The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets the Earth's surface. It should not be confused with the North Magnetic Pole. The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the Earth's surface at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards (i

The North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth, lying diametrically opposite the South Pole. The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth. It defines latitude 90° North, as well as the direction of True North. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the noted by the Chinese Polymath Shen Kuo in the 11th century and possibly the egyptians over 6 millenia ago At the North Pole all directions point south.

While the South Pole lies on a continental land mass, the North Pole is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, amidst waters that are almost permanently covered with constantly shifting sea ice. The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major This makes it impossible to construct a permanent station at the North Pole (unlike the South Pole). The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth. However, the Soviet Union, and later Russia, have constructed a number of manned drifting stations, some of which have passed over or very close to the Pole. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Soviet and Russian manned drifting ice stations are important contributors to exploration of the Arctic. Recently, scientists have predicted that the North Pole may become seasonally ice-free by 2050 due to Arctic shrinkage. Arctic shrinkage is the marked decrease in Arctic sea ice and the observed melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet in recent years ^[1] More pessimistic predictions claim that the Arctic ice-cap may disappear in mid 2008. ^[2]

The sea depth at the North Pole has been measured at 4,261 metres (13,980 ft). ^[3] The nearest land is usually said to be Kaffeklubben Island, off the northern coast of Greenland about 440 miles (c. Kaffeklubben Island or The Coffee Club Island (Kaffeklubben Ø Inuit Qeqertaat is a small island lying off the northern tip of Greenland. 700 km) away, though some perhaps non-permanent gravel banks lie slightly further north.

Contents 1 Precise definition 2 Expeditions 2.1 Pre-1900 2.2 1900–1940 2.3 1940–2000 2.4 21st century 2.4.1 2007 descent to North Pole seabed 3 Day and night 4 Time 5 Climate 6 Flora and fauna 7 Territorial claims to the North Pole and Arctic regions 8 Cultural associations 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Precise definition

See also: Polar motion. Polar motion is the movement of Earth 's rotation axis across its surface

The Earth's axis of rotation – and hence the position of the North Pole – was commonly believed to be fixed (relative to the surface of the Earth) until, in the 18th century, the mathematician Leonhard Euler predicted that the axis might "wobble" slightly. Around the beginning of the 20th century astronomers noticed a small apparent "variation of latitude", as determined for a fixed point on Earth from the observation of stars. Part of this variation could be attributed to a wandering of the Pole across the Earth's surface, by a range of a few meters. The wandering has several periodic components and an irregular component. The component with a period of about 435 days is identified with the 8 month wandering predicted by Euler and is now called the Chandler wobble after its discoverer. The Chandler wobble is a small motion in the Earth 's axis of rotation relative to the Earth's surface which was discovered by American Astronomer This "wobble" means that a (fixed) definition of the Pole based on the axis of rotation is not useful when metre-scale precision is required.

It is desirable to tie the system of Earth coordinates (latitude, longitude, and elevations or orography) to fixed landforms. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the Longitude (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd or ˈlɒŋgɪˌtjuːd symbolized by the Greek character Lambda (λ is the east-west Geographic coordinate measurement Orography is the average height of land measured in geopotential meters, over a certain domain Of course, given continental drift and the rising and falling of land due to volcanoes, erosion and so on, there is no system in which all geographic features are fixed. Continental drift is the movement of the Earth 's Continents relative to each other Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Yet the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service and the International Astronomical Union have defined a framework called the International Terrestrial Reference System. "IERS" redirects here for other uses see IERS (disambiguation The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service is The International Terrestrial Reference System ( ITRS) describes procedures for creating Reference frames suitable for use with measurements on or near the Earth's surface The North Pole of this system now defines geographic North for precision work, and it does not quite coincide with the rotation axis.

Expeditions

See also: Polar exploration and List of firsts

Pre-1900

As early as the sixteenth century, many eminent people believed that the North Pole was in a sea, and in the nineteenth century it was called the Polynia or circumpolar sea. Polar exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the Earth. This is a list of the first man/woman/object etc to do something or the A polynya (common US spelling or polynia (common UK spelling ( is an area of open water surrounded by Sea ice. ^[4] It was therefore hoped that passage could be found through ice floes at favorable times of the year. Several expeditions set out to find the way, generally with whaling ships, already commonly used in the cold northern latitudes.

