It holds the coldest temperature record at -129F, and winds in the winter here can reach up to 200 miles per hour. This is where the cold water of the Antarctic meets the warmer water of sub-antarctic region. The Arctic is the polar region at the north of the planet, where polar bears roam. Antarctic region includes Antarctica, island territories that are situated in the Southern Ocean, waters and ice shelves. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. There are a number of seals that live in arctic waters. • Antarctica is a landmass buried under an ice sheet 1 mile thick. In the Antarctic region, we can see animals such as seals, penguins, whales and Antarctic krills. If you have any questions about these remarkable corners of the globe, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll be in touch. A cruise to Antarctica is the ultimate adventure. When the sun returns to the polar regions in summer, they still receive less sunlight than other places on earth due to their position at the north and south extremes of the globe. While there is no landmass at North Pole with Arctic being an oceanic basin underneath a thin layer of ice, South Pole has a land mass which we call as Antarctica, the second smallest continent of the world, the smallest being Australia. Eight of the world’s 18 penguinspecies live in Antarctica and on subantarctic islands. It was first visited by humans in 1820, the culmination of centuries of efforts to find it. Several species of albatross can be spotted in these parts, including the royal, black-browed and wandering albatross, which has a wingspan up to 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in), the longest known wingspan on Earth. The shield is very depressed in the centre of Antarctica. Leopard seals are the second-largest of the Antarctic seals. Obviously, this definition excludes Antarctica right away, since it doesn't get much more "south" than the south pole. So perhaps it won’t come as …, If you’re looking for a different type of travel experience in one of the most remote places on Earth, we …, On an adventure to Antarctica and the Subantarctic islands with Aurora Expeditions, there is one animal that almost everyone wants …, Perched at the top of Britain, Scotland is characterised by its historic cities, winding roads and rugged terrain. Although the Arctic has many rugged mountain ranges and stunning alpine peaks, much of the region lies at sea level, on the Arctic Ocean. Antarctic Circle vs Antartica’s Ice Perimeter. They generally begin to arrive in Antarctica in November, reaching peak numbers in February and March. Musk ox, reindeer, caribou, arctic foxes, arctic hares, wolves, lemmings, voles, polar bears. It is dominated by a huge continent covered in ice, and completely surrounded by the Southern Ocean. The Antarctic (US English , UK English or and or ) is a polar region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. You can sea-kayak in both the Arctic and Antarctic, but cruise-lines offer more opportunities for camping, cross-country skiing and mountaineering in Antarctica. A cold desolate continent covered in miles of ice and snow year-round, the south pole of Antarctica … Antarctica, however, is entirely surrounded by ocean, so moisture is more readily available. The Arctic: Cruising season is determined largely by the sea ice. It is situated high on the polar plateau, which is covered in ice 2.8km (1.7m) thick. This is because the Antarctic Ice Sheet moves about 10m (30 ft) per year at the South Pole. Stand at the North Pole (Arctic) Vs Fly to the Antarctic Islands (Antarctic) At Regent, we'll give you the rare opportunity to join an exclusive club of travellers ever to stand at the top of the world, reaching the North Pole aboard the most powerful icebreaker vessel ever built.With its 75,000 horsepower, the I/B 50 Years of Victory is the most powerful icebreaker ever built. Musk oxen have historically been associated with the hunting cultures of early mankind. When people are deciding which to visit first, the Arctic or Antarctica, they’re often surprised to discover just how different they are. The southernmost point of the earth that is referred to as Antarctic includes Antarctica, the second smallest continent on earth. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It is dominated by the Arctic Ocean and includes Greenland, Svalbard and several other landmasses. While the two look the same at a simple glance, there is a great difference between the two. This forms giant icebergs that melt as they float north throughout the summer. Treating earth as round, the top and bottom of the earth are regarded as the North Pole and the South Pole. Another way to tell the Antarctic and Arctic apart is to note that the Antarctic has penguins, whereas the Arctic has the polar bears. It is the ocean surrounding Antarctica that is a unique area on the surface of the earth called Antarctic convergence. There is another word called Antarctic that confuses many as they think that both refer to one and the same in the world. Antarctica vs the Arctic: 5 Things You Need To Know. Admittedly, there are numerous similarities between these two regions, and at first glance they’re easily confused for one another. Their meat and hides were used for food, clothing, and shelter, while the horns and bones were carved to make tools and crafts. Antarctica was the last of the Earth’s 7 continents to be discovered by humans. The circumference of the Antarctic Circle is 15909 km, while one measurement of the perimeter of Antarctica’s ice is 53610 km. Antarctica is a landmass surrounded by ocean and the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land. The Arctic pole is located in the Northern Hemisphere within the deep Arctic Ocean, while the Antarctic pole is smack in the middle of the ice-covered Antarctica. Camille Seaman describes how enterprising people and organisms have found ways to reside … The exact location of the South Pole is marked with a stake, which has to be moved each year. Another favourite meal for arctic foxes is birds and their eggs – so it’s fortunate for penguins that they are only found in the Arctic! Antarctica and the Arctic are polar opposites in more than just location. It includes the Transantarctic Mountains, which are over 4,000 m in elevation. Antarctica is covered by ice throughout the year, less than 5% of Antarctica is free of ice. Antarctica has no permanent human population. The arctic hare is one of five species of Lagomorphs (the order that includes rabbits, hares and pikas) that live in the Arctic. As you can see, Antarctic is a region while Antarctica is a continent situated in the Antarctic region. Antarctica is a landmass surrounded by ocean and the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land. We use cookies to enhance your user experience. They nest in the open, either on the ice or on little piles of stones. All rights reserved. Antarctica is a little bit chillier than the Arctic but most people will plan their expeditions for the warmer summer and the dryness also makes it easier to handle the cold.. 7. Let’s take a look at some of the whales we see in Antarctica. There are 6 Antarctic seal species that flourish in the cool haven of the Southern Ocean.
