POLAR REGIONS: CHARACTERISTICS, LOCATION, CLIMATE, FLORA, FAUNA, RELIEF - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The polar regions are the areas of the Earth located around the north and south poles of the planet. In the case of the northern hemisphere, the polar region called the Arctic is made up of ice and masses of liquid ocean water. While in the southern hemisphere there is a continental land mass, Antarctica.

They extend from the 66º parallel to the extreme north in the northern hemisphere and from the 60º parallel to the south in the southern hemisphere. The polar regions are characterized by an extreme cold climate and the presence of permanent ice sheets. Temperatures drop to -98ºC in the Antarctic and down to -68ºC in the Arctic.

Location of the polar regions. Source:

The flora is scarce in both polar regions, being restricted to the presence of mosses, fungi, herbs and algae. The dominant angiosperms are grasses and sedges and fauna is abundant, especially marine mammals.

In the marine waters the species of seals and whales abound, as well as many species of fish. The Arctic polar region also includes the polar bear, reindeer, Arctic wolf and many other terrestrial species.

The relief of the Arctic polar region is mostly flat, with a seascape dominated by floating ice masses. While Antarctica is a continent with many areas above 2,000 meters above sea level.

The polar regions are of great geopolitical importance due to the large amount of natural resources that exist there. These include fresh water, hydrocarbons, and mineral and fishery resources.

General characteristics

Both polar regions have in common the extreme cold climate and the presence of ice as the protagonist of the landscape. Beyond that, these regions show important differences.

- Arctic or Arctic polar region

It is an oceanic area dominated by floating ice sheets, where there is only land on the peripheral continental coasts and islands. The floating ice or ice pack varies from 1 to 5 meters thick, frequently forming the so-called icebergs or icebergs.

Iceberg in the Arctic. Source: AWeith

Icebergs are large masses of hard ice that are carried by currents and only one eighth of their volume emerges. This makes them a danger to navigation, as the famous case of the sinking of the Titanic demonstrated.

Floors

The most relevant of the soils of the few terrestrial areas of the Arctic polar region is the presence of permafrost. These are soils with a permanently frozen layer, which occurs continuously in areas with average temperatures below -5 ° C.

In those areas with temperatures between 0 ° C and -5 ° C, intermittent permafrost occurs during the year.

Thaw

Global warming is causing the Arctic ice to melt, causing serious environmental disruption. Among these, marine currents are affected, as temperatures change, as well as ecological imbalances.

- Antarctic or Antarctic polar region

This region is the fourth largest continent with 14 million square kilometers. Except for the Antarctic Peninsula, which is the northernmost territory, the rest of the continent is covered by a 1.9 km ice sheet.

One of the serious problems in this region is the thawing product of global warming. As it is land covered with ice, the melting of said ice adds volume to the seawater.

Therefore, the rise in sea level is generated with the negative effects that this entails worldwide.

Icebergs

As a result of this thawing process, the largest icebergs are generated in Antarctica. However, the ocean currents in the area keep them confined close to the mainland.

- The hole in the ozone layer

In the upper part of the atmosphere there is an ozone layer (O3) whose function is to filter the ultraviolet rays coming from the Sun. This layer has been affected worldwide by the effect of certain polluting gases that destroy ozone.

Cyclical phenomenon

The ozone layer is thinner over the polar regions, these areas are called holes in the ozone layer. It is an annual cyclical phenomenon, reducing the thickness in spring and increasing in summer.

Implications

This has the consequence that the penetration of ultraviolet radiation is much greater in the polar regions, with the consequent effects on global warming. This is especially relevant due to the impact on the melting of polar ice, which is more marked over Antarctica.

Location

The polar regions are the areas that form ice caps around the North and South geographic poles of the Earth.

This corresponds to the north polar region the area delimited by the Arctic circle north of the parallel of latitude 66 ° 33′52 ″ N.

For its part, for the south polar region it encompasses the area defined south of the 60º latitude parallel, called the Antarctic polar circle.

