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

Polar Lands All you need to know

Did You Know?

How much do you know?

1. How of the Earth’s land surface is taken up by Polar Lands 2. Are Polar Lands deserts? 3. Where are the Polar Lands mainly located? 4. Is more of an iceberg above or below water? 5. Which hemisphere are the Arctic and Antarctic located in?

For answers visit last page.

PART A

2

A

B

C

How Do Polar Lands Stay Frozen?

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 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.

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.

These are only two problems that are encountered in the Polar Regions. There are still many problems out there that are 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 for several years or even decades to come.

The change in the size of the North Pole in the 23 years between 1980 and 2003.

3

Location 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

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

A B

D C

Lichen – A simple Plant

A Polar Bear and its Cub 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.

Topographic Map - Antarctica

4

People of the Poles

A B C

D E F

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 birds, including the well-known penguin. The marine mammals in the Southern Hemisphere consist of 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.

5

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 Geographical Change Biotic Process

6

Hand-Drawn Topographic Map - Antarctica

How Much Do You Know? Answers

1. 11% 2. True 3. North and South Poles 4. Below Water 5. Arctic – Northern Hemisphere, Antarctic – Southern Hemisphere

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.