Polar Lands
All you need to know
How much do you know?
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2.
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5.
How of the Earth’s land surface is taken up by Polar Lands
Are Polar Lands deserts?
Where are the Polar Lands mainly located?
Is more of an iceberg above or below water?
Which hemisphere are the Arctic and Antarctic located in?
For answers visit last page.
PART A
Did You Know?
Did you know that
Polar Lands are
actually deserts even
with the massive
stores of water due to
the very little rainfall
In 1987, a square
kilometer iceberg
weighing 1.4 trillion
tonnes broke of the Ross
Shelf. It would have
given every human on
Earth 240 tonnes of
water
Over recent years, the
polar lands have
shrunk due to global
warming
Threats and Dangers to Polar Lands
With Polar Lands being where they are, there is very little danger due to human contact, but the threats
posed on our beloved Polar Lands are all created by humans or at affected by humans in some way. If
these lands are not preserved, the future generators will be missing out on some of the most diverse
ecosystems, amazing geographical processes and beautiful landscapes.
The main threats are:
Global warming is a very serious threat to Polar Lands and with the backing of images and studies
taken, thee future for our Polar Lands looks dim. Global warming is affecting these frozen lands due to
the gradual increase of temperature of several decades. This rise in temperature results in a world that is
slightly hotter resulting in the ice in these Polar Lands melting, which obviously is not good for the Polar
Lands and low lying islands and coastal towns that will drown if the water level increase which is will if
the ice melts
Threats to biodiversity may also be a threat to Polar Lands due to whaling and illegal fishing. This
illegal fishing is causing problems because marine patrols are not able to control the amount of fish that
are taken out of the ocean as well as how many fish still remain in these Polar oceans.
It is logical to think, with the Arctic being where it is, that it would come into more contact with humans,
which may also result in more human damage. The easy accessibility of the Arctic is a disadvantage due
to human contact but has enable more researchers to occupy the land.
A
These are only two problems that are encountered in the Polar
Regions. There are still many problems out there that are
How Do Polar Lands Stay
currently being attended to but there are still things biting away
at the Polar Lands that we are yet to discover and may not be
Frozen?
for several years or even decades to come.
The tilt of the Earth’s axis is the
reason for the constant cold
temperatures and for the strange
light patterns. The 23.5º tilt
results in equator getting the
most sunlight and heat while
each pole gets minimal light and
heat.
Also, the sun sits low in the
B
horizon all day. This results in
all the energy that reaches the
poles must travel through a very
vast amount of atmosphere to
reach the ground. The more that
the suns solar energy travels
through atmosphere, the more
energy is lost and as a result,
there is very little solar energy
left.
The change in the size of the North Pole in the 23 years between
1980 and 2003.
C
2
Location
Topographic Map - Antarctica
Polar Lands take up
approximately 11% of the
Earth’s land surface (as of 2004).
This 11% is located at the North
Pole (Arctic) and the South Pole
(Antarctic).
The coordinates for these
locations are:
Arctic: 66º 32’ North
Antarctic: 66º 32’ South
The reason that Polar lands are
specialized to the poles is due to
the Earth’s tilt. The tilt of the
Earth’s axis lets minimal light
and heat to these regions which
results in the ridiculously cold
A
B
Lichen – A simple Plant
A Polar Bear and its Cub
D
The location of the main Polar Lands
Plant Life
Like animals, very little fauna can
survive in the harsh conditions.
Also like animals, the Arctic
homes more plants than the
Antarctica.
As shown in the picture (left)
Antarctica is a barren land covered in a thick layer of permanently
frozen ice with no obvious plant life. The only plant life in the
Antarctic is in the form bacterium.
On the other hand, life is able to flourish in the Arctic during the short
summer periods. The reason that plants (See image) can survive in the
Arctic is due to permafrost. Permafrost is when an area of ice is frozen
and the top few centimeters melt during the brief summer period. The
small amount of thaw, that contains a small amount of soil, is enough
to let plant life flourish comfortably.
3
C
Weather and Climate
The climate and weather of the Polar
Lands are fairly varied between a very
cold (-20ºC) Summer and an even colder
(-85ºC) Winter (approx.).
Even though Polar Lands are large stores
of fresh water, it rains very little, as little
as the Sahara Desert of Africa.
The very cold temperatures have resulted
in a thick layer of ice (Kilometers thick)
called an ice sheet, which are either
permanently frozen or in permafrost,
which mean it thaws in summer, but
doesn’t completely thaw
People of the Poles
Both poles have temporary residents but the South Pole doesn’t have permanent residents even though the
Artic circle does. The main people that live in either pole are researches that are studying different
sciences, such as astronomy due to the very little ambient light. The strange light patterns (24 hours of
light in Summer and 24 hours of darkness in Winter) are enough to cause depression and deep frustration
for many.
In Winter in the south pole there are anywhere between twenty-five and fifty people living there for a short
period of time. Whereas in the summer, there can be up to one hundred and fifty people. The North Pole
generally get more researches due to the fact that it is easier to access, being closer to many countries.