Arctic or Arctic polar region

The areas that belong to the Arctic polar region are defined by the isotherm of 10 ºC in the month of July. That is, the line that joins all the points whose temperature reaches a maximum of 10ºC in the month of July.

Geographical location of the Arctic. Source: Heraldry

In these terms, the Arctic encompasses the entire north coast of Alaska (United States), Canada and the Queen Elizabeth Islands, Greenland (Denmark) and almost all of Iceland. It also includes the northern coast of Norway, northern part of Sweden and Finland, northern coast of Russia, the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea and part of the North Atlantic.

Antarctic polar region or Antarctica

The Antarctic Treaty (1959) delimits this region from the 60th parallel, to include the entire Antarctic (with the entire Antarctic Peninsula). The sovereignty of Antarctica is governed by this treaty signed by 12 countries and signed by another 38.

Geographical location of Antarctica. Source: TUBS

Argentina and Chile have territorial claims on the Antarctic Peninsula, as do Australia, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Weather

In general terms, the polar regions present an extreme cold climate with long winters that, at the geographic poles, last almost the whole year. Solar radiation is lower due to the oblique angle in which the solar rays strike, but ultraviolet radiation is high due to the reflection of the snow.

In both regions there is at least one day in which the Sun does not set completely in 24 hours (summer solstice). There is also a day when the Sun does not rise completely (winter solstice). At the poles, both north and south, winter lasts six months and summer the other six months.

Arctic or Arctic polar region

In mid-winter the temperature can drop to -68 ºC, with winds that can reach up to 97 km / h. In the peripheral areas the temperature in summer rises to 10 ºC and rainfall in the form of snow and rain reaches between 600 and 1,200 mm per year.

Antarctic polar region or Antarctica

It is a vast frozen desert with low rainfall (average 10 mm) and temperatures that can drop to -98 ºC. The average temperature in the summer does not exceed 0 ºC, being the coldest region on the planet.

Thermal inversions

In these regions, thermal inversions are common, that is, an unusual increase in temperature with height. This is because the denser cold air remains at ground level, while the warm air rises.

Flora

Due to the extreme climate the vegetation of the polar regions is scarce, but it is possible to find some groups represented.

Arctic or Arctic polar region

Vegetation in the Arctic region is restricted to peripheral continental coasts and islands. In these lands, the Tundra biome dominates, consisting mainly of mosses, as well as some grasses and sedges.

Tundra in Greenland (Arctic). Source: Hannes Grobe 20:21, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

The 10 ºC isotherm limits the northern tree line, so no forests develop from the Arctic Circle. Among the most common species of mosses are those of the genera Sphagnum and Scorpidium, and there are more than 1,000 species of lichens.

Among the common sedges in this region are species of the genera Carex and Eriophorum. In the case of grasses, species of the genera Poa and Deschampsia are frequent.

Antarctic polar region or Antarctica

The cold and dry interior of the Antarctic continent lacks vegetation, being restricted to the coastal and island areas and the Antarctic Peninsula. In these areas grasses and mosses predominate, with relevance of grasses.

Angiosperm species in the few coastal vegetated areas are Antarctic grass (Deschampsia antartica) and Antarctic carnation (Colobanthus quitensis). It is noteworthy that Antarctic grass has the peculiarity of being resistant to ultraviolet radiation.

On the other hand, mosses, lichens, fungi, terrestrial and aquatic algae abound. About 75 species and the same number of species of mosses are known of the fungi.

Fauna

Although terrestrial fauna is found, especially in the Arctic polar region, the greatest diversity is in the aquatic fauna.

- Arctic or Arctic polar region

Land mammals

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Source: Alan Wilson

Carnivores such as the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) and the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) inhabit the Arctic region. Also herbivores such as the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), the musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) and the arctic hare (Lepus arcticus).

Sea mammals

Marine mammals include the walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) and various species of seals such as the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus). Narwhal (Monodon monoceros), beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) and whales such as the Greenland whale (Balaena mysticetus) also inhabit this region.