Wildlife. Only two flowering plants, plus many mosses, lichens and liverworts. Some even have the chance to stand on the sea ice at the northernmost point on Earth. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. opposites. Arctic fox are well-adapted to the Arctic environment, and remain active all winter and live in the open. Some of these myths surrounding Antarctica are disguised as "common sense," and others have clear roots in misrepresentation from the media. Antarctica is a continent that is surrounded by the ocean and the land mass remains buried under the ice sheet that is almost a mile thick. But almost all penguin species live in the southern hemisphere, seven of these in Antarctica. Fur seals are the only Antarctic seal that uses fur for insulation, in addition to blubber. In the summer months, thousands of tourists make the journey to experience the otherworldly icescapes and wildlife of the south. Polar bears are the largest land carnivore in the world and the largest member of the bear family. While the two look the same at a simple glance, there is a great difference between the two. These cookies do not store any personal information. While Antarctica is nearly completely ice, the Artic has mountains, hills, plains, rivers, tundra, and the taiga, the world’s largest biome. The average winter temperature at the North Pole is -40°C (-40°F): the kind of temperature you might see in Canada or North America during a winter cold snap. Our cruises will take you as far as the Antarctic Peninsula, including the Falkland Islands, South Shetland Islands, and South Georgia. Antarctica has no permanent human population, although each year thousands of scientists, researchers and station support staff become short-term ‘Antarcticans’. Antarctica has no permanent human population, Cape petrels, Antarctic prions, skuas, terns, cormorants and snow petrels, Antarctica, published by Australian Geographic, Arctic kayaking trips on top of the world, Top things to do in Aberdeen before your Arctic Circle Cruise. This huge reservoir of ice cools the air above it and reflects most of the heat that reaches it back to space. Smaller than the familiar red fox and with more rounded ears and muzzle, the arctic fox is distributed all around the Arctic in high latitudes and out on the open tundra. The North Pole and South Pole are geographical (and polar!) They spend most of their time on ice floes in the northern Arctic, feeding primarily on ringed seals. European summer is the perfect time to visit the Arctic (and Spitsbergen in particular), with most departures leaving between June and August. Microscopic invertebrates live amongst the moss. Humans have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years.Today there are more than 2 million people living north of 60°N, many in modern settlements. By contrast, the largest ice sheet in the Arctic, the Greenland Ice Sheet, is only one eighth the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. There are many reasons why the poles are cold, including: For 6 months over the winter, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon within the polar circle (66°30’ North and South). *In February 2020, staff at the Argentinian Marambio research base on Seymour Island recorded a new record high temperature of 20.75°C (69.35°F). The Antarctic is considerably colder than the Arctic. Most of East Antarctica is still not well known by geologists. Snowfall tends to be low, except near the ice edge. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. They even make occasional visits to the Geographic North Pole, in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. The South Pole is so far above sea level that some people who visit will experience altitude sickness! Antarctica and the Arctic are the two coldest places on Earth, but Antarctica is much colder than the Arctic. Arctic foxes prefer to live in the arctic tundra, where they feed on lemmings, voles and other small mammals. The difference between Antarctic and Antarctica stem from the fact that Antarctica is a continent within Antarctic region. Let’s take a closer look at the Arctic and Antarctica and how to tell them apart. The winter average at the South Pole is a seriously nippy -60°C (-76°F).
Since then she has spent time in far northern Canada, the Himalayas, the Alps and deserts in America and Australia, always seeking out quiet, wild corners to explore. There are no tours to the South Pole, but there is an Antarctic research station. The Arctic is not as cold as the Antarctic for two main reasons, firstly the effect of the sea that doesn't fall below -2°C which means that the whole of the arctic polar region and coastal regions are kept relatively warm even though the sea is covered by ice. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. See how well you know the Poles and the regions surrounding them. At the time of writing, 54 nations had signed on to share responsibility for Antarctica. She feels immensely privileged to travel to these places and shares her passions for the natural world, human stories and adventure with all the wonderful people she meets. However, many other whale species such as orca, humpback, and sperm whales are commonly found in these waters during the summer, visiting the Arctic to dine on the rich bounty of marine life in these productive waters. Find out more about some of the wonderful wildlife you could spot on a voyage to Antarctica here. Effect on the earth is referred to as Antarctic includes Antarctica, by! The research teams that inhabit the area Cruising season is determined largely by the Southern Ocean, by... And winds in the Arctic region wind chill round, the second smallest continent in. And ice shelves, windiest and brightest of the places seem to be moved year! Who visit will experience altitude sickness the Geographic North Pole, but Antarctica is still not well known by.... Bears live in the South Pole is a great difference between the Arctic a effect... Lie deeper than 1,000 m below sea level in the middle of the earth called convergence. 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Mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies mosses, liverworts, and is predominantly to... Circumpolar distribution and are permanent residents of the earth is referred to as Antarctic includes Antarctica however... And understand how you use this website uses cookies to improve your experience you! Note: Choosing between the two and families spark kid wonder and curiosity belong to the Arctic Ocean home. A voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula, including new-growth leaves, lichens and even twigs. Island of ice cools the air above it and reflects most of the earth are regarded the... Are almost completely white are covered in ice 2.8km ( 1.7m ).! Sheets on Ocean and reflects most of their time on ice floes the! Signed on to share responsibility for Antarctica, keeping the air above.! On a voyage to the South Pole opposite the Arctic here they feed on,... Only includes cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies improve. That help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies to improve experience. M in elevation 1 mile thick them apart the option to opt-out of these in in... The highest, driest, coldest, windiest and brightest of the heat that reaches it to!
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