The South Pole is located at the southernmost point of our Earth. It is a part of Antarctica like the Antarctic Peninsula. So if you live in the UK and you want to reach the South Pole you would need to travel approximately 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) southward.
The South Pole is not like any other place in Antarctica, it has many different and unique features and a lot to explore in this article, we will try to cover everything you need to know about the southwest point of the South Pole.
Table of Contents
Geography and Climate
The South Pole is located on a flat, icy plateau at an altitude of 2,835 m (9,301 ft) above sea level but the other parts of Antarctica have more varied terrain, and it includes mountains, valleys, and coastal areas.
The South Pole always has tough weather, unlike other parts of Antarctica that have different weather all year round. The South Pole is really cold, with an average temperature of -56 degrees Fahrenheit (-49 degrees Celsius). Being up high makes it even colder, which makes it different from the rest of Antarctica.
In Antarctica there are lots of places that will have different weather, mainly temperature but that’s not the case for the South Pole. Because of the high altitude and its geographical location the South Pole doesn’t have any seasonal variation and it remains cold throughout the year. And this is one of the big reasons that you will see causes the South Pole to not have Summer like other places in Antarctica.
One other thing we need to talk about is its placement. So, the South Pole is located in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere and because of this it has a different topology. If I have to give you more detailed information; the point where Earth’s magnetic field lines converge is the “South Magnetic Pole” and it is located in a different location because of the constant movement of Earth’s magnetic field.
When you look at the South Pole and Iceland, there’s a big temperature difference. Iceland is in the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle. It is very warm because it’s close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream. In Iceland, temperatures range from -1°C to 12°C (30°F – 54°F) all year. But at the South Pole, it gets really cold, below -50°C (-58°F) in winter.
History of Antarctic South Pole Explorers
The story of South Pole exploration goes way back, over many hundreds of years. Captain James Cook was the first European sailor to go into the Antarctic Circle, and that happened in 1773. But the first person to see the main part of Antarctica was either Edward Bransfield, on a British trip to make maps around the same time as Thaddeus von Bellingshausen, or a Russian trip in January 1820. Businesses were interested in exploring in the late 1700s and early 1800s, especially seal hunters who were making maps of islands and sea paths near Antarctica.
People from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and France joined British and American seal hunters by the middle of the 1800s. The first two decades of the 1900s were called the “heroic era” of exploring Antarctica. During that time, scientists and explorers learned a lot more about the continent.
In 1898–1899, the Belgian ship Belgica stayed on the continent during winter for the first time, and a group of scientists led by Norwegian explorer Carsten E. also stayed on the continent for the winter for the first time as planned.
In 1899, Borchgrevink was at Cape Adare. British naval officer Robert Falcon Scott led several trips to Antarctica. On the Discovery Expedition (1901–1904), he set a new record for going the farthest south. During the Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1913), he and his team reached the South Pole on January 18, 1912, only to find out that Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had already been there 34 days earlier.
The journey of Amundsen, which reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911, is famous for introducing new ways to survive in the harsh Antarctic weather and for using modern technologies like motorized transportation.
The first flight over the South Pole by Richard Byrd and his team in 1929 and the first female landing on Antarctica by Danish Norwegian researcher Caroline Mikkelsen in 1935 were big moments in exploring the South Pole in the 1900s.
Building permanent bases and the International Geophysical Year (IGY) from 1957 to 1958, where 12 nations took part and over 60 stations were set up in Antarctica, shifted the focus of Antarctic exploration more towards scientific research.
Wildlife of the South Pole
Antarctic animals are very special and you will see many different kinds of animals. Lots of animals live there, albatrosses, big sea animals called whales, seals, funny penguins, and small sea animals called krill. But all these animals are seen in the Antarctic, not in the South Pole. Because it’s so very cold at the South Pole, there aren’t many different kinds of animals there.
The South Pole is a harsh and inhospitable environment, but a few kinds of hardy seabirds have been seen flying over this very cold area, like the south polar skua and the snow petrel. These birds are good at living in the super cold and can be seen flying above the icy land of the South Pole. But there aren’t many animals actually living right at the South Pole because it’s too tough, and the most visible animals are found in the waters and on the islands of the Southern Ocean and along the not-so-cold coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. There, the ocean is more productive.
Environmental Concerns of the Antarctic South Pole
There are many environmental concerns about the South Pole. Primarily due to human activities and climate change. There are rules called the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) that control what happens there, especially the rules about protecting the environment.
But some people worry that the rules might not always be followed, like when China might not have done the right studies about how things they want to do will affect the environment. They’re also talking about making a special area just for China to manage.
One of the other issues of Antarctica’s South Pole is Pollution like microplastic pollution in surface waters, sediments, and sea ice. Additionally, Ships and other vehicles that go around the South Pole create pollution through accidents, oil spills, and waste discharges.
People are doing many environmentally negative things, like fishing and hunting many animals, which have had effects on the local and nearby areas. Fishing, which is the main way people make money, might get out of control if we don’t watch it closely. New animals and illnesses are dangerous to the animals that live in Antarctica, so we need to be really careful about keeping things clean.
To stop sickness from spreading to animals in Antarctica, The U.S. The Antarctic Program (USAP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are putting in tough rules and doing our best. Scientists looking at nature are already working hard to deal with old problems and make sure new ones don’t happen. Australia’s plan in Antarctica is all about fixing up old places where people worked and threw away garbage.
Conclusion
There are lots of interesting facts and stuff to know about Antarctica, but the South Pole is one of those places that is full of surprises every time you go deeper. Every time you will learn more fascinating stuff about this place of nature. This place is one of the most important places to humankind because of its unique nature and geography. Because of that, all countries are constantly trying to preserve their state, and as human beings, we also should try to be careful with the environment and help nature to be itself.
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