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Poles Apart Quick
Facts |
 QUICK FACTS - Antarctica and the Arctic |
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- Unlike the Arctic, which is a sea surrounded by land, the Antarctic is a continent surrounded by sea - the Southern Ocean.
- Both Antarctica and the Arctic are being affected by world environmental problems, such as global warming and pollution.
- Because Antarctica and the Arctic are at opposite ends of the Earth, when it is summer in one region it is summer in the other.
- These days, women quite often take part in the expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, as well as naval deployments. Early expeditions to the Poles automatically excluded women, as it was believed that they couldn't cope with the harsh conditions.
- Icebergs are large chunks of floating ice that have broken off an ice shelf or glacier. Antarctic icebergs are usually bigger than the ones found in the Arctic. Icebergs are a danger to ships because they move with the ocean currents and so cannot be marked on navigation charts.
- There are pros and cons you must consider if you are planning an expedition to the Arctic or Antarctica. In Antarctica, you don't have to worry about polar bears - Arctic explorers must be constantly on the lookout for these animals as they are extremely aggressive and will attack any creature. However, In Antarctica, explorers have to make sure they don't fall down a crevasse, a deep and, seemingly bottomless crack in the ice. They can vary from being quite small, a few centimetres wide to being 40 or more metres across and are often hidden by snow.
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