One of the earliest expeditions to set out with the explicit intention of reaching the North Pole was that of British naval officer William Edward Parry, who in 1827 reached latitude 82°45′ North. For the later admiral (1893-1972 see Edward Parry; for the New Zealand politician see William Parry (New Zealand Sir William Edward The Polaris expedition, an 1871 American attempt on the Pole led by Charles Francis Hall, ended in disaster. The Polaris expedition (1871 was led by Charles Francis Hall to explore the North Pole. See Charles Hall for other people by that name Charles Francis Hall (1821 &ndash November 8, 1871) was an American Arctic

In April 1895 the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen reached latitude 86°14′ North, skiing after leaving Nansen's ship Fram. Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (October 10 1861 – May 13 1930 was a Norwegian Explorer, Scientist and Diplomat. Not to be confused with the Danish Gymnast and Olympic medalist Hjalmar Peter Johansen. Construction Nansen's ambition was to explore the Arctic farther north than anyone else In 1897 the Swedish engineer Salomon August Andrée with two companions tried to reach the North Pole in the hydrogen balloon Örnen ('Eagle'), but they stranded 300 km north of Kvitøya, the northeasternmost part of the Svalbard Archipelago, and perished on this lonely island. Salomon August Andrée, during his lifetime most often known as S Kvitøya ( English: "White Island" is an Island in the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, with an area of 682 km² Svalbard is an Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian In 1930 the remains of this expedition were found by the Norwegian Bratvaag Expedition. The Bratvaag Expedition was a Norwegian expedition in 1930 led by Dr

1900–1940

The American explorer Frederick Albert Cook claimed to have reached the North Pole on April 21, 1908 with two Inuit men, Ahwelah and Etukishook, but he was unable to produce convincing proof and his claim is not widely accepted. Frederick Albert Cook ( June 10, 1865 &ndash August 5 1940) was an American Explorer and physician, noted ^[5]

The conquest of the North Pole was for many years credited to American Navy engineer Robert Edwin Peary, who claimed to have reached the Pole on April 6, 1909, accompanied by American Matthew Henson and four Inuit men named Ootah, Seeglo, Egigingwah, and Ooqueah. Robert Edwin Peary ( May 6, 1856 &ndash February 20, 1920) was an American explorer who claimed Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Matthew Alexander Henson ( August 8 1866 March 9, 1955) was an African-American explorer and associate of Robert Peary; Inuit (plural the singular Inuk, means "man" or "person" is a general term for a group of culturally similar Indigenous peoples inhabiting However, Peary's claim remains controversial. The party that accompanied Peary on the final stage of the journey included no one who was trained in navigation and could independently confirm his own navigational work, which some claim to have been particularly sloppy as he approached the Pole.

The distances and speeds that Peary claimed to have achieved once the last support party turned back seem incredible to many people, almost three times that which he had accomplished up to that point. Peary's account of a journey to the Pole and back – the only strategy that might have allowed him to travel at such a speed – is contradicted by Henson's account of tortuous detours to avoid pressure ridges and open leads. A pressure ridge is an ice formation typically found on large frozen Lakes during the winter

The British explorer Wally Herbert, initially a supporter of Peary, researched Peary's records in 1989 and concluded that they must have been falsified and that Peary had not reached the Pole^[6]. Sir Walter William "Wally" Herbert ( 24 October 1934 &ndash 12 June 2007) was an British polar Explorer, Support for Peary came again in 2005 when the British explorer Tom Avery and four companions recreated the outward portion of Peary's journey with replica wooden sleds and Canadian Eskimo Dog teams, reaching the North Pole in 36 days, 22 hours – nearly five hours faster than Peary. Tom Avery was born on December 17 1975 in London, England and is an Explorer, Mountaineer, Author and Motivational The Canadian Eskimo Dog is a larger breed of Arctic Dogs which are often considered to be North America ’s oldest and Avery writes on his web site that "The admiration and respect which I hold for Robert Peary, Matthew Henson and the four Inuit men who ventured North in 1909, has grown enormously since we set out from Cape Columbia. Having now seen for myself how he travelled across the pack ice, I am more convinced than ever that Peary did indeed discover the North Pole. "^[7] However, the conditions faced by Avery were very different from those facing Peary.

