RESEARCH STARTER

North Pole

The North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth, located at the geographic North Pole in the Arctic Ocean, precisely at 90 degrees latitude, where Earth's axis meets its surface. This region features both geographic and magnetic North Poles; the magnetic North Pole's position is dynamic, influenced by Earth's electromagnetic field and geological changes. The North Pole is covered by a thin layer of sea ice, which is subject to seasonal variations and climate change, while the ocean beneath is over 13,000 feet deep. Despite the harsh conditions, the area experiences extreme seasonal light variations, with 24 hours of sunlight in summer and 24 hours of darkness in winter.

Historically, the North Pole has attracted explorers, though the first verified arrival was only in 1968. In more recent times, scientific research has taken precedence over exploration, with climate scientists studying the region's responses to global warming. The North Pole's strategic location is increasingly significant for international shipping routes, offering faster access between Asia and North America, and for resource extraction, particularly oil. As various nations express interest in the North Pole's resources, this has led to international tensions, as the area is not officially owned by any single country.

Full Article

The North Pole is the northernmost area on Earth. The geographic North Pole is located at the northern end of Earth’s axis—the imaginary line that runs through Earth’s center. Earth also has a magnetic North Pole, whose position is related to Earth’s magnetic field and is constantly changing. The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean but is covered in a layer of ice. While it is possible for people and animals to travel there on foot, few humans have done so. Most human interest in the North Pole concerns the resources found under the Arctic Ocean, though scientists are also interested in the site.

Background

The North Pole has various meanings. The first is the geographic North Pole, which is the location at the most northern point on Earth’s surface. The geographic North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean and at 90 degrees latitude. It is the place where Earth’s axis meets its surface.

The magnetic North Pole is also in the Arctic Ocean, but its exact location is constantly changing. It is also not in the same place as the geographic North Pole. The magnetic North Pole is created by the electromagnetic field around Earth’s surface. This electromagnetism is caused by Earth’s rotation. Changes in the geology under Earth’s crust impact the location of the magnetic North Pole. Although it used to be closer to the Canadian arctic, it has begun moving closer to Siberia. The pole is moving at a speed of roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) per year. Scientists predict that the magnetic pole will continue to move and Earth’s two magnetic poles could switch. If that happens, the magnetic South Pole will be close to the geological North Pole, and the magnetic North Pole will be close to the geographic South Pole. Earth’s magnetic field causes the needle on a compass to point north toward the magnetic North Pole.

Overview

The ice that covers the North Pole is relatively thin. It is about six to ten feet (1.8 to 3 meters) thick, and its thickness is constantly changing due to changes in weather and climate. The ocean under the ice is more than 13,000 feet (3962 meters) deep. Although the Arctic region is cold year-round, the average temperature changes during different seasons. In the summer, the average temperature can be as high as 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). In the winter, it can fall to –40 degrees F (-40 C). Even though people do not live as far north as the North Pole, animals such as polar bears and arctic foxes migrate close to the area during part of the year. Many of these animals live in the surrounding Arctic ecosystems rather than at the very top of the Earth, where the ice is constantly shifting and is not stable enough to support permanent life.

The North Pole is the location where the axis meets Earth’s surface. So, this part of Earth tips toward the sun for half the year, creating the season of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. When the North Pole tips toward the sun, the sun no longer dips below the horizon. When the North Pole tips away from the sun, the sun does not rise above the horizon. For that reason, the North Pole has one sunrise (the March equinox) and one sunset (the September equinox) per year. In the summer, the North Pole experiences twenty-four hours of sunlight per day. This phenomenon is known as the Midnight Sun. The reverse occurs in the winter; the North Pole has twenty-four hours of darkness per day. This is known as Polar Night.

Since the geographic North Pole is at the extreme end of the world, explorers and adventurers have been interested in traveling to it for many years. Unlike the South Pole, the geographic North Pole is located in the sea. The sea ice that covers the Arctic Sea makes it possible for explorers to travel overland, even though the North Pole is actually located in the sea.

Explorers attempted to reach the North Pole a number of times in the late 1800s, but all the expeditions failed before reaching the area. In 1908 Ahwelah and Etukishook, Inuit explorers, and Frederick Albert Cook, an American explorer, claimed to have reached the North Pole; however, the men provided little evidence of their discovery, and many historians doubt that they actually reached the North Pole. The next year, another team attempted to reach the North Pole. This team was made up of Robert Peary, Matthew Henson, Ootah, Seeglo, Egingwah, and Ooqueah. Although Peary claimed the team reached the North Pole, historians also doubt his claims.

