Indeed, the rays of the Sun are not all perpendicular to the Earth. Does that sound a bit abstract to you? Concretely, between the two tropics, the sun’s rays touch the ground at right angles, so it is hot. The poles have a slight slope, so it is colder.
Is the North Pole a continent?
The territory surrounds the North Pole and covers several continents, since it includes six countries bordering the Arctic Ocean: Canada, the United States, Greenland (Denmark), Russia, Norway and Iceland. … Antarctica has mainly mountainous landscapes and a few volcanoes overlooking the ocean.
Why is Antarctica considered a continent? Due to its location at the South Pole, Antarctica receives relatively little sunlight. It is therefore a very cold continent, where the water is mainly in the form of ice.
Why is the North Pole not a continent? The Arctic has almost exclusively ice lanterns, frozen sea water, with the exception of some islands in Canada, Spitsbergen and the largest, the islands of Greenland. Antarctica is an ice-covered continent with land, mountains and volcanoes. … On the other hand, Antarctica does not belong to any country.
Why are there no polar bears at the South Pole?
Global warming is the main cause of the disappearance of the polar bear. Even if the latter’s move to Antarctica were without ecological consequences or international resistance, the White Continent would likely be a temporary refuge for the species.
Why are polar bears endangered? Climate change is a major threat to polar bears. If the ice continues to melt at its current rate, the area of this summer habitat will have shrunk by more than 40% by the middle of the 21st century, causing the population to shrink by more than two-thirds.
Are there polar bears at the South Pole? Polar bears are endemic to the Arctic. But it is a victim of melting sea ice and food shortages. … So why not plant a polar bear on the other pole, Antarctica? A priori, there is nothing against.
Why does France claim Antarctica?
France is one of the rare countries to have no territorial obligation to be an observer at the Arctic Council since 2000. Its legitimacy is given to the North Pole, above all, by its role as a major polar state in Antarctica.
What is the French part of Antarctica called? All these provisions apply to Adelie Land, the “French Antarctic Territory”.
Who qualifies for Antarctica? Antarctica includes seven countries: France, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, United Kingdom and Norway.
What is the interest of France in owning the land of Adelie? In Antarctica, French sovereignty over Terre-Adélie is exercised within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington in 1959, which establishes a “freeze” on territorial claims and confirms freedom of research throughout the continent.
Which pole is of the Earth?
The Geographic North Pole, or simply the North Pole, is the northernmost point on planet Earth.
What is the difference between the North Pole and the South Pole? The south pole is located at an altitude of 2835 meters. The Arctic is a sea, the Arctic Ocean, a kind of polar Mediterranean. The North Pole is located in the sea, which is covered by a shifting mantle of 1 to 4 meters with a depth of 3,100 to 5,000 meters.
How not to confuse the Arctic and the Antarctic? To avoid confusing the Arctic and Antarctica, we refer to the number of letters in the word Antarctica: it contains more stars than the Arctic, so it is heavier (think of the gravity of the continent) and “sinks and is found in the southern hemisphere.
Why the Antarctic continent? Antarctica is a continental part of the South Pole. It covers an area of about 14 million square kilometers – including extensions of ice floating in the ocean, sea ice – making it the fourth continent.
Who owns Antarctica?
Person! The Antarctic Treaty, signed by many countries in 1959, states that the continent does not belong to any country and is dedicated to peace and science. Canada joined in 1988.
What’s under Antarctica? There is a secret lake in Antarctica, or rather several secret lakes. Scientists have drilled deep beneath this polar cap to find liquid lakes. And the most interesting thing: these lakes are teeming with microscopic life.
Why is Antarctica prohibited? In the 1980s, the oil and mining industries aspired to the natural resources of the Antarctic continent. To keep this still virgin continent away from human activities, Greenpeace proposes to make it an “international natural park”.
What is the difference between the Arctic and the Antarctic?
There are several differences: * The Arctic is where the North Pole is, it is in the Northern Hemisphere. Antarctica is where the South Pole is located, it is in the Southern Hemisphere. * While the Arctic is summer, Antarctica is winter.
Why the name Arctic and Antarctic? Earth shape hypothesis This is how the opposition finds the Arctic in ancient Greece (€ Ï ÎºÏ „ικός (in the Arctic) and mentions Antarctica for the first time.
What is the coldest temperature between the Arctic and Antarctica? The South Pole is indeed the coldest place on Earth in Antarctica. The average winter temperature is -60°C, the world record was -89°C in 1983. The Arctic is slightly warmer in the north, with an average temperature of -40°C, which can drop to -68 degrees. °C
Why is the South Pole prohibited?
The weather, a real problem near the South Pole It is freezing cold there. Even on the ground, the temperature can reach -80°C. It’s even colder at 35,000 feet.
Why don’t airplanes fly over the North Pole? As you can see in the photo opposite, the Jet-Stream surrounding the North Pole passes just below Greenland, so the planes passing from there take advantage of the wind which “pushes” them. … For a flight to the West, it is therefore advantageous to fly less to the North, even if the actual distance is longer.
Is the South Pole colder than the North Pole? As the North Pole is the northernmost place, it is colder there. … And so yes, the South Pole is cold. Very cold. Even colder than the North Pole.
Why doesn’t it rain in Antarctica?
Antarctica and the arid valleys hold the record, knowing that the continent is not entirely covered in ice. These remarkable areas cover 2% of the surface of Antarctica and are called arid valleys. It will almost never rain there… never!
Is it raining in Antarctica? The vast majority of precipitation from the Antarctic Ice Sheet is in the form of snow. It rarely rains there, but if it does, it can have serious consequences.
Why are the poles covered in ice?
Most of the solar radiation that eventually reaches the ground is reflected by the snow covering the polar regions. To reach the surface of the polar regions, the sun’s rays travel a greater distance through the atmosphere than to reach the equator.
Why is the equator hotter than the poles? The sun’s rays arrive vertically on the equator and are therefore very powerful. The closer the poles, the more oblique the sun’s rays. The path they have to travel through the atmosphere is therefore greater (a straight line is always the shortest path), which weakens them.
Which pole is the coldest? As the North Pole is the northernmost place, it is colder there.
What is the capital of Antarctica?
Antarctica | |
---|---|
The capital | no capital |
Region | 14,107,637 km² |
Population | 1500 inhabitants. |
Density | 0 inhabitants / km² |
Where is Antarctica? Antarctica is a continental part of the South Pole. It covers an area of about 14 million square kilometers – including extensions of ice floating in the ocean, sea ice – making it the fourth continent. It is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.
Which continent is closest to Antarctica? Unlike the Arctic, which is an ocean covered in ice (cover ice), Antarctica is a continent. Entirely surrounded by the Atlantic, India and the Pacific, it is very isolated from other continents, being in fact 3,600 km from South Africa and 1,000 km from South America.
Why Antarctic continent?
Antarctica, for its part, is a continent in its own right in the southern hemisphere and is almost 98% covered in ice. There are mountains whose tops can reach an altitude of 4900 meters. This country does not belong to any country, even if it is home to dozens of scientific bases.
Is Antarctica a continent?
The ice-covered continent actually contains about 70% of the world’s fresh water. This is one of the many reasons why the polar ice cap is such a valuable resource – when it melts, the ice mixes with the surrounding salt water.
Is Antarctica an ocean? The Southern Ocean, formerly known as the Antarctic Ice Ocean, surrounds the Antarctic continent to the south of the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean.
Why is Antarctica not a continent? Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent. … Only plants and animals, such as penguins, seals, fish, crustaceans, mosses, lichens and several types of algae, live there.