The first claimed flight over the Pole was made on May 9, 1926 by US naval officer Richard E. Byrd and pilot Floyd Bennett in a Fokker tri-motor aircraft. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, USN ( October 25, 1888 &ndash March 11, 1957) was a pioneering American polar Floyd Bennett (October 25 1890 &ndash April 25 1928 American Aviator who piloted Richard E WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Although verified at the time by the US Navy and a committee of the National Geographic Society, this claim has since been disputed. Overview The NGS's historical mission is "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural historical and natural ^[8]

The first undisputed sighting of the Pole was on May 12, 1926 by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his American sponsor Lincoln Ellsworth from the airship Norge. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (ˈɾuːɑl ˈɑmʉnsən ( July 16, 1872 – c The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Lincoln Ellsworth (May 12 1880 - May 26 1951 was a explorer from the United States. Terminology In some countries airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (fr ''diriger'' to direct plus -ible) meaning "directable" The Norge was a semi-rigid Italian -built Airship that carried out what many consider the first verified overflight of the North Pole Norge, though Norwegian owned, was designed and piloted by the Italian Umberto Nobile. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Umberto Nobile ( January 21, 1885 &ndash July 30, 1978) was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer The flight started from Svalbard and crossed the icecap to Alaska. Svalbard is an Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Nobile, along with several scientists and crew from the Norge, overflew the Pole a second time on May 24, 1928 in the airship Italia. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Airship Italia was a Semi-rigid airship used by Umberto Nobile in his second series of flights around the North Pole. The Italia crashed on its return from the Pole, with the loss of half the crew.

1940–2000

In May 1945, an RAF Lancaster of the Aries expedition became the first Commonwealth aircraft to overfly the North Geographic and North Magnetic Poles. "Lanc" redirects here Distinguish from Lank (adjective and from Amon Lanc (a place in Tolkien's fiction The plane was piloted by David Cecil McKinley of the Royal Air Force. It carried an 11-man crew, with Kenneth C. Maclure of the Royal Canadian Air Force in charge of all scientific observations. In 2006, Maclure was honoured with a spot in the Canadian Aviation Hall Of Fame. ^[9]

Discounting Peary's disputed claim, the first men to set foot at the North Pole were, according to some sources, a Soviet Union party. These are variously described as including Pavel Gordiyenko (or Geordiyenko) and three^[10] or five^[11] others, or Aleksandr Kuznetsov and 23 others,^[12] who landed a plane (or planes) there on April 23, 1948. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. According to Antarctica. org, three Li-2 planes landed, carrying a total of seven men. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[13]

On May 3, 1952, U. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Joseph O. Fletcher and Lieutenant William P. Benedict, along with scientist Albert P. Crary, landed a modified C-47 Skytrain at the North Pole. Joseph O Fletcher (born 1920 was an American Air Force pilot and Polar researcher Born in Montana, the family moved to Albert Paddock Crary (1911 - 1987 was a pioneer polar geophysicist and glaciologist and the first person to set foot on both the North (on May 3 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Some sources consider this (rather than the Soviet mission) to be the first ever landing at the Pole. ^[14]

The United States Navy submarine USS Nautilus (SSN-571) crossed the North Pole on August 3, 1958, and on March 17, 1959, the USS Skate (SSN-578) surfaced at the Pole, becoming the first naval vessel to do so. "Underway on nuclear power" Following her commissioning Nautilus remained dockside for further construction and testing Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operational history Skate conducted shakedown training out of New London Connecticut until 29 January 1958, when she cruised to the

Setting aside Peary's claim, the first confirmed surface conquest of the North Pole was that of Ralph Plaisted, Walt Pederson, Gerry Pitzl and Jean Luc Bombardier, who traveled over the ice by snowmobile and arrived on April 19, 1968. Ralph Plaisted (30 September 1927 – 8 September 2008 and his three companions Walt Pederson Gerry Pitzl and Jean-Luc Bombardier are regarded by most polar authorities to be the first A snowmobile (known locally as snowmachine, snowsled or by the Brandname Ski-Doo) is a land vehicle that is commonly propelled by Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Air Force independently confirmed their position.

