Difference Between Arctic And Antarctica

At a first glance, the snowfall-covered poles that sit at the superlative and bottom of our planet might seem quite similar. Yet, there are many differences between the Arctic and Antarctica, including the climate, animals, vegetation, residents, and what lies beneath the water ice and snowfall.

Go along reading for tons of facts about Antarctica and the Arctic, along with the similarities and differences betwixt Globe'southward two polar regions.

Where are the Chill and Antarctica?
Arctic v Antarctica
- How are Antarctica and the Arctic Like?
  - 1. Both Antarctica and parts of the Chill are deserts
  - 2. Both the Arctic and Antarctica receive polar nights
  - three. Both the Arctic and Antarctica receive midnight sun
- Differences Between Antarctica and the Antarctic
  - ane. Antarctica is much colder than the Arctic
  - 2. Antarctica is an ice cap whereas the Arctic is a tundra
  - 3. The Arctic and Antarctica are habitation to very different animals
  - 4. In that location is more diverse vegetation in the Chill compared to Antarctica
  - 5. The Arctic has 4 million permanent residents whereas Antarctica has none
  - 6. Antarctica is a continent but the Chill is not
  - seven. Antarctica contains no countries whereas the Chill does
  - viii. Nobody owns Antarctica whereas parts of the Arctic are under the jurisdiction of other countries
  - ix. The timing of the seasons are opposite
Related Questions
- Is the Arctic in Antarctica?
- Which is Colder, Antarctica or the Arctic?
- What is Antarctica Like vs Alaska?
- Is Antarctica at the North or South Pole?

Where are the Arctic and Antarctica?

The Arctic – Defining where the Arctic is tin be confusing as at that place as several different methods. However, the almost widely accepted definition of the artic is everything higher up the Arctic circle which is a line of latitude at 66.v° northward. This includes parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Scandinavia.

Antarctica – There is less estimation when information technology comes to defining where Antarctica lies equally at that place is nothing else effectually it. Antarctica is the large continent that sits over the s pole.

Arctic five Antarctica

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How are Antarctica and the Arctic Similar?

Let's begin by taking a look at the similarities betwixt the Arctic and Antarctica:

1. Both Antarctica and parts of the Arctic are deserts

When you pic a desert, the polar regions might not be the kickoff thing to spring to mind, however, both Antarctica and parts of the Arctic are considered to be a desert, albeit a cold one.

The consensus for something to exist considered a desert is if it receives less than 250 mm (10 in) of precipitation per twelvemonth^one , this tin can be pelting, snow, mist, or fog.

Antarctica receives and an average of 150mm of precipitation per year across the continent which makes it a desert. Almost all of Antarctica is a desert with a range from around 50mm per year inland upwards to 200mm per year near the coast² .

Much of the Arctic is besides a desert with average precipitation between 150-250m. Some parts of the Arctic Basin and the Canadian Chill Archipelago are even lower than this.

However, at that place are also areas with much more precipitation in the Chill such as Greenland where it can average 400mm or more per year. These areas are not considered a desert.

According to the CIA Factbook, Antarctica and the Arctic are the 2 largest deserts on Earth:

Desert	Area
Antarctica	14,200,000 sq km
Chill	13,900,000 sq km
Sahara	9,200,000 sq km
Arabian	two,330,000 sq km
Gobi	i,295,000 sq km;
Kalahari	900,000 sq km
Patagonian	673,000 sq km
Syrian	500,000 sq km
Chihuahuan	362,000 sq km
Kara-Kum	350,000 sq km

two. Both the Arctic and Antarctica receive polar nights

Diagram showing the June solstice where The Arctic has midnight sun with 24 hours of sun and Antarctica has polar nights with no sun. — June Solstice – Polar Night in Antarctica and Midnight Sunday in The Chill

The two polar regions both receive polar nights. This is when the sun is beneath the horizon for more than 24 hours, resulting in darkness during the day.

This occurs over the wintertime solstice which is around the 21^st December in the Chill and effectually 21^st June in Antarctica. The image above shows polar nights in Antarctica.

This lasts a few days at The Chill or Antarctic circle and increases in duration as yous move closer to the poles. For example, in the northernmost town of the Usa, Utqiaġvik, Alaska, the sun does non ascension for around 66 days during the yearⁱⁱⁱ .

3. Both the Arctic and Antarctica receive midnight sun

Diagram showing the December solstice where The Arctic has polar nights with no sun and Antarctica has midnight sun with 24 hours of sun. — December Solstice – Polar Nighttime in The Arctic and Midnight Sun in Antarctica

Whilst polar nights occur at the winter solstice, the opposite happens during the summer solstice of the Chill and Antarctica. This is chosen midnight sun (also known as a polