- the most intense solar radiation.
Antarctica is an independent territory and does not belong to any state. At the same time, on its lands you can find many research stations from different countries of the world.
Relief
Antarctica is the highest continent on Earth; the average height of the continent's surface above sea level is more than 2000 m, and in the center of the continent it reaches 4000 meters. The highest point of the continent is 4892 m above sea level - the Vinson Massif in the Ellsworth Mountains.
Vast areas of Antarctica are occupied by a permanent ice sheet, at the base of which there is continental relief, and only 0.3% (about 40 thousand sq. km.) of its area is free from ice.
The Transantarctic Mountains, crossing almost the entire continent, divide Antarctica into two parts, having different origins and geological structures:
- West Antarctica. It consists of a group of mountainous islands connected by ice.
- East Antarctica. In the east there is a high (ice thickness is 4100 m above sea level) ice-covered plateau.
In West Antarctica there is also the deepest depression of the continent - the Bentley Deep, the depth of which is 2555 m below sea level.
Climate
Antarctica has an extremely harsh cold climate. The area is considered the Earth's pole of cold. It should be noted that the winter months in Antarctica (as throughout the southern hemisphere) are June, July and August, and the summer months are December, January and February.
In East Antarctica, at the Soviet Antarctic station "Vostok" on July 21, 1983, the most low temperature air on Earth for the entire history of meteorological measurements: 89.2 degrees below zero.
Another feature of East Antarctica's meteorology is the katabatic winds caused by its dome-shaped topography. Due to the large amount of icy dust carried by the wind, horizontal visibility in such winds is very low.
Rice. 2. Strong katabatic winds
It is not surprising that due to such harsh climatic conditions there is no permanent population in Antarctica. Research stations operate here throughout the year. In winter, about 1,000 people are employed on the continent; in summer, their number increases to 4,000 people. IN lately Tourism is becoming increasingly popular.
Wildlife
Plants and animals are most common in the coastal zone. Terrestrial vegetation in ice-free areas exists mainly in the form various types mosses and lichens.
Antarctic animals are completely dependent on the coastal ecosystem of the Southern Ocean: due to the paucity of vegetation, all food chains of any significance in coastal ecosystems begin in the waters surrounding Antarctica. Antarctic waters are especially rich in zooplankton - the main food source for many species of fish, squid, seals, penguins, and cetaceans.
Rice. 3. Penguins
The main topic of concern to scientists around the world is global warming. As a result of rising temperatures and melting glaciers, tundra began to actively form on the Antarctic Peninsula. Scientists predict that in 100 years the first trees may appear in Antarctica.
What have we learned?
From the geography course for the 7th grade, we learned what area Antarctica occupies, where it is located, as well as what features of climate and nature it is characterized by. The continent, located in the very south of the Earth, is the coldest. On its endless icy deserts, only sparse vegetation can be found occasionally, and animals live only in the coastal zone.
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Where are the Arctic and Antarctic located? And how do these areas of the Earth differ from each other? This question puzzles many people, even if they diligently studied geography at school. Our article will help answer it.
Difference between the Arctic and Antarctic
A fairly popular one goes like this: “Do polar bears eat penguins?” The brain of an adult immediately begins to build a logical chain of thoughts. Pictures from school textbooks come to mind, where both animals are depicted in the background eternal ice and harsh winter landscapes. A person reasons like this: polar bears are predators, and penguins are rather clumsy birds, easy prey. Therefore, the former should happily feast on the latter.
However, everything is not like that at all! Not everyone will guess that these animals are wildlife cannot meet at all, since they live in absolute different parts peace. One of them is the Arctic, and the other is the Antarctic. Therefore, they can only see each other in some zoo.
Where the Arctic and Antarctica are located - this will be discussed further. What are the features of the nature, climate and organic world of these areas?
Where is the Arctic? Brief description of the area
What is the difference between the Arctic, Antarctica and Antarctica? Let's try to understand this geographical issue.
Where is the Arctic located on the globe? In what part of the world should you look for it?
At the very beginning, we need to remember that our planet Earth has two poles that are diametrically opposed to each other - North and South. This will help you better navigate where the Arctic is and where the Antarctic is.
So, the Arctic is the polar region of the Earth, directly adjacent to its North Pole. Geographically, it covers the ends of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Arctic also includes the outskirts of Eurasia and North America, as well as numerous islands.
Sometimes this physical-geographical macroregion is limited from the south. The area of the region, depending on the location of its southern borders, ranges from 21 to 27 million square kilometers.
Now you know where the Arctic is. What was it like for man to master it? And when did it start?
The history of the conquest of the Arctic and the North Pole
The Arctic has been inhabited for a long time. This is evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. Thus, man first appeared on the shores of the Arctic Ocean 30 thousand years ago. However, later he began to be pulled further north. There were also daredevils who wanted to conquer the Earth's pole.
