South Pole

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

South Pole

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on the surface of the EarthEarth

Earth is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth largest....
. It lies on the continent of AntarcticaAntarctica

Antarctica is the southernmost continent and encompasses the South Pole....
, on the opposite side of the Earth from the North PoleNorth Pole

The North Pole is the northernmost point on the Earth and is on the opposite side of the Earth from the South Pole....
. It is the site of the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
Amundsen-Scott South Pole StationAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station

| |-| |}The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is an American research station at the South Pole, in Antarctica....
, which was established in 1956 and has been permanently staffed since that year. The Geographic South Pole should not be confused with the South Magnetic PoleSouth Magnetic Pole

The Earth's South Magnetic Pole is the wandering point on the Earth's surface where the geomagnetic field lines are directed...
.
Geography
For most purposes, the Geographic South Pole is defined as the southern point of the two points where the earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface (the other being the Geographic North PoleNorth Pole

The North Pole is the northernmost point on the Earth and is on the opposite side of the Earth from the South Pole....
). However, the earth's axis of rotation is actually subject to very small 'wobbles', so this definition is not adequate for very precise work; see Geographic North PoleFacts About North Pole

The North Pole is the northernmost point on the Earth and is on the opposite side of the Earth from the South Pole....
for further information.

The coordinates of the South Pole are usually given simply as 90°S, since its longitude is geometrically undefined and irrelevant.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'South Pole'

Start a new discussion about 'South Pole'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Timeline

1909 Ernest Shackleton's expedition finds the magnetic South Pole.

1911 Roald Amundsen's expedition reaches the South Pole

1912 British polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott and a team of four begin the second expedition to reach the South Pole.

1912 Roald Amundsen announces discovery of the South Pole

1912 Lawrence Oates, ill member of Scott's South Pole expedition leaves the tent saying, "I am just going outside and may be some time"

1929 US Admiral Richard Byrd becomes the first person to fly over the South Pole.

Encyclopedia

Geography

For most purposes, the Geographic South Pole is defined as the southern point of the two points where the earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface (the other being the Geographic North PoleNorth Pole

The North Pole is the northernmost point on the Earth and is on the opposite side of the Earth from the South Pole....
). However, the earth's axis of rotation is actually subject to very small 'wobbles', so this definition is not adequate for very precise work; see Geographic North PoleFacts About North Pole

The North Pole is the northernmost point on the Earth and is on the opposite side of the Earth from the South Pole....
for further information.

The coordinates of the South Pole are usually given simply as 90°S, since its longitude is geometrically undefined and irrelevant. When a longitude is desired, it may be given as
The Geographic South Pole is located on the continent of AntarcticaAntarctica

Antarctica is the southernmost continent and encompasses the South Pole....
(although this has not been the case for all of Earth's historyHistory of Earth

The history of Earth covers approximately 4.567 billion years, from Earths formation out of the solar nebula to the present....
because of continental driftContinental drift

The notion that continents have not always been at their present positions was suggested as early as 1596 by the Dutch map ma...
). It sits atop a featureless, windswept, icy plateau at an altitude of 2,835 meters (9,306 ft), about from the nearest sea at McMurdo SoundMcMurdo Sound

McMurdo Sound is a sound about 55 km long and wide, lying at the junction of the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf between Ross Is...
. The ice is estimated to be about 2,700 meters (9,000 ft) thick at the Pole, so the land surface under the ice sheet is actually near sea level. At the South Pole all directions face North.

The polar ice sheet is moving at a rate of roughly 10 meters per year in a direction between 37° and 40° west of grid north, down towards the Weddell SeaWeddell Sea

The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean....
. Thus the exact position of the Pole, relative to the ice surface and the buildings constructed on it, gradually shifts over time.

The Geographic South Pole is marked by a small sign and a stake in the ice pack, which are repositioned each year on New Year’s Day to compensate for the movement of the ice. The sign records the respective dates that Roald AmundsenRoald Amundsen

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions....
and Robert F. ScottRobert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott was a Royal Naval officer and Antarctic explorer....
reached the Pole followed by a short quotation from each man and gives the elevation as .

Ceremonial South Pole

The Ceremonial South Pole is an area set aside for photo opportunities at the South Pole StationAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station

| |-| |}The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is an American research station at the South Pole, in Antarctica....
. It is located a short distance from the Geographic South Pole, and consists of a metallic sphere on a plinthPlinth Overview

In architecture, a plinth is the lower mouldings of a podium, pedestal or skirting, or a block or slab upon which a column, ...
, surrounded by the flags of the Antarctic Treaty signatory states.

