South Pole

The South Pole is a point in Antarctica that marks the southern end of Earth’s axis of rotation. It is one of two points where Earth’s axis intersects its surface, the other being the North Pole. There are actually two different South Poles, including the geographic South Pole and the magnetic South Pole. The geographic South Pole is simply the southern point at which Earth’s axis intersects its surface. The magnetic South Pole is the wandering point in the Southern Hemisphere where the planet’s geomagnetic field lines are directed vertically upwards. The exact position of the magnetic South Pole varies and is determined by the shifting nature of Earth’s magnetic field. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911. Since that time, the South Pole has been a popular destination for research scientists, many of whom have spent time working at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

Background

Earth’s northern and southern hemispheres each have polar regions located at or near their extreme northernmost or southernmost points. These polar regions are home to Earth’s geographic poles and its magnetic poles. The geographic poles are points at which Earth’s axis intersects its surface. The position of the geographic poles is largely stationary, with the geographic South Pole located in Antarctica at an altitude of 9,301 feet (2,834 meters) and about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) from the nearest open sea. The geographic coordinates of the geographic South Pole are typically given as 90°S. All directions at the geographic South Pole face north. The same description applies to the geographic North Pole, which is situated in the middle of the Arctic Ocean in waters that are almost always covered with sea ice. The coordinates of the geographic North Pole are given as 90°N and all directions there face south. Also like the geographic South Pole, the geographic North Pole is essentially stationary.

The magnetic poles are distinct from, but also closely related to the geographic poles. Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field called the magnetosphere. The magnetic field lines of the magnetosphere travel between magnetic poles located at the northern and southern ends of planet. These lines travel from the northern pole and loop around to go back in toward the southern pole. The magnetic field lines at the poles are almost vertical. Interestingly, Earth’s magnetic poles are actually the opposite of its geographic poles in terms of polarity. This means that the true south magnetic pole is located near the geographic North Pole and the true north magnetic pole is located near the geographic South Pole. Nevertheless, the terms magnetic North Pole and magnetic South Pole officially refer to the magnetic poles that are adjacent to the same geographic poles. Regardless, the exact location of the magnetic poles is not fixed. Instead, both of these poles wander to some degree, possibly based on the movement of magma below Earth’s surface.

Overview

The South Pole—specifically the geographic South Pole—is the southernmost point on Earth’s surface. Located on the frozen continent of Antarctica, the pole sits about 300 miles (482 kilometers) south of the Ross Ice Shelf, which is the world’s largest body of floating ice. However, the exact location of the South Pole is not constant. Thanks to plate tectonics, the precise location of the pole shifts over time. In fact, the land that is now South America’s east coast was once the site of the South Pole. In any event, the actual land at the current South Pole is only a little over 300 feet (91 meters) above sea level, but the massive ice sheet that lies atop it is approximately 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) thick. At this elevation, the South Pole is considerably colder than the North Pole. In fact, the South Pole is one of the coldest places on Earth. The lowest temperature ever recorded there was -117 degrees Fahrenheit (-82.7 degrees Celsius), while the warmest recorded temperature was 9.9 degrees Fahrenheit (-12.2 degrees Celsius). Due to the Earth’s tilted axis, the poles experience extremes when it comes to sunlight. At the South Pole, there is only one sunrise and one sunset per year. Specifically, the sun rises at the September equinox and sets at the March equinox. This means that the South Pole is in constant daylight in the summer and constant darkness in the winter.

Because of its remote location and harsh weather conditions, the South Pole was not successfully explored until the early twentieth century. British explorer Robert Falcon Scott made the first attempt to reach the pole with Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson in 1904, but was ultimately forced to turn around 410 miles (659 kilometers) from his goal because of poor conditions and dwindling supplies. Shackleton made a second attempt in 1907, but only came within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the pole before having to turn back. In 1910, Scott made a second attempt at the same time as Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen undertook his own expedition to the South Pole. The two raced to see who could reach the South Pole first. In the end, Amundsen was the one to make history, arriving at the pole first in December 1911. Scott did ultimately reach the pole after Amundsen, but died on the return journey.

Today, the South Pole is home to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, a research station that is staffed year-round by anywhere from 50 to 200 scientists at a time. Research conducted at the station has led to breakthroughs in the study of everything from continental drift to geology, meteorology, and climate change. While reaching the South Pole is still a challenge, the trek is easier now than ever before thanks to the South Pole Traverse. Also known as the McMurdo-South Pole Highway, the traverse is a stretch of unpaved road built in 2009 that extends for more than 995 miles (1601 kilometers) from McMurdo Station at the far tip of Antarctica to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Although it still takes about forty days for supplies to reach the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, the traverse is the easiest and least expensive way to make the difficult journey to the pole.

Bibliography

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