On April 6, 1969, Sir Wally Herbert and companions Allan Gill, Roy Koerner and Kenneth Hedges of the British Trans-Arctic Expedition became the first men to reach the North Pole on foot (albeit with the aid of dog teams and air drops). Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Walter William "Wally" Herbert ( 24 October 1934 &ndash 12 June 2007) was an British polar Explorer, They continued on to complete the first surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean – and by its longest axis, Barrow, Alaska to Svalbard – a feat that has never been repeated. The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major Barrow is a city in and the borough seat of the North Slope Borough of the state of Alaska, United States. Svalbard is an Archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between Norway and the North Pole. ^[15][16] Because of suggestions of Plaisted's use of air transport, some sources classify Herbert's expedition as the first confirmed to reach the North Pole over the ice surface by any means. ^[16][17]

On August 17, 1977, the Soviet nuclear powered icebreaker Arktika completed the first surface vessel journey to the North Pole. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. A nuclear powered Icebreaker is a purpose-built Ship for use in waters continuously covered with Ice. Vessels Ship Notes The NS ''Arktika'' was the first surface ship to reach the North Pole on August 17 1977.

21st century

In recent years, journeys to the North Pole by air (landing at a runway prepared on the ice) or by icebreaker have become relatively routine, and are even available to small groups of tourists through adventure holiday companies.

In 2005, the United States Navy submarine USS Charlotte (SSN-766) surfaced through 61 inches (155 cm) of ice at the North Pole and spent 18 hours there. History On 29 November 2005, Charlotte arrived in Norfolk Virginia, having taken the northern route from Pearl Harbor, under ^[18]

In April 2007, Dutch performance artist Guido van der Werve performed a work of art at the North Pole. This article is about Performance art For other uses see Performance (disambiguation By standing exactly on the Pole for 24 hours and turning slowly clockwise (the earth is turning counterclockwise), just by following his own shadow, Van der Werve literally did not turn with the world for one day. This performance is called: 'nummer negen [Dutch for Number Nine], the day I didn't turn with the world'. Van der Werve time-lapsed the 24 hours to 9 minutes. Time-lapse photography is a Cinematography technique whereby each Film frame is captured at a rate much slower than it will be played back ^[19]

In July 2007, British endurance swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh completed a 1 km swim at the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh (born 5 December 1969) is a British environmentalist swimmer maritime lawyer and explorer His feat, undertaken to highlight the effects of climate change, took place in clear water that had opened up between the ice floes. ^[20]

A 2007 episode of the BBC motoring show Top Gear, in which the presenters were described as journeying to the "North Pole", was in fact an expedition to the 1996 position of the North Magnetic Pole. Top Gear is a BAFTA, multi- NTA and International Emmy Award -winning BBC Television series about motor vehicles mainly The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the Earth's surface at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards (i ^[21]

2007 descent to North Pole seabed

Main article: Arktika 2007

On August 2, 2007, a Russian expedition made the first ever manned descent to the ocean bottom at the North Pole, to a depth of 4. Arktika 2007 (Российская полярная экспедиция "Арктика-2007" was a 2007 expedition in which Russia performed the first ever crewed Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending 3 km, as part of a research programme in support of Russia's 2001 territorial claim to a large swathe of the Arctic Ocean. Under international law no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major The descent took place in two MIR submersibles and was led by Soviet and Russian polar explorer Arthur Chilingarov. MIR (Russian "Мир" is a self-propelled Deep Submergence Vehicle. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Artur Chilingarov (b 1939 Leningrad) is a Russian polar explorer and politician of Armenian descent In a symbolic act, the Russian flag was placed on the seabed at the exact position of the Pole. ^{[22][23][24][25]}

The expedition is the latest in a decades-long series of moves by Russia intended to show that it is the dominant influence in the Arctic. ^[26] The warming Arctic climate and summer retreat of sea ice there has suddenly turned the attention of countries from China to the United States toward the top of the world, where resources and shipping routes may soon be exploitable. ^[27]

Day and night

See also Midnight sun and Polar night

At the North Pole, the Sun is permanently above the horizon during the summer months and permanently below the horizon during the winter months. The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in Latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the The polar night is the night lasting more than 24 hours usually inside the Polar circles The opposite phenomenon when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. Summer is one of the four Temperate Seasons Summer marks the warmest time of year with the longest days Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Sunrise is just before the vernal equinox (around March 19); the Sun then takes three months to reach its highest point of about 23½° elevation at the summer solstice (around June 21), after which time it begins to sink, reaching sunset just after the autumnal equinox (around September 24). Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the Horizon in the East. An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle Solstices occur twice a year when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most oriented toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes Sunset, also called sundown in some American English Dialects is the instant when the trailing edge of the Sun 's disk disappears below An equinox is the event of the Sun passing over the Earth's equator in its annual cycle

A civil twilight period of about two weeks occurs before sunrise and after sunset, and an astronomical twilight period of about seven weeks occurs before sunrise and after sunset. Twilight is the time before Sunrise, called Dawn, and the time after Sunset, called Dusk. Twilight is the time before Sunrise, called Dawn, and the time after Sunset, called Dusk.

These effects are caused by a combination of the Earth's axial tilt and its revolution around the sun. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 In Astronomy, axial tilt is the Inclination angle of a planet's rotational axis in relation to its orbital plane. The direction of the Earth's axial tilt, as well as its angle relative to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, remain very nearly constant over the course of a year (both change very slowly over long time periods). At northern midsummer the North Pole is facing towards the Sun to its maximum extent. As the year progresses and the Earth moves around the Sun, the North Pole gradually turns away from the Sun until at midwinter it is facing away from the Sun to its maximum extent. A similar sequence is observed at the South Pole, with a six-month time difference. The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth.

Time

In most places on Earth, local time is roughly synchronized to the position of the sun in the sky. Thus, at midday the sun is roughly at its highest. This method fails at the North Pole where the sun is continuously in the sky for six months. There is no permanent human presence at the North Pole, and no particular time zone has been assigned. Polar expeditions may use any time zone that is convenient, such as GMT, or the time zone of the country they departed from. Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London

Climate

The North Pole is significantly warmer than the South Pole because it lies at sea level in the middle of an ocean (which acts as a reservoir of heat), rather than at altitude in a continental land mass. The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth.

Winter (January) temperatures at the North Pole can range from about −43 °C (−45 °F) to −26 °C (−15 °F), perhaps averaging around −34 °C (−30 °F). Summer temperatures (June, July and August) average around the freezing point (0 °C, 32 °F). ^[28]

The sea ice at the North Pole is typically around two or three meters thick^[29], though there is considerable variation and occasionally the movement of floes exposes clear water. ^[30] Studies have suggested that the average ice thickness has decreased in recent years due to global warming, though this conclusion is disputed by some. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the ^[30] Reports have also predicted that within a few decades the Arctic Ocean will be entirely free of ice in the summer months. ^[31] This may have significant commercial implications; see "Territorial Claims", below.

Flora and fauna

Polar bears are believed to rarely travel beyond about 82° North due to the scarcity of food, though tracks have been seen in the vicinity of the North Pole, and a 2006 expedition reported sighting a polar bear just one mile (1. The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas 6 km) from the Pole. ^[32][33] The ringed seal has also been seen at the Pole, and Arctic foxes have been observed less than 60 km away at 89°40′ N. The Ringed Seal ( Pusa hispida) also known as the Jar Seal and as Netsik or Nattiq by the Inuit, is an Earless seal inhabiting The Arctic Fox ( Vulpes lagopus) also known as the White Fox or Snow Fox, is a small Fox native to cold Arctic regions of the ^[34][35]

Birds seen at or very near the Pole include the Snow Bunting, Northern Fulmar and Black-legged Kittiwake, though some bird sightings may be distorted by the fact that birds tend to follow ships and expeditions. The Snow Bunting ( Plectrophenax nivalis) sometimes colloquially called " Snowflake ", is a Passerine Bird The Northern Fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialis) or Arctic Fulmar lives in the north Atlantic and north Pacific. The Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla is a Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae ^[36]