The first verified claim of a team reaching the geographic North Pole occurred in 1968 when Ralph Plaisted, Walt Pederson, Gerry Pitzl, and Jean Luc Bombardier used snowmobiles to travel over the ice to the North Pole, and the US Air Force independently confirmed their position. The next year, the first team arrived at the North Pole on foot.

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, most people visiting the North Pole have been scientists, and not explorers. Climate scientists have a special interest in the arctic as the frigid regions of Earth are being impacted dramatically by the effects of climate change. Scientists monitor the changes in these areas to better understand the worldwide effects of climate change and the rate at which climate change is occurring.

Humans, who once saw the North Pole as unreachable, have now begun to find ways to exploit the region. The part of the Arctic Sea where the geographic North Pole is located has also become an important international shipping route, which is especially popular for ships traveling between Asia and North America. Companies can achieve significant cost savings by choosing Arctic shipping routes over traditional routes like the Panama Canal. The Arctic offers shorter transit distances, which can lead to reduced fuel consumption and lower operational costs. For instance, the Northwest Passage can be up to 7,000 kilometers (4,349 miles) shorter than the Panama Canal route, potentially saving substantial amounts of fuel and time. People are also making plans to extract oil from this part of the arctic. Improvements in transportation and technology as well as changes in the thickness of sea ice have made it possible for people to drill for resources in the area.

Although humans are interested in exploiting the resources in the region, the area around the North Pole is not actually controlled or owned by any country or group. The Canadian territory of Nunavut is the closest land to the North Pole. Greenland, an island nation in North America, is the second-closest landmass to the North Pole. Control over the resource-rich area has caused some international tension.

In 2007, Russia conducted the Arktika 2007 expedition, during which it planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole to assert its claim over the Lomonosov and Mendeleyev Ridges. This action acted to claim the ridges as extensions of Russia's continental shelf. Following this, Russia submitted data to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to support its territorial claim. In 2022, the United States made its own submission to the CLCS, claiming an extended continental shelf in the Arctic, covering approximately one million square kilometers (386,102 square miles) in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska, in order to secure rights to undersea resources in the region. In 2023, the CLCS agreed with most of Russia’s claims, granting rights to delineate its continental shelf based on the Mendeleev-Alpha Rise, the Podvodnikov Basin, and the Lomonosov Ridge. However, the Gakkel Ridge, which is contested by Russia and Denmark, was not recognized as part of Russia's continental shelf.


Bibliography

Aronson, Alex. “15 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Real North Pole.”Redbook, 11 Dec. 2019, www.redbookmag.com/about/g30109048/north-pole-facts/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Dodd, Carly. "What Are Polar Nights And Midnight Sun?" World Atlas, 23 Dec. 2022, www.worldatlas.com/geography/what-are-polar-nights-and-midnight-sun.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Ekel, Mike, et al. "

Under Sea, Under Stone: How The U.S. Claimed Vast New Arctic Territory -- In An Unusual Way." Radio Free Europe, www.rferl.org/a/arctic-sea-claims-interactive-map/32793427.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

“Five Things You Didn’t Know About the North Pole.” NOAA, 20 Dec. 2018, www.nesdis.noaa.gov/content/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-north-pole. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Guy Faulconbridge. “Russian Sub Plants Flag under North Pole.” Reuters, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, 2 Aug. 2007,  royaldutchshellplc.com/2007/08/02/reuters-russian-sub-plants-flag-under-north-pole-this-isnt-the-15th-century-you-cant-go-around-the-world-and-just-plant-flags-and-say-were-claiming-this-territory/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Henderson, Bruce. “Who Discovered the North Pole?” Smithsonian Magazine, Apr. 2009, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-discovered-the-north-pole-116633746/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

"Northwest and Northeast Passages?" Discovering the Arctic, discoveringthearctic.org.uk/arctic-challenges/troubled-water/northwest-northeast-passages/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Norrington, Bill. “Who Was the First Person To Reach the North Pole?” UCSB Geography, legacy.geog.ucsb.edu/who-was-the-first-person-to-reach-the-north-pole/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

