Antarctica and the Arctic are the coldest places on the earth. We need to know that these two continents are the coldest places on the earth. But if we want to compare them, which is colder between the north and south poles? Let's get to know.
Which is colder, the Arctic or the Antarctic
People on earth know that the north and south poles are the coldest places in the world. They are covered with ice and snow all the year round. But if the north pole is colder than the south pole, it must be the South Pole. The average temperature in Antarctica is from - 25 ℃ to - 30 ℃, and the lowest temperature is - 89.6 ℃. The average temperature in the Arctic is about - 10 ℃, and the lowest temperature is - 70 ℃.
From the above data, it is enough to prove which is colder in the Arctic or the Antarctic. The temperature in the south pole is about 20 ℃ lower than that in the North Pole. Why? The main reason is that the terrain is different. If you have a globe at hand, you will find that in the Arctic, most of the area is the blue Arctic Ocean.
In Antarctica, one of the seven continents in the world, most of the area is land. As we all know, compared with land, sea water has a large heat capacity, which not only has a strong ability to absorb heat, but also has a slow heat emission rate.
Why is the Antarctic colder than the Arctic
So the Arctic Ocean is like a huge and effective 'heat storage pool'. In summer, it can absorb a lot of heat. In winter, it uses the stored heat to heat the Arctic slowly, which is the main reason why the Antarctic is colder than the Arctic. Now you know which is colder in the Arctic or the Antarctic!
The second reason is the altitude. The average altitude of the Antarctic is 2350 meters, which is the highest continent in the world. Nearly two-thirds of the Arctic area is ocean, with an average elevation only equal to sea level. As the saying goes, "it's too high to be cold". It's reasonable that the south pole is colder than the North Pole.
The Antarctic continent is basically unable to retain the solar radiation energy. Most of the solar radiation is reflected back by the permanent ice and snow in the Antarctic. That is to say, Antarctica is the continent and the Arctic is the sea. That's why Antarctica is colder than the Arctic, so now you know which is colder!
Because of the cold in Antarctica, there is no one country in the territory, nor belongs to any one country. Some countries have divided Antarctica into sectors and claimed that they belong to themselves, but they are not universally recognized by the international community. The Arctic is penetrated by the territory of eight countries, which shows that the Antarctic is frightfully cold!