Transcript The Polar Regions By Eric Kim

The Polar Regions
Eric Kim
What are the Polar Regions?
The polar regions are the areas around the poles of the Earth. The North
Pole stands in the Arctic Ocean, and the South Pole in the continent, Antarctica.
The Arctic circle is the region north of the 60° north latitude. The Antarctic is south
of the 60° south latitude.
The weather in the polar regions are frigid. The temperature in the areas are
colder than countries closer to the equator. This is caused by the solar energy
being less intense from travelling a farther distance, and being scattered and
absorbed while entering the atmosphere.
The countries within the arctic include the U.S.A., Canada, Denmark,
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Russia.
In Canada?
The northern edges of the Canadian territories are within the Arctic Circle.
However, much of the territories are cold sub-arctic. The Inuit people live in this
area.
What conditions make it difficult to
explore/survive in?
I would say that the main condition that makes it difficult to be in the polar
regions is the extremely cold temperature. Without proper equipment or clothing,
you could suffer from hypothermia. The snow would also be very difficult to
trudge through with just your normal boots or shoes. Finding food in the polar
areas is also challenging.
Antarctica is a desert. It has very little precipitation throughout the year. The
air is also very dry and cold. Scientists and explorers have constant trouble with
dry skin and cracked lips. Antarctica also lacks a diverse amount of vegetation, due
to the extreme temperatures. These reasons don’t make permanent settlement in
Antarctica ideal.
However, there are many settlements around the arctic. There is more than
40 ethnic groups living in the arctic. This includes Canada’s own Inuit people.
Climates
The Arctic
January is generally the coldest
month, with average temperatures
between -40° and 0° Celsius.
Temperatures in winter can sometimes
drop below -50° Celsius. July is the
warmest month with temperatures
between -10° to 10° Celsius. Accurate
precipitation amounts are more difficult
to record than things like temperature.
Each region usually receives less than 500
mm of precipitation annually.
The Antarctic
Antarctica has the coldest climate
on Earth. The coldest temperature ever
recorded (-89.2° Celsius) was on
Antarctica. No month has an average
temperature above 0° Celsius. Antarctica
has an average of 166 mm of precipitation
throughout the continent, yearly. There
are 3 climatic regions in Antarctica: The
central area is extremely cold and has
little snowfall. The costal areas are milder
than the interior, but are still quite chilly,
and the Antarctic peninsula region has the
warmest climate, and above-freezing
temperatures in the summer is common.
Why is Investigation Important?
Investigation in the polar regions are important because it can help us study
colder climates. We can also see how animals in the area stay warm enough to
survive, and use that information for equipment for similar temperatures.
Scientists and researchers can also research the behaviors of the Arctic and
Antarctic animals, and see how we could observe them without provoking them.
There would be a lot to do with the ecology.
Researchers could also conduct multiple tests there. The research could help
find a way for humans to permanently live in the Antarctic. Eventually, they might
find a way to make a nice, modern house that can withstand Antarctica’s strong
winds and extreme temperatures with all the utilities a normal home has.
Past Explorations
Many people explore the polar regions. Either as a challenge, for research, or just for
sight-seeing. Being able to say that you’ve been to the coldest place on Earth is an
honourable feat.
In 1820, multiple expeditions claimed to have seen Antarctica. The very first were a
Russian expedition led by Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. Approximately a year
later, an American sealer named Captain John Davis first set foot on Antarctica. The first
attempt to find a route from the coastline to the South Pole was made by a British explorer
named Robert Falcon Scott in the Discover Expedition (1901-1904). Robert, along with Ernest
Shakleton and Edward Wilson, aimed to reach as far south as possible, and made it to 82°16’
South in 1902. Ernest later returned as the leader of the Nimrod expedition with 3 others. In
1909, they reached 88°23’ South before being forced to turn back. The basic geography of
Antarctica wasn’t known until mid-late 19th century.
In 1909, the American explorer, Robert Peary, claimed to be the first person in history
to have reached the north pole. However, many people argue whether or not he actually got
there. The first people to reach the north pole without any outside help, dogs, airplanes, or
re-supplies, were Richard Weber (from Canada), and Misha Malakhov (from Russia) in 1995.
Technologies
To explore the regions, people use things like skies and snowshoes to
prevent them from sinking into the snow. Some people use dogsleds to get around
as they are a more efficient way to move.
To survive in these regions, people need proper clothing for the frigid
temperature. The clothes are to maintain your body temperature. People should
also wear sunglasses or something similar because the snow reflects the sun’s light
brightly, and could damage their eyes. People use igloos as a shelter; snow is a
good insulator. Researchers or Scientists would live in a main research base.
A Canadian invention that is commonly used in snowy areas is the
snowmobile. It was invented by Joseph-Armand Bombardeir in around 1960.
How People could explore
the Polar Regions
Responsibly
The temperature of
both the Arctic and Antarctic are
warming, and causing ice and
snow to melt. The arctic ice is a
source of fresh water, and it is a
problem if the water is just
melting away into the Arctic
Ocean.
Researchers predict
that in the future, the warming
will continue. Heavy precipitation
and heat waves will become more
common.
There are many ways to responsibly
research the area. A person shouldn’t leave
garbage that could possibly harm the
environment or an animal.
One big thing that is affecting the polar
regions is global warming. Global warming is
thought to have been cause by human activity.
The mean temperature of the Earth rose
approximately by 0.74° Celsius in the last 100
years. More than half of this warming happened
in the last 25 years. This sudden warming is
causing the Arctic and Antarctic to melt. This will
make the sea level to rise and flooding will occur.
There could be a way to counter global
warming, or at least slow it. This is done by
cutting power usage and consumption. You could
turn the temperature of your house down,
switch to more efficient light bulbs, or use a car
that pollutes less.