Compared to the Antarctic, mammals abound in the Arctic on seasonal sea ice. However, they are quite different. Some Arctic regions are covered with ice that is 4 to 5 meters (12 to 15 feet) thick. Great description; It is a good idea to put images to complement the description. In sum, comparing the Arctic and Antarctic when analyzing political and institutional issues leads to the all-to-common apple-and-pear comparison. It is true that there are no bears in Antarctica, but the name comes from a Roman version of the Greek word that is antarktike. The Arctic and parts of Antarctica are among the fastest-warming places on Earth. The Arctic vs. the Antarctic . In other words, Arctic and Antarctic can be defined as regions related to North and South poles. In fact, the largest land animal on the continent is … It holds the coldest temperature record at -129F, and winds in the winter here can reach up to 200 miles per hour. Antarctic has remained an unpopulated area throughout the history. Conversely, in western Europe, the northern coast of Norway at 70 degrees north latitude (2,000 kilometers, or 1,243 miles, farther north than Newfoundland or Japan) generally remains ice-free. If you can get past those icy temperatures, however, the Arctic and Antarctic regions are completely unique. The Arctic and the Antarctic show differences in their environment, weather, animal and plant life, human activity, and the like. Polar Animal Sort: Arctic vs Antarctic By Devany | Labels: For our final lesson in our polar animal unit, we sorted polar animals from the arctic and antarctic. Also, because there is no land boundary to the north, the sea ice is free to float northward into warmer waters where it eventually melts. When scientists talk about the cryosphere, they mean the places on Earth where water is in its solid form, frozen into ice or snow. Difference Between Longitude and Latitude, Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms, Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza, Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19, Difference Between HTC Droid DNA and Google Nexus 4, Difference Between Pacific Time and Eastern Time, Difference Between Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Difference Between Nitronium Nitrosonium and Nitrosyl, Difference Between Trichloroacetic Acid and Trifluoroacetic Acid, Difference Between Group I and Group II Introns, Difference Between Ion Channel and Ion Pump, Difference Between Dielectric Constant and Dielectric Strength, Difference Between Endocytosis and Endoreduplication. While thickness varies significantly within both regions, Antarctic ice is typically 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) thick, while most of the Arctic is covered by sea ice 2 to 3 meters (6 to 9 feet) thick. Looking for facts and information? It has indigenous people such as Inuits, Indians and Siberians. The Arctic gets an average of less than 20 inches of annual precipitation, and the Antarctic is functionally a desert—the area around the South Pole gets six inches of precipitation in an average year. See About the Cryosphere. Other than polar bears, there are other marine mammals such as whales, seals and walrus in the artic. Both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extent are characterized by fairly large variations from year to year. Where are the penguins? Polar travel like most forms of travel is on the rise. The Antarctic is land surrounded by ocean. • Arctic area has trees while Antarctic does not. • Antarctica is a continent surrounded by the world’s stormiest seas. Read their blog ... Icelights: Answers to your burning questions about ice and climate. The polar regions cover the ends of the Earth like caps, and the Arctic is just slightly larger than Antarctica. The primary difference between the Arctic and the Antarctic is a geological one. The Arctic: Cruising season is determined largely by the sea ice. What's hot in the news around climate and sea ice and what are scientists talking about now? The Arctic covers an area of approximately 14.5 million square km (5.5 million square miles). Although sea ice moves around the Arctic basin, it tends to stay in the cold Arctic waters. Arctic and Antarctic differ a lot when it comes to the human activity and animal and plant life existent on them. an ocean, covered by a thin layer of perennial sea ice and surrounded by land. But what about the differences in sea ice between the two regions? The Arctic is largely sea, with the north pole over 400 miles away from the nearest land mass. Under the ice and snow is land, not ocean. This is consistent with observations of a warming Arctic. Also, the region is devoid of masses of algae. Read more ... Because the Arctic and Antarctic are cold, dark, and remote, we often think these two places are nearly the same. When you look at the globe, Arctic is the region on the top-most corner of the world. For instance, in the 16th century, the colony that was built … They might be at opposite ends of the planet but, for many, the magnetic polar regions of Antarctica and the Arctic remain side by side on many a once-in-a-lifetime travel wish list. Because sea ice does not stay in the Antarctic as long as it does in the Arctic, it does not have the opportunity to grow as thick as sea ice in the Arctic. 7. The Antarctic or the south-pole is what is below you. Both the Arctic and Antarctic are solid ice, with snow on top. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the most powerful ocean current on the planet. It is devoid of towns and living places. The Antarctic is characterized by the blowing of strong winds. Water from the Pacific Ocean and several rivers in Russia and Canada provide fresher, less dense water to the Arctic Ocean. Of the 15 million square kilometers (5.8 million square miles) of sea ice that exist during winter, on average, 7 million square kilometers (2.7 million square miles) remain at the end of the summer melt season. Quiz: Arctic vs Antarctic: Can you tell which is which? See how well you know the Poles and the regions surrounding them. • Arctic is the region on the top-most corner of the globe while Antarctic at the bottom most corner. That is Arctic is at the North pole and Antarctic at the South pole. As a result, the sea ice that forms in the Arctic is not as mobile as sea ice in the Antarctic. This cold, fresh water layer typically allows more ice growth in the Arctic than the Antarctic. Filed Under: Earth Tagged With: Antarctic, Arctic, arctic and antarctic, Continent, Eskimos, Igloos, Penguins, Polar bears, seals, Koshal is a graduate in Language Studies with a Master's Degree in Linguistics. They keep Antarctica far colder than the Arctic. Thus, Antarctica means opposite of Arctic land, “Anti-” plus the Arctic which forms a compound word. Antarctic sea ice does not reach the South Pole, extending only to about 75 degrees south latitude (in the Ross and Weddell Seas), because of the Antarctic continent. • On the other hand, the Arctic is an ocean with the masses of other lands in the circle. Antarctic and … The Arctic region has towns and other living places. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } The Arctic is a semi-enclosed ocean, almost completely surrounded by land. It is surrounded by Greenland, Canada, and Russia. Watch more with these video collections: algae animation Antarctica arctic bacteria birds climate climate change cold continents desert Earth fungi geography glaciers ice nature ocean Penguins phytoplankton polar bear science seasons snow temperature weather zooplankton. So some Arctic sea ice remains through the summer and continues to grow the following autumn. Camille Seaman describes how enterprising people and organisms have found ways to reside … • However, the Antarctic region is qualified by the presence of marine mammals such as penguins, whales and seals. It does not have indigenous people nor have any large land animals. The Arctic. Camille Seaman describes how enterprising people and organisms have found ways to reside … The Arctic pole is located in the Northern Hemisphere within the deep Arctic Ocean, while the Antarctic pole is smack in the middle of the ice-covered Antarctica. One thing worth keeping in mind is that global average surface temperature is rising, but not all regions are warmi… At a glance, the two extremes of planet earth seem almost identical – cold, snowy and untamed. Arctic vs. Antarctic. Here, the Arctic sea ice receives less solar energy at the surface because the sun's rays strike at a more oblique angle, compared to lower latitudes. Unlike the north, it is a continent entirely surrounded by the ocean. According to scientific measurements, both the thickness and extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic have shown a dramatic decline over the past 30 years. These warmer waters can flow into the Arctic and prevent sea ice from forming in the North Atlantic. Characteristics of Antarctica and the Arctic Antarctica is a continent surrounded by ocean, while the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents. The Arctic region is also characterized by the presence of trees such as Tundra and flowering plants. No land animals live in Antarctica but the surrounding seas have seal species such as Weddell, leopard, ross, crabeater, elephant and the Antarctic fur sea, penguin species like adelie, emperor and chinstrap and orcas (killer whales) and blue whales. You find polar bears in the Arctic but not in the Antarctic. But few things so perfectly express the polarities of our planet as its literal magnetic poles – or more generally, the Arctic (north) vs. Antarctica (south). From October to March, large patches of the Arctic Ocean are frozen making them almost impossible to navigate. This is helped by the fact that Arctic territories are connected to continents like North America, Europe or Asia; while Antarctic is a harsh and isolated continent. However, Antarctic sea ice forms ridges much less often than sea ice in the Arctic. When it comes to animal behavior, you would find fierce animals in the Arctic region. The above images reveal another notable difference in sea ice. Though both are snow filled areas, there is a difference between Arctic and Antarctic. • The Arctic has indigenous people such as Inuits, Indians and Siberians, but Antarctic remains unpopulated. “Anti-” is commonly a synonym for the opposite in English as well as in Greek. Antarctica is a continent surrounded by water. Share Tweet. The world contains a virtually limitless supply of things to compare, contrast, juxtapose, differentiate. It, and the winds that drive it, isolate Antarctica from the rest of the world. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. Fortunately for Arctic and Antarctic travelers, all polar expeditions take place during the summer months, when the weather in the Arctic and Antarctica is quite mild! We’ve investigated exactly what makes the Arctic and Antarctica … Penguins live in the Antarctic. The Arctic is not as cold as the Antarctic for two main reasons, firstly the effect of the sea that doesn't fall below -2°C which means that the whole of the arctic polar region and coastal regions are kept relatively warm even though the sea is covered by ice. The Arctic refers to the area around the … So the Arctic Ocean has a layer of cold, fresh water near the surface with warmer, saltier water below. The monthly average extent can vary by as much as 1 million square kilometers (386,102 square miles) from the year-to-year monthly average. For more information on current sea ice conditions see the Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis Web page. While Antarctica is nearly completely ice, the Artic has mountains, hills, plains, rivers, tundra, and the taiga, the world’s largest biome. Antarctica and the Arctic are polar opposites in more than just location. Note: Choosing between the Arctic and Antarctica will depend heavily on what time of year you’re able to travel. The Arctic pole is located in the Northern Hemisphere within the deep Arctic Ocean, while the Antarctic pole is smack in the middle of the ice-covered Antarctica. The Arctic vs Antarctic: which should you visit? Simply tell us if you think the answer is the Arctic, Antarctica, or perhaps even both… Humans cannot live in the Arctic. But, masses of algae can be found in the Antarctic region. While thickness varies significantly within both regions, Antarctic ice is typically 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) thick, while most of the Arctic is covered by sea ice 2 to 3 meters (6 to 9 feet) thick. It is interesting to note the difference in the behavior of animals of the Arctic and the Antarctic regions. In contrast, the Arctic is asymmetric, with much more ice in some longitudes than others. Typical animals in Arctic vs Antarctic: Polar bears. Arctic vs. Antarctica: Which Is Right For Your Next Expedition? View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-arctic-vs-the-antarctic-camille-seamanHow can you tell the two poles apart? The Arctic is a sea of ice surrounded by land and located at the highest latitudes of the northern hemisphere. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. For example, sea ice off the eastern coast of Canada extends south of Newfoundland to 50 degrees north latitude, and ice off the eastern coast of Russian extends to Bohai Bay, China, at about 38 degrees north latitude. Antarctica is quite a small continent that nobody can visit. The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by … Polar bears live in the Arctic. In the Antarctic, on the other hand, signs of change due to global-scale warming are absent or inconclusive. The eastern Canadian coast is also fed by southward-flowing cold water currents that make it easier for sea ice to grow. • Arctic has a large range of marine and terrestrial animals such as whales, polar bears, wolves, etc., but Antarctic does not have any large land animals. All rights reserved. The Arctic is characterized by the blowing of mild winds. However, Arctic sea ice can extend all the way to the North Pole. Arctic is characterized by the presence of the Eskimos and the Igloos. Key Difference: The most obvious difference between Antarctic and Arctic is that Antarctic is located in the southern hemisphere and encompasses the South Pole region, whereas Arctic is located in the northern hemisphere and encompasses the North Pole region. Ocean currents and winds explain these differences. This year’s state of the climate report confirms that signs of a warming climate are everywhere in the Arctic: rising temperatures, retreating and thinning sea ice, reduced snow cover, warming permafrost, shrinking glaciers, and thinning ice sheets. It is important to note that Antarctica is a continent surrounded by the world’s stormiest seas whereas the Arctic is an ocean with the masses of other lands in the circle. So the ocean warms the air a bit. The Arctic is ocean surrounded by land. The waters off the eastern coasts of Canada and Russia are affected by cold air moving off the land from the west. However, nowadays, scientists have impermanent camps in Antarctic. Antarctica is dry—and high. The main difference between Arctic and Antarctic is that the Arctic is a polar region on the Earth's northern hemisphere and Antarctic is a region around the Earth's South Pole. As a whole, the Arctic is home to far more animals than the Antarctic. The Arctic is a region of shared resources and ecosystems with a complex institutional system and actors. (See Trends in the Environment section). These converging floes makes Arctic ice thicker. This quiz couldn’t be more straightforward. Floes are more prone to converge, or bump into each other, and pile up into thick ridges. On Thin Ice: This is the reason why the Antarctic region is considered colder and windier than the Arctic region. The open ocean allows the forming sea ice to move more freely, resulting in higher drift speeds. The Arctic is a circle of land masses intermingled by the Arctic Ocean, while Antarctica is a solid island of ice. Scientists blog from Antarctica and provide a glimpse of what it's like to do research in the field. Why are the Arctic and Antarctic so different? Antarctica, however, is entirely surrounded by ocean, so moisture is more readily available. Antarctica vs Arctic Climate In the battle for extremes, Antarctica takes the win here. One of the most accessible and ready-to-use lesson plans for this topic was created by the Alaska SeaLife Center. This trend is a major sign of climate change in the polar regions and may be an indicator of the effects of global warming. Snowfall tends to be low, except near the ice edge. As a result, almost all of the sea ice that forms during the Antarctic winter melts during the summer. Polar oceans are too cold for most life. You find penguins in the Antarctic but not in the arctic. It is interesting to note that the Arctic region was found long before the Antarctic region was found. Because the Arctic Ocean is mostly covered by ice and surrounded by land, precipitation is relatively rare. Before Antarctica officially acquired its name, the phrase was used to describe places that contrasted the north. Nowadays, scientists have impermanent camps in Antarctic. But, the Antarctic region is qualified by the presence of marine mammals such as penguins, whales and seals. Both poles carry some similarities but they are not at all the same. Because sea ice does not stay in the Antarctic as long as it does in the Arctic, it does not have the opportunity to grow as thick as sea ice in the Arctic. One notable difference is that polar bears live only in the Arctic, and penguins live only in the Antarctic. Flora: Mainly tundra and flowering plants. The Arctic and Antarctica have many things in common, and one is their size. Animals found on the Antarctic region are calm in nature. Antarctica is covered by ice throughout the year, less than 5% of Antarctica is free of ice. Also, while the Antarctic region is covered with snow all thorough the year, the Arctic lands generally have a summer, free from ice and snow. Arctic is the region on the top-most corner of the globe while Antarctic at the bottom most corner. And it’s got mountains. The Antarctic is almost a geographic opposite of the Arctic, because Antarctica is a land mass surrounded by an ocean. Antarctica means 'no bears are all mythical'. The presence of ridge ice and its longer life cycle leads to ice that stays frozen longer during the summer melt. Summer temperatures in the Arctic usually range between -3°C (26.6°F) and 10°C (50° … In some months, the trends in Antarctic ice extent are statistically significant at the 95 percent level, although small. Not only Polar bears, other terrestrial animals or land animals such as wolves, foxes, hares, reindeer, lemmings and oxen can also be seen in the Arctic region. Antarctic sea ice tends to be covered by thicker snow, which may accumulate to the point that the weight of snow pushes the ice below sea level, causing the snow to become flooded by salty ocean waters. Some Arctic regions are covered with ice that is 4 to 5 meters (12 to 15 feet) thick. When you look at the globe, Antarctic is the region on the bottom-most corner of the world. Home | Contact Us© 2021, National Snow and Ice Data Center :: Advancing knowledge of Earth's frozen regions, Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), NASA Distributed Active Archive Center at NSIDC (NSIDC DAAC), All About Arctic Climatology & Meteorology, Sea Ice Index (Passive microwave satellite data), MASIE (Daily sea ice extent, multi-source). Polar bears are seen in plenty in the arctic region. In contrast, the Arctic region north of the Atlantic Ocean is open to the warmer waters from the south, because of the way the ocean currents flow. Secondly, Antarctica is the highest of all the continents at an average height of 2,300m (7,546 feet or 1.4 miles) more than twice the average height of Asia, the next in line and 3-6 times as high as the other continents. The Antarctic region has no trees too. It is almost impossible to verify how many people visit the Arctic but during the 2009-2010 tourist season, over 37,000 people visited Antarctica – twice the estimated 14,000 that visited in the 1999-2000 season 10 years before. The ocean under the Arctic ice is cold, but still warmer than the ice! Expedition to a Crumbling Ice Shelf. The pattern of Antarctic maximum sea ice is roughly symmetric around the pole, forming a circle around Antarctica. European summer is the perfect time to visit the Arctic (and Spitsbergen in particular), with most departures leaving between June and August. A belt of floating mass of ice debris called the ice pack surrounds the continent of Antarctica. To read NSIDC press releases on recent Arctic sea ice minima, see the Arctic Sea Ice Press Announcements Archive on the Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis Web page. If it’… Land vs. water. Did you know that arctic means "bear" and antacrtic means "no bear"? Antarctica is mostly an ice sheet, with the south pole located some 800 miles from the sea. A cold desolate continent covered in miles of ice and snow year-round, the south pole of Antarctica … Sea ice differs between the Arctic and Antarctic, primarily because of their different geography. In the Antarctic, the currents and winds tend to flow without interruption around the continent in a west-to-east direction, acting like a barricade to warmer air and water to the north. Also, a belt of floating mass of ice debris called the ice pack surrounds the continent of Antarctica. this video shows the difference between the arctic and the antarctic. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal. 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