Interesting Facts

As you may know, The South Pole sits atop an ice sheet that rests on the land formation Antarctica. The eastern and western cratons below have allowed for tectonic activity resulting in the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM). The range is 2500 miles long, spanning the entire length of the continent. Geologists have determined that the TAM are a result of the Ross Orogeny occuring approximately 500 million years ago. At the time, the South Victoria landmass lay on the plate boundaries of eastern and western Antarctica. As the plates drifted toward each other, they pushed up the South Victorian craton. Vinson Massif is the highest peak in the range rising to 4,897 meters.
The spot known as the Geographic North Pole rests atop massive, shifting sheets of polar ice, over 900 km from the nearest land. One consequence of this feature is the difficulty of knowing exactly when one is truly at 90 degrees North. Not only are there no landmarks, the ice itself is moving so quickly that an expedition camping for the night at the Pole can awaken up to four miles away from where they set up camp.

Early expeditions relied upon astronomical navigation and compasses to fix their exact location. This was a time-intensive and error-prone process which made early claims of reaching the Pole sometimes questionable Today, expeditons such as the one organized by VICAAR use the Global Positioning System to quickly pinpoint their exact location. The GPS, as it is known, is a hand-held computer which uses a network of orbiting satellites to determine one's exact coordinates.

Coordinates at North Pole

Another peculiarity of Polar Regions is the length of one day. Because of the declination of the Earth, which is responsible for our seasons, the area above the Arctic circle remains in constant sunlight for several months -- the time during which the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. During the Northern Hemisphere's Fall and Winter months, the North Pole experiences a nearly six month-long night.

What is Wind Chill?

Anyone who has ever waited at a bus stop or taken a walk on a blustery winter day knows that you feel colder when the wind blows. We call the cooling sensation caused by the combined effect of temperature and wind the wind chill. On a calm day, our bodies insulate us somewhat from the outside temperature by warming up a thin layer of air close to our skin, known as the boundary layer. When the wind blows, it takes this protective layer away-exposing our skin to the outside air. It takes energy for our bodies to warm up a new layer, and if each one keeps getting blown away, our skin temperature will drop, and we will feel colder. Wind also makes you feel colder by evaporating any moisture on your skin-a process that draws more heat away from your body. Studies show that when your skin is wet, it loses heat much faster than when it is dry.

How Wind Chill Affects You

Living in a cold country can be hazardous to your health. Each year, in Canada, more than 80 people die from over-exposure to the cold, and many more suffer injuries from hypothermia and frostbite. Wind chill can play a major role in such health hazards because it speeds up the rate at which your body loses heat.

How much heat you lose depends not only on the wind chill, but on other factors as well. Good quality clothing with high insulating properties traps air, creating a thicker boundary layer around the body which keeps in the heat. Wet clothing or footwear loses its insulated value, resulting in body-heat loss nearly equal to that of exposed skin. Your body type also determines how quickly you lose heat-- people with a tall slim build become cold much faster than those that are shorter and heavier.

The polar Sun

In addition, we can also gain heat by increasing our metabolism or soaking up the sun. Physical activity, such as walking or skiing, increases our metabolism and generates more body heat. Age and physical condition also play a part: elderly people and children have less muscle mass, so they generate less body heat. Sunshine, even on a cold winter day, can also make a difference. Bright sunshine can make you feel as much as ten degrees warmer.
Over time, our bodies can also adapt to the cold. People who live in a cold climate are often able to withstand cold better than those from warmer climes