“North Pole.” National Geographic, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/north-pole/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Pappas, Stephanie. “Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Continues Drifting, Crosses Prime Meridian.” Space.com, 22 Dec. 2019, www.space.com/earth-magnetic-north-passes-prime-meridian.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Schneider, Thea. “What Christmas is really like at the North Pole.” BBC, 17 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/future/slideshow-gallery/20191217-what-happens-at-christmas-at-the-north-pole. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Full Article

The North Pole is the northernmost area on Earth. The geographic North Pole is located at the northern end of Earth’s axis—the imaginary line that runs through Earth’s center. Earth also has a magnetic North Pole, whose position is related to Earth’s magnetic field and is constantly changing. The North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean but is covered in a layer of ice. While it is possible for people and animals to travel there on foot, few humans have done so. Most human interest in the North Pole concerns the resources found under the Arctic Ocean, though scientists are also interested in the site.

Background

The North Pole has various meanings. The first is the geographic North Pole, which is the location at the most northern point on Earth’s surface. The geographic North Pole is located in the Arctic Ocean and at 90 degrees latitude. It is the place where Earth’s axis meets its surface.

The magnetic North Pole is also in the Arctic Ocean, but its exact location is constantly changing. It is also not in the same place as the geographic North Pole. The magnetic North Pole is created by the electromagnetic field around Earth’s surface. This electromagnetism is caused by Earth’s rotation. Changes in the geology under Earth’s crust impact the location of the magnetic North Pole. Although it used to be closer to the Canadian arctic, it has begun moving closer to Siberia. The pole is moving at a speed of roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) per year. Scientists predict that the magnetic pole will continue to move and Earth’s two magnetic poles could switch. If that happens, the magnetic South Pole will be close to the geological North Pole, and the magnetic North Pole will be close to the geographic South Pole. Earth’s magnetic field causes the needle on a compass to point north toward the magnetic North Pole.

Overview

The ice that covers the North Pole is relatively thin. It is about six to ten feet (1.8 to 3 meters) thick, and its thickness is constantly changing due to changes in weather and climate. The ocean under the ice is more than 13,000 feet (3962 meters) deep. Although the Arctic region is cold year-round, the average temperature changes during different seasons. In the summer, the average temperature can be as high as 32 degrees F (0 degrees C). In the winter, it can fall to –40 degrees F (-40 C). Even though people do not live as far north as the North Pole, animals such as polar bears and arctic foxes migrate close to the area during part of the year. Many of these animals live in the surrounding Arctic ecosystems rather than at the very top of the Earth, where the ice is constantly shifting and is not stable enough to support permanent life.

The North Pole is the location where the axis meets Earth’s surface. So, this part of Earth tips toward the sun for half the year, creating the season of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. When the North Pole tips toward the sun, the sun no longer dips below the horizon. When the North Pole tips away from the sun, the sun does not rise above the horizon. For that reason, the North Pole has one sunrise (the March equinox) and one sunset (the September equinox) per year. In the summer, the North Pole experiences twenty-four hours of sunlight per day. This phenomenon is known as the Midnight Sun. The reverse occurs in the winter; the North Pole has twenty-four hours of darkness per day. This is known as Polar Night.

Since the geographic North Pole is at the extreme end of the world, explorers and adventurers have been interested in traveling to it for many years. Unlike the South Pole, the geographic North Pole is located in the sea. The sea ice that covers the Arctic Sea makes it possible for explorers to travel overland, even though the North Pole is actually located in the sea.

Explorers attempted to reach the North Pole a number of times in the late 1800s, but all the expeditions failed before reaching the area. In 1908 Ahwelah and Etukishook, Inuit explorers, and Frederick Albert Cook, an American explorer, claimed to have reached the North Pole; however, the men provided little evidence of their discovery, and many historians doubt that they actually reached the North Pole. The next year, another team attempted to reach the North Pole. This team was made up of Robert Peary, Matthew Henson, Ootah, Seeglo, Egingwah, and Ooqueah. Although Peary claimed the team reached the North Pole, historians also doubt his claims.

The first verified claim of a team reaching the geographic North Pole occurred in 1968 when Ralph Plaisted, Walt Pederson, Gerry Pitzl, and Jean Luc Bombardier used snowmobiles to travel over the ice to the North Pole, and the US Air Force independently confirmed their position. The next year, the first team arrived at the North Pole on foot.