Serious and systematic study of the area began in the second half of the 19th century. The most famous polar explorer of that time is the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen. In particular, he went down in history by being the first to cross the ice shell of Greenland, the largest island on the planet. This happened in 1889.
Robert Peary is another important name in history. In 1908-1909, he organized an expedition that reached the North Pole for the first time. Interestingly, the goal of this campaign was only this record. None scientific research the expedition did not take place.
7 amazing facts about the Arctic
The Arctic is an amazing region that is full of secrets, mysteries and unusual natural phenomena. Below are the most interesting facts about him:
- The organic world of the Arctic, despite such a harsh climate, is quite rich. Huge expanses of ice are densely populated by polar bears, arctic foxes, lemmings, reindeer, dozens of species of birds and other animals. You can even meet an ordinary crow here!
- Five states at once claim their rights to the Arctic, including Russia;
- The Arctic shelf, according to rough estimates by scientists, hides over 100 billion tons of gas and oil;
- About 50 million years ago, the Arctic climate was significantly milder. The water in the Arctic Ocean in those days warmed up in the summer to +15...18 degrees!
- The Arctic is the region of the Earth that is most vulnerable to worldwide global warming;
- Deserts exist not only in the tropical zone, but also in the Arctic. Only here they are called Arctic;
- The very first voyage through Arctic waters was made by the ancient Greek Pytheas back in the 4th century BC.
Antarctica and Antarctica - where are they?
Geographers call Antarctica the southern circumpolar region of the Earth, which is located on the opposite side of the planet from the Arctic. It includes a huge landmass - the continent of Antarctica, as well as the southern ends of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans (many foreign scientists also identify in this area the fifth ocean of the Earth - the Southern).
The northern border of Antarctica is quite arbitrary. Most often it is carried out along the edge of the zone floating ice(between 50-55 degrees south latitude). Thus, the total area of Antarctica is significantly larger than the Arctic, and is about 60 million square kilometers.
Antarctica, as mentioned above, is the sixth continent of planet Earth - the southernmost and coldest.
History of the discovery and development of Antarctica
Already in the 18th century, people assumed that there was another continent in the south of our planet. James Cook was the first to search for it in 1775. During his circumnavigation he came close to the mysterious “South Land”, discovering the South Sandwich Islands.
The discovery of the continent of Antarctica took place in 1820 during the expedition of Russian navigators F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev. After this, a series of discoveries and mapping of various seas, islands and lands in Antarctica began.
In 1911, two expeditions at once (one led by Roald Amundsen, the other by Robert Scott) set off to conquer the South Pole of the Earth. But luck smiled on only one of the groups of desperate daredevils. On December 14, 1911, Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag at the pole point. Scott's group reached the goal of the expedition 27 days later, and all its members died on the way back.
The continent of Antarctica has significant mineral resource potential. However, the countries of the world signed an agreement on the “inviolability” of the continent’s subsoil until 2048.
7 Amazing Facts About Antarctica
We bring to your attention 7 interesting facts about Antarctica and Antarctica:
- Antarctica is the coldest continent on the planet. In the 80s, the lowest temperature on Earth was recorded at the Soviet polar station “Vostok” (-89 degrees);
- Antarctica is also the highest continent on the planet (primarily due to its massive ice cap, which in some places reaches a thickness of 1-1.5 km);
- Antarctica is the windiest and driest place on Earth (and this despite the fact that it contains up to 70% of all the world's fresh water);
- Antarctica is the only continent without a permanent population;
- There are 6 species of penguins in Antarctica. Among them are emperor penguins, which are distinguished by their large size;
- Huge blocks of ice periodically break off from Antarctic ice shelves. One of these was formed in 2000 and set off to float freely. Its length reached 300 kilometers!
- There are no time zones in Antarctica. Scientists staying here live according to the time of their states.
Arctic and Antarctic Museum
Do you know where it is? Many people are not even aware of the existence of such an institution. It turns out that such a museum exists!
It is located in the city of St. Petersburg, in the building of the former St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church (Marata Street, 24a). In 1930, the temple was closed and this unusual museum was opened within its walls. It introduces visitors to the history of the development and study of the Arctic and Antarctic.
The museum exhibits include polar explorers' equipment, unique instruments, rare photographs, models of ships and icebreakers, as well as numerous paintings by artists depicting the wild and harsh nature of the Earth's circumpolar regions.
In conclusion
Where are the Arctic, Antarctic and Antarctica located? Now you can easily answer this question and show the above areas on the globe. Despite the distance of thousands of kilometers between the Arctic and Antarctic, there is much in common between them. Both parts of the planet are extremely cold, there is a lot of snow, icebergs and ice, and virtually no vegetation.