Birds

Among the birds are the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) and the arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea).

- Antarctic or Antarctic polar region

Birds

The most characteristic birds of this region are the penguins (Spheniscidae family), with 6 genera and 18 species. Among these species are the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes fosteri) and the royal penguin (Aptenodytes patagonica).

Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) in Antarctica. Source: Christopher Michel

Albatrosses such as the so-called wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) and petrels such as the giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) also live here. Similarly, the cormorants (family Phalacrocoracidae) are presented, with the blue-eyed cormorant (Phalacrocorax atriceps) that lives in the Antarctic peninsula.

Seals

In the Antarctic polar region there are 5 species of seals, including the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) and the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus). We also find the marine leopard or leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) and the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina).

Whales

Species of two orders of whales, toothless and toothed whales, inhabit the waters of the Antarctic region. Among the former is the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), while among the toothed is the killer whale (Orcinus orca).

Relief

Arctic or Arctic polar region

Almost the entire area of ​​the Arctic polar region consists of water, the mainland being restricted to Greenland and the continental coasts. These are mostly coastal lowlands, with the exception of the Siberian plateau and the Taimir peninsula in Russia.

Also featured are the northernmost foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alaska in North America and the Scandinavian Mountains in northern Europe.

Antarctic polar region or Antarctica

It is the continent with the highest average height, reaching heights in many areas above 2,000 meters above sea level. Although maps using radar images show rugged relief, the thick layer of ice that covers it makes it very uniform.

The deepest land point on continental land is in eastern Antarctica, under the Denman Glacier. This glacier is a 20 km wide canyon filled with ice with a depth of 3.5 km below sea level.

Geopolitical importance

The polar regions have great geopolitical importance due to the existence in them of strategic mineral deposits. In the same way, the climatic processes that take place in them are decisive for the planet's environmental balance.

On the other hand, fisheries resources and maritime and air navigation routes are also of great strategic importance.

Arctic or Arctic polar region

According to the Council on Foreign Relations of the United States, the Arctic is strategic given the extensive hydrocarbon resources that exist there. According to the United States Energy Information Administration, 61 large oil and natural gas fields have been discovered in the Arctic.

Of these fields, 43 belong to Russia, 11 to the United States, 6 to Canada and 1 to Norway. Taking into account that these areas are the subject of territorial disputes, it should be considered a potential source of geopolitical conflicts.

Antarctic polar region or Antarctica

Unlike the Arctic polar region, in Antarctica there is greater uncertainty regarding existing mineral resources. This has to do with technological limitations to explore the earth under an ice sheet more than two kilometers thick.

Landscape of Antarctica. Source: Andrew Mandemaker

On the other hand, there are limitations for the exploitation of minerals imposed by international treaties. Most of the accessible hydrocarbons are estimated to be in the Weddell, Bellingshausen and Ross Sea basins.

Natural resources

Due to the climatic difficulties for the exploration of the territory, it is considered that there must be mineral resources still unknown in the polar regions. However, from what is already known, there are important natural resources in both the Arctic and Antarctica.

- Sweet water

Antarctica has 90% of the planet's ice and stores more than 70% of fresh water.

- Hydrocarbons

It is estimated that 25% of the hydrocarbons not yet discovered are in the Arctic, 80% of which are in the oceanic subsoil.

- Minerals

Arctic

It is estimated that in the subsoil of the Arctic Ocean there are significant reserves of tin, manganese, gold, nickel, lead and platinum.

Antarctica

In Antarctica there are large deposits of coal in the trans-Antarctic mountains and iron near the Prince Charles Mountain of East Antarctica. In the same way, it is considered that there are important gold and copper reserves in this continent.

- Fishing resources

The cold waters of the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans are rich in nutrients and are home to a large number of fishery resources. An example of this is the Arctic cod fishery in the Barents Sea.

Recently (2017) an international convention was established to ban fishing in the central Arctic Ocean. This seeks to allow the scientific studies necessary to carry out a rational exploitation of these resources.

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