The Short Answer: Both the Arctic (North Pole) and the Antarctic (South Pole) are cold because they don't get any direct sunlight. However, the South Pole is a lot colder than the North Pole.
Why South Pole is more colder than North Pole?
What makes the South Pole so much colder than the North Pole is that it sits on top of a very thick ice sheet , which itself sits on a continent. The surface of the ice sheet at the South Pole is more than 9,000 feet in elevation–more than a mile and a half above sea level.
Is it colder north or south of the equator?
The sun shines directly at the equator, heating the atmosphere there and causing temperatures at the equator to be very warm. The further a location is from the equator, the less sunlight that location receives to heat the atmosphere and thus, the temperature is colder .
Why is the Antarctic colder than the Arctic?
The main reason that Antarctica is colder than the Arctic is that Antarctica is a landmass surrounded by ocean , and the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by landmasses. Antarctica also has a much higher average elevation than the Arctic, and the Antarctic Ice Sheet is bigger and thicker than the ice in the Arctic.
How cold does the South Pole get?
The South Pole is close to the coldest place on Earth. The coldest temperature recorded at the South Pole, -82.8 degrees Celsius (-117.0 degrees Fahrenheit) , is still warmer than the coldest temperature ever recorded, -89.2 degrees Celsius (-128.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
Where is the hottest place on earth?
- Kuwait – the hottest place on Earth in 2021. On June 22, the Kuwaiti city of Nuwaiseeb recorded the highest temperature in the world so far this year at 53.2C (127.7F). ...
- Hottest temperatures ever recorded. ...
- How temperature is measured. ...
- The world is getting hotter.
What is the coldest place on Earth?
Oymyakon is the coldest permanently-inhabited place on Earth and is found in the Arctic Circle's Northern Pole of Cold. In 1933, it recorded its lowest temperature of -67.7°C.
Do people live in Antarctica?
Although there are no native Antarcticans and no permanent residents or citizens of Antarctica, many people do live in Antarctica each year .
Why is the South warmer than the north?
The southern hemisphere is warmer than the northern hemisphere because more of its surface area is water .
Why is it colder in the South than the North?
The Short Answer: Both the Arctic (North Pole) and the Antarctic (South Pole) are cold because they don't get any direct sunlight .
Can polar bears live in the Antarctic?
Polar bears live in the Arctic, but not Antarctica . Down south in Antarctica you'll find penguins, seals, whales and all kinds of seabirds, but never polar bears. Even though the north and south polar regions both have lots of snow and ice, polar bears stick to the north. ... Polar bears don't live in Antarctica.
What is the current temperature in Antarctica?
| Now 9:00 am 12:00 pm | -78 °F -66 °F -68 °F |
|---|
Do people live in the South Pole?
No-one lives in Antarctica indefinitely in the way that they do in the rest of the world. It has no commercial industries, no towns or cities, no permanent residents. The only “settlements” with longer term residents (who stay for some months or a year, maybe two) are scientific bases.
Why do airplanes not fly over Antarctica?
Why don't planes fly over Antarctica? The White Continent does not have much in the way of infrastructure and herein lies why planes do not fly over it. Something called ETOPS (Extended Operations) governs how far from an emergency diversion airport certain aircraft are allowed to fly, according to its model.
Does it get dark in Antarctica?
Antarctica has six months of daylight in its summer and six months of darkness in its winter . ... During summer, Antarctica is on the side of Earth tilted toward the sun and is in constant sunlight. In the winter, Antarctica is on the side of Earth tilted away from the sun, causing the continent to be dark.
What does Antarctica feel like?
Antarctica is known for being the windiest continent on earth, and the wind not only makes air temperatures feel colder, but also increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. ... Although the air temperature may be only -1°C (30°F), a wind of 16 km/h (10mph) makes it feel like -6°C (21°F).
