We all know that Antarctica and the Arctic are very cold, just like a world of ice and snow. The temperature often reaches about minus dozens of degrees Celsius. It's not only the technologically advanced human beings, but also the animals growing in the polar regions that have difficulties in survival. So the question is, it's so cold in both regions. Which region is colder than the other? The Arctic or the Antarctic?
According to the observation over the years, the annual average temperature in Antarctica is - 28 ℃, and the lowest temperature is - 89.6 ℃, which is the real world cold pole. The annual average temperature in the Arctic is about 20 ℃ higher than that in the Antarctic. It can be said that the winter in the Arctic is equivalent to the summer in the Antarctic. On the whole, the south pole is much colder than the north pole, so why is it at both ends of the earth, and the south pole is colder than the North Pole?
Scientists believe that there are several reasons why Antarctica is colder than the Arctic:
First, the geological structure of the Antarctic and the Arctic is different. Most of the whole Arctic region is the sea, that is, the Arctic sea or the Arctic Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean is surrounded by continents. Generally speaking, the heat capacity of sea water is larger than that of land, and sea water can absorb more heat, but the rate of heat emission is slower. From this point of view, the Arctic Ocean is like a huge and effective 'heat storage pool'. In summer, it can absorb a lot of heat. In winter, it can reuse the stored heat to slowly heat the Arctic. At the same time, the warm current of the Atlantic Ocean flows through and into the Arctic Ocean, thus increasing the temperature of the Arctic region. In contrast, Antarctica is a self isolated continent with relatively weak heat storage function. In addition, due to the influence of the Antarctic circulation (a cold current), the temperature in the Antarctic Circle is naturally not high.
Secondly, the observation stations in the Antarctic and the Arctic are different. The observation station in the Arctic is located at a lower altitude, while the observation station in the face of the Antarctic is located at a plateau 300 meters above sea level. The air here is thin and the heat emitted by vehicles is easily lost, so the temperature will be lower.
In addition, low temperature leads to no plants and trees in the Antarctic Circle, and only a small amount of moss. In the Arctic Circle, many lush vegetation can be seen in summer, which will also have an impact on the temperature of the region. Because the more vegetation, the more able to absorb a lot of solar radiation, so that the Arctic region can get more solar energy. In contrast, the Antarctic Circle is almost a bare world of ice and snow. Such structures and landforms will reflect a lot of solar radiation, resulting in the inability to absorb too much heat from the sun.
So for all these reasons, we can see that the Antarctic is colder than the Arctic. Do you feel that you have learned a lot of knowledge?