North Pole

The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is the northernmost point on the Earth, lying antipodally to the South Pole. At the North Pole, all directions point south, and all lines of longitude come together.

The North Pole sits in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, covered by shifting sea ice. Unlike the South Pole, which is on land, the North Pole is far from any permanent settlement. The closest land is Kaffeklubben Island, off the coast of Greenland, while the nearest inhabited place is Alert on Ellesmere Island, Canada.

People have tried to reach the North Pole since the late 1800s. The first undisputed group to reach it was the airship Norge in 1926, led by Roald Amundsen. Others had claimed to get there before, but later reviews questioned those claims. The first people to walk to the North Pole were a Soviet group in 1948, and the first to drive there over the ice were a group using snowmobiles in 1968.

Precise definition

The North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth. It is where the Earth's axis of rotation meets the surface. The Earth's axis wobbles a little, so the North Pole moves a few meters over time. Scientists track these changes to know the exact position of the North Pole.

Exploration

Many people thought the North Pole was surrounded by water, so it seemed like a good place to explore. Early explorers used ships to try to reach it, but they often faced thick ice and very cold weather.

Some famous early attempts include British naval officer William Edward Parry reaching a high latitude in 1827, and the Polaris expedition led by Charles Francis Hall in 1871. Other notable journeys include Fridtjof Nansen’s ski expedition in 1895 and Salomon August Andrée’s balloon attempt in 1897.

Later in the 20th century, many more people tried to reach the North Pole. Some used airplanes, like Richard E. Byrd in 1926, while others traveled on foot with dog teams, like Wally Herbert in 1969. Submarines also visited the area under the ice. Today, trips to the North Pole are more common, with tourists and scientists both making the journey.

Time and day and night

At the North Pole, the sun stays up all day in summer and stays down all day in winter. The sun appears around March 20th and moves slowly across the sky. It reaches its highest point around June 21st. After that, it moves lower each day until it disappears around September 23rd. When the sun is visible, it moves in a circle in the sky instead of rising and setting like it does closer to the equator.

There are different kinds of twilight—light before sunrise and after sunset—that last for a few weeks each. These special patterns happen because the Earth leans at an angle and travels around the sun. The North Pole points toward the sun in summer and away from it in winter. Since the North Pole does not have a specific longitude, people there choose a time zone that is convenient for them, like Greenwich Mean Time.

Main articles: Sunrise, Sunset, Axial tilt, Greenwich Mean Time

Climate, sea ice at North Pole

Main article: Climate of the Arctic

See also: Climate change in the Arctic

The North Pole is warmer than the South Pole because it is at sea level in the middle of the ocean. Even though it is covered in ice, the northernmost weather station in Greenland can have summer temperatures just above freezing.

Winter temperatures at this weather station can be very cold, ranging from about −50 to −13 °C, with averages around −31 °C. Sometimes, during special storms, temperatures can get much warmer than usual. Summer temperatures usually stay around freezing, and the warmest temperature ever recorded at the North Pole was about 13 °C.

The sea ice at the North Pole is usually about 2 to 3 meters thick, but this can change quickly due to weather and climate patterns. Scientists have noticed that the ice has been getting thinner over recent years, possibly because of global warming. Some predictions suggest that within a few decades, the Arctic Ocean might have no ice at all during the summer.

Flora and fauna

Polar bears rarely go past about 82° North because there isn’t much food. But they have been seen close to the North Pole. Ringed seals and Arctic foxes have also been spotted nearby.

Birds like the snow bunting, northern fulmar, and black-legged kittiwake have been seen at or near the Pole. Some fish live in the waters there, but not many. In 2007, a dive to the seabed found a sea anemone, shrimps, and amphipods.

Territorial claims to the North Pole and Arctic regions

Main article: Territorial claims in the Arctic

No country owns the North Pole or the Arctic Ocean. Five countries near the Arctic—Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark (through Greenland), and the United States—can control waters up to 200 nautical miles from their coasts. Beyond this area, the ocean floor is managed by the International Seabed Authority.

Countries that follow United Nations rules for ocean areas can ask to control parts of the ocean floor beyond their 200-mile zone. Norway, Russia, Canada, and Denmark have started projects to support their claims to parts of the Arctic ocean floor. Canada once claimed a path to the North Pole using a special rule, but this claim is not used much today.

Cultural associations

In many children’s stories about Christmas, the North Pole is where Santa Claus lives and works. Some stories give it a special postal code, H0H 0H0, inspired by Santa’s famous laugh, “Ho ho ho!”.

The North Pole has been important in many old beliefs. Some traditions see it as a special place with spiritual meanings. For example, in Sufism and Iranian mysticism, the North is mysterious and special. In Mandaean cosmology, the North Pole and the star Polaris are symbols of light and hope.