Fish have been seen in the waters at the North Pole, but these are probably few in number. ^[36] A member of the Russian team that descended to the North Pole seabed in August 2007 reported seeing no sea creatures living there. ^[37]

Territorial claims to the North Pole and Arctic regions

Main article: Territorial claims in the Arctic

Under international law, no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. Under international law no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major The five surrounding Arctic states, Russia, the United States (via Alaska), Canada, Norway and Denmark (via Greenland), are limited to a 320 kilometre (200-mile) economic zone around their coasts, and the area beyond that is administered by the International Seabed Authority. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The International Seabed Authority (ISA ( French: Autorité internationale des fonds marins, Spanish: Autoridad Internacional de los Fondos Marinos

Upon ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country has a ten year period to make claims to extend its 200 mile zone. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty is the international agreement that resulted Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone ( EEZ) is a seazone over which a State has special rights over the exploration and use of marine ^[38] Norway (ratified the convention in 1996^[39]), Russia (ratified in 1997^[39]), Canada (ratified in 2003^[39]) and Denmark (ratified in 2004^[39]) have all launched projects to base claims that certain Arctic sectors should belong to their territories. ^[40]

Cultural associations

In some Western cultures, the geographic North Pole is the residence of Santa Claus. Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply " Santa " is the Canada Post has assigned postal code H0H 0H0 to the North Pole (referring to Santa's traditional exclamation of "Ho-ho-ho!"). Canada Post Corporation ( Société canadienne des postes) is the Canadian postal operator operated as a crown corporation. Postal codes by province and territoryA Canadian postal code ^[41]

This seemingly mundane fact actually reflects an age-old esoteric mythology of Hyperborea that posits the North Pole, the otherworldly world-axis, as the abode of God and superhuman beings (see Joscelyn Godwin, Arktos: The Polar Myth). In Greek mythology, according to tradition the Hyperboreans were a mythical people who lived far to the north of Thrace. Joscelyn Godwin (born 16 January 1945 at Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, England) is a musicologist and translator known for his work on The popular mythological figure of the pole-dwelling Santa Claus thus functions as an esoteric archetype of spiritual purity and transcendence ([2]). As Henry Corbin has documented, the North Pole plays a key part in the cultural worldview of esoteric Sufism and Iranian mysticism. Henry Corbin ( 14 April 1903 - October 7, 1978 was a Philosopher, Theologian and professor of Islamic Studies at "The Orient sought by the mystic, the Orient that cannot be located on our maps, is in the direction of the north, beyond the north" (Corbin, The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism, trans. N. Pearson, 1978). The Pole is also identified with a mysterious mountain in the Arctic Ocean, called Mount Qaf, whose ascent, like Dante's climbing of the Mountain of Purgatory, represents the pilgrim's progress through spiritual states (ibid. , p. 44). In Iranian theosophy, the heavenly Pole, the focal point of the spiritual ascent, acts as a magnet to draw beings to its "palaces ablaze with immaterial matter" (ibid. , p. 11).

See also

• South Pole
• Polaris
• List of firsts
• Inuit Circumpolar Conference
• Arctic Council
• Circumpolar arctic
• Biome
• North Pole, Alaska
• Global warming

References

External links

• Arctic Council
• The Northern Forum
• North Pole travel guide from Wikitravel
• North Pole Web Cam
• The short Arctic summer of 2004
• The puzzling Arctic summer of 2003
• FAQ on the Arctic and the North Pole
• Polar Controversies Still Rage article by Roderick Eime
• Magnetic Poles locations since 1600 Download the KMZ file. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. For Google Earth Users.
• The Polar Race a biennial race to the 1996 certified position of the Magnetic North Pole
• The Polar Challenge an annual race to the Magnetic North Pole
• Daylight, Darkness and Changing of the Seasons at the North Pole
• Video of scientists on sea ice at the North Pole as it begins to crack underfoot
• Experts warn North Pole will be 'ice free' by 2040
• Goudarzi, Sara, "Meltdown: Ice Cracks at North Pole". Sept 2006, LiveScience, <Web Link>, Accessed 29 January 2007.
• "The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World (first chapter)"
• Video of the Nuclear Icebreaker Yamal visiting the North Pole in 2001
• Polar Discovery: North Pole Observatory Expedition

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