These people are generally researches of different sciences, ranging from astrophysics to biomedicine.
With the previous information in mind, it is obvious that the North Pole is much easier to access due to its
links with Europe and other countries, such as Greenland. The South Pole has much less human
interaction due to its remote location and no links to other countries.
Ecosystems of the Polar Lands
Even though the Polar lands are covered in a dense layer of ice
and has formidable conditions, they have a rich and diverse
ecosystem. The Arctic has an abundance of life a complex food
web, in which the primary producer is a water bacterium called
Algae. Algae are what all ocean animals survive on, whether it
is first hand (eat Algae) or second hand (eat something that eats
Algae, e.g. krill). Without Algae, no other marine live would be
able to survive due to the fact that this is a primary producer and
is the basis of every meal. With an abundance of marine life,
there has surely has to a lot of wildlife, right?
That’s not quite true; it depends on which hemisphere you are looking at. If you look at the Southern
Hemisphere (Antarctic), there is virtually no terrestrial (land) mammals. The largest is an insect called a
Midge, which is 1mm long. Although there are no land mammals, the Antarctic is home to a few sea
A penguin. The marine mammals in the
B Southern Hemisphere consist of C
birds, including the well-known
several types of whales, porpoises and seals.
However, in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a much more diverse
range of terrestrial mammals. This
list includes reindeer, bears, fox, hare, wolf, musk ox and the list
keeps on going. The marine mammals in this region of the world also
have a few differences, such as the addition of the very well known
polar bear.
From the evidence above, the Arctic is much more habitable due to
the fact that it is much closer to civilization. With the Arctic being
closer to other countries, such as Greenland, animals have to
opportunity to migrate to the North Pole whereas in the South Pole
very little animals are able to travel to this continent.
D
E
4
F
Geographical Processes Affecting Polar Lands
Geographic (Lithosphere):
There are not many geographical processes taking place in the Polar Lands. The reduction of ice, caused
by global warming, is a geographical process currently taking place in both of the Polar Lands. In Arctic
however, in the brief summer periods much of the land occupied by a layer of ice is turned into a Tundra,
which is covered in tough grasses, bushes and trees for a very short period. This is a geographical change
because it has to do with a change of the surface of the Polar Lands (Geo – Earth)
Biotic (Biosphere):
There are many biotic processes happening at a time in the Polar Lands, these are the living things that
shape an ecosystem. These processes have biotic factors, which are living things that affect other living
things. The biotic processes are basically how the ecosystem operates. The ecosystem and biotic processes
rely on bacterium called Algae to survive and without that, the wholefood chain would change and would
go corrupt. The food chains of the polar ecosystems are very fragile due to the fact if one thing is removed,
the hole chain must change completely in order for the survival of the ecosystem.
Hydrological (Hydrosphere):
The hydrological process is how the water rotates between the ocean, land and sky; this process is better
known as the water cycle. This cycle is very, very slow in the Polar lands which accounts for why there is
very little rain. In order for the water to precipitate (rain, hail, snow, sleet) it must first evaporate from the
Earth’s surface as well as condensing in the hydrosphere. Condensing back into water droplets is the easy
part; the hard part is evaporating. Evaporating requires a relative amount of heat (more heat the quicker it
evaporates), and in the Polar lands that heat is not available, therefore making rain basically never occur.
Atmospheric (Atmosphere):
An atmospheric process is a process that involves weather and climate. Any atmospheric changes can
affect Polar Lands greatly. For example, global warming is an atmospheric change that is greatly affecting
the poles. The gradual rise in temperature (Global Warming) has resulted in the ice of the poles. This
reduction has been recorded through studies and satellite images. The melting of the ice is also affecting
the wider world in the sense that if the ice in the polar lands melt, then the sea level will raise
considerably. This raise in sea level will enough to put most of the low lying islands and coastal cities
under water.
Atmospheric Process
Hydrological Process
5
Geographical Change
Biotic Process
Hand-Drawn Topographic Map - Antarctica
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Key Terms Involving Polar Lands
There are many key features that are specially located in Polar lands. Some of these are:
•
Crevasse – A crack in the surface of an ice mass, such as glacier, ice sheet or iceberg.
•
Iceberg – A mass of floating ice that has broken off an ice sheet or ice cap.
•
Ice Cap – A mass of ice that is smaller in volume than an ice sheet.
•
Ice Sheet – A mass of ice covering a landscape
•
Glacier – A moving mass of floating ice formed by the accumulation of snow on higher ground
•
Ice Shelf – An extension of a glacier or ice sheet onto the ocean
•
Permafrost – Permanently frozen ground; a few centimeters may thaw during the summer period
•
Tundra – Natural Vegetation of low shrubs and grasses that survive in the thin soils of permafrost areas.
How Much Do You Know? Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
11%
True
North and South Poles
Below Water
Arctic – Northern Hemisphere, Antarctic – Southern Hemisphere