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, most people visiting the North Pole have been scientists, and not explorers. Climate scientists have a special interest in the arctic as the frigid regions of Earth are being impacted dramatically by the effects of climate change. Scientists monitor the changes in these areas to better understand the worldwide effects of climate change and the rate at which climate change is occurring.

Humans, who once saw the North Pole as unreachable, have now begun to find ways to exploit the region. The part of the Arctic Sea where the geographic North Pole is located has also become an important international shipping route, which is especially popular for ships traveling between Asia and North America. Companies can achieve significant cost savings by choosing Arctic shipping routes over traditional routes like the Panama Canal. The Arctic offers shorter transit distances, which can lead to reduced fuel consumption and lower operational costs. For instance, the Northwest Passage can be up to 7,000 kilometers (4,349 miles) shorter than the Panama Canal route, potentially saving substantial amounts of fuel and time. People are also making plans to extract oil from this part of the arctic. Improvements in transportation and technology as well as changes in the thickness of sea ice have made it possible for people to drill for resources in the area.

Although humans are interested in exploiting the resources in the region, the area around the North Pole is not actually controlled or owned by any country or group. The Canadian territory of Nunavut is the closest land to the North Pole. Greenland, an island nation in North America, is the second-closest landmass to the North Pole. Control over the resource-rich area has caused some international tension.

In 2007, Russia conducted the Arktika 2007 expedition, during which it planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole to assert its claim over the Lomonosov and Mendeleyev Ridges. This action acted to claim the ridges as extensions of Russia's continental shelf. Following this, Russia submitted data to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to support its territorial claim. In 2022, the United States made its own submission to the CLCS, claiming an extended continental shelf in the Arctic, covering approximately one million square kilometers (386,102 square miles) in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska, in order to secure rights to undersea resources in the region. In 2023, the CLCS agreed with most of Russia’s claims, granting rights to delineate its continental shelf based on the Mendeleev-Alpha Rise, the Podvodnikov Basin, and the Lomonosov Ridge. However, the Gakkel Ridge, which is contested by Russia and Denmark, was not recognized as part of Russia's continental shelf.


Bibliography

Aronson, Alex. “15 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Real North Pole.”Redbook, 11 Dec. 2019, www.redbookmag.com/about/g30109048/north-pole-facts/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Dodd, Carly. "What Are Polar Nights And Midnight Sun?" World Atlas, 23 Dec. 2022, www.worldatlas.com/geography/what-are-polar-nights-and-midnight-sun.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Ekel, Mike, et al. "

Under Sea, Under Stone: How The U.S. Claimed Vast New Arctic Territory -- In An Unusual Way." Radio Free Europe, www.rferl.org/a/arctic-sea-claims-interactive-map/32793427.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

“Five Things You Didn’t Know About the North Pole.” NOAA, 20 Dec. 2018, www.nesdis.noaa.gov/content/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-north-pole. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Guy Faulconbridge. “Russian Sub Plants Flag under North Pole.” Reuters, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, 2 Aug. 2007,  royaldutchshellplc.com/2007/08/02/reuters-russian-sub-plants-flag-under-north-pole-this-isnt-the-15th-century-you-cant-go-around-the-world-and-just-plant-flags-and-say-were-claiming-this-territory/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Henderson, Bruce. “Who Discovered the North Pole?” Smithsonian Magazine, Apr. 2009, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-discovered-the-north-pole-116633746/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

"Northwest and Northeast Passages?" Discovering the Arctic, discoveringthearctic.org.uk/arctic-challenges/troubled-water/northwest-northeast-passages/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Norrington, Bill. “Who Was the First Person To Reach the North Pole?” UCSB Geography, legacy.geog.ucsb.edu/who-was-the-first-person-to-reach-the-north-pole/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

“North Pole.” National Geographic, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/north-pole/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Pappas, Stephanie. “Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Continues Drifting, Crosses Prime Meridian.” Space.com, 22 Dec. 2019, www.space.com/earth-magnetic-north-passes-prime-meridian.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Schneider, Thea. “What Christmas is really like at the North Pole.” BBC, 17 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/future/slideshow-gallery/20191217-what-happens-at-christmas-at-the-north-pole. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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