The ceremonial marker is moved every two to three years to keep the walking distance to the Geographical South Pole minimal.

Exploration

See also: History of AntarcticaHistory of Antarctica

Antarctica has no indigenous population, and so the human history of Antarctica does not begin until the 19th century, when ...
, List of Antarctic expeditions and Polar explorationPolar exploration

Polar exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the Earth....
.

The first humans to reach the Geographic South Pole were NorwegianNorway

Insert non-formatted text hereNorway is a Nordic country on the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering S...
Roald Amundsen and his partyAmundsen's South Pole expedition

Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition was a Norwegian expedition to Antarctica aiming to be the first to reach the South Po...
on December 14, 1911. Amundsen named his camp PolheimPolheim

Polheim, "Home of the Pole", was Roald Amundsen's name for his camp at the South Pole....
and the entire plateau surrounding the Pole Haakon VII's ViddeHaakon VII's Vidde Summary

Haakon VII's Vidde was the name given to the entire plateau surrounding the South Pole in honour of King Haakon VII of Norwa...
in honour of King Haakon VII of NorwayHaakon VII of Norway

Haakon VII, King of Norway, , was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden....
. Amundsen's competitor Robert Falcon ScottRobert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott was a Royal Naval officer and Antarctic explorer....
, with four other men from the Terra Nova ExpeditionTerra Nova Expedition

The Terra Nova Expedition was an British expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott with the purpose of undertaking scientific re...
, reached the Pole a month later. On the return trip, Scott and his four companions all died of starvation and extreme cold. In 1914 British explorer Ernest ShackletonErnest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO, OBE was an Anglo-Irish explorer, now chiefly remembered for his Antarctic expedition of 1...
's Imperial Trans-Antarctic ExpeditionImperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was a major exploration undertaking led by Sir Ernest Shackleton that consisted in a...
set out with the goal of crossing Antarctica via the South Pole, but his ship, the EnduranceFacts About Endurance (1912 ship)

The Endurance was the three-masted barquentine in which Sir Ernest Shackleton sailed for the Antarctic on the 1914 Imper...
, was frozen in pack-iceSea ice

Sea ice is formed from ocean water that freezes....
and sank 11 months later.

US Admiral Richard Evelyn ByrdRichard Evelyn Byrd

Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, USN was a pioneering American polar explorer and famous aviator. ...
, with the assistance of his first pilot Bernt BalchenBernt Balchen Overview

Bernt Balchen, D.F.C.,, was a Norwegian-American polar aviation pioneer....
, became the first person to fly over the South Pole on November 29, 1929. However, it was not until 31 October 1956 that men once again set foot at the Pole, when a party led by Admiral George J. DufekGeorge J. Dufek

George John Dufek was an American naval officer, naval aviator, and Arctic expert....
of the US Navy landed there in an R4D-5L Skytrain aircraft. The US Amundsen-Scott South Pole StationAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station

| |-| |}The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is an American research station at the South Pole, in Antarctica....
was established by air over 1956–1957 for the International Geophysical YearInternational Geophysical Year

The International Geophysical Year or IGY was an international scientific effort that lasted from July 1, 1957, to Decem...
and has been continuously staffed since then by research and support personnel.

After Amundsen and Scott, the next people to reach the South Pole overland (albeit with some air support) were Edmund HillaryEdmund Hillary Summary

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE is a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer....
and Vivian FuchsFacts About Vivian Fuchs

Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs FRS was an English explorer whose expeditionary team completed the first overland crossing of Antarc...
and their respective parties, during the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic ExpeditionCommonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

The 1955–58 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition was a Commonwealth-sponsored expedition that successfully complete...
. There have been many subsequent expeditions to arrive at the South Pole by surface transportation, including those by Havola, CraryAlbert P. Crary Overview

Albert Paddock Crary, was a pioneer polar geophysicist and glaciologist and the first person to set foot on both the North a...
and Fiennes.

On December 30 1989, Arved FuchsArved Fuchs

German explorer Arved Fuchs was born in 1953....
and Reinhold MessnerReinhold Messner

name = Reinhold Messner| image = Reinhold Messner.jpg...
were the first to reach the South Pole without animal or motorised help, using only skis and the help of wind.

The fastest unsupported walking journey to the Geographic South Pole from the ocean is 39 days from Hercules Inlet and was set in 2007 by Hannah McKeand.

Territorial claims

Antarctic territorial claimsAntarctic territorial claims

Currently there are seven claimant nations who maintain a territorial claim on eight territories in Antarctica....
and Antarctica – PoliticsAntarctica

Antarctica is the southernmost continent and encompasses the South Pole....
.

Climate

See also Climate of AntarcticaClimate of Antarctica

The climate of Antarctica is the coldest on earth, with the lowest temperature ever recorded on earth being -89.6...
.

During the southern winter, the South Pole receives no sunlight at all. In the summer, the sun (though continuously above the horizon) is always low in the sky. Much of the sunlight that does reach the surface is reflected by the white snow. This lack of warmth from the sun, combined with the high altitude (about 2,800 m), means that the South Pole has one of the coldest climates on Earth (though it is not quite the coldest; that record goes to the region in the vicinity of the Vostok StationVostok Station

Vostok Station is a Russian research station located near the Geomagnetic South Pole, at the center of the East Antarctic Ic...
, also in Antarctica, which lies at a higher elevation). Temperatures at the South Pole are much lower than at the North Pole, primarily because the South Pole is located at altitude in the middle of a continental land mass, while the North Pole is at sea level in the middle of an ocean (which acts as a reservoir of heat).

In midsummer, as the sun reaches its maximum elevation of about 23.5 degrees, temperatures at the South Pole average around -25 °C (-12 °F). As the six-month 'day' wears on and the sun gets lower, temperatures drop as well, with temperatures around sunset (late March) and sunrise (late September) being about -45 °C (-49 °F). In winter, the temperature remains steady at around -65 °C (-85 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole StationAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station

| |-| |}The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is an American research station at the South Pole, in Antarctica....
is -13.6 °C (7.5 °F: December 27, 1978), and the lowest is -82.8 °C (-117.0 °F: June 23, 1982) (however, this is not the lowest recorded anywhere on earth, that being -89.2 °C (-128.6 °F) at Vostok StationVostok Station

Vostok Station is a Russian research station located near the Geomagnetic South Pole, at the center of the East Antarctic Ic...
) on July 21, 1983.

The South Pole has a desert climate, almost never receiving any precipitation. Air humidity is near zero. However, high winds can cause the blowing of snowfall, and the accumulation of snow amounts to about 20 cm per year. The dome seen in the pictures is partially buried due to snow storms, and the entrance to the dome has to be regularly bulldozed to uncover it. More recent buildings are raised on stilts so that the snow does not build up against the side of them.

Average monthly temperatures and precipitation (Celsius, millimetres) at the South Pole, Antarctica

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °C	-25	-37	-50	-52	-53	-55	-55	-55	-55	-47	-36	-26	-45
Avg low °C	-28	-42	-56	-60	-61	-61	-63	-62	-62	-53	-39	-28	-51
Precipitation millimeters	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2.5

Average monthly temperatures and precipitation (Fahrenheit, inches) at the South Pole, Antarctica

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °F	-14	-35	-58	-63	-64	-65	-68	-68	-67	-54	-33	-15	-50
Avg low °F	-20	-44	-70	-76	-78	-79	-82	-81	-81	-64	-39	-20	-61
Precipitation inches	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.1

Source:

Time

In most places on Earth, local time is more-or-less synchronised to the position of the sun in the sky. This line of reasoning fails at the South Pole, which has 'days' lasting for a whole year. Another way of looking at it is to note that all time zones converge at the pole. There is no a priori reason for placing the South Pole in any particular time zone, but as a matter of practical convenience the Amundsen-Scott South Pole StationAmundsen-Scott South Pole Station

| |-| |}The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is an American research station at the South Pole, in Antarctica....
keeps New Zealand time. This is because the US flies its resupply missions ("Operation Deep FreezeFacts About Operation Deep Freeze

Operation Deep Freeze is the codename for a series of US missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze I" in...
") out of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Flora and fauna

Due to its exceptionally harsh climate, there are no native resident plants or animals at the South Pole. Remarkably, though, off-course skuaSkua

The skuas are seabirds in the family Stercorariidae....
s are occasionally seen there.

In 2000 it was reported that microbes had been detected living in the South Pole ice, though scientists think it unlikely that they evolved in Antarctica.

External links

are available at the Degree Confluence ProjectDegree Confluence Project

The Degree Confluence Project is a World Wide Web-based project which aims to have people visit each of the integer degree i...
by the Australian Antarctic Division
- BBC News article on first expedition to Pole of Inaccessibility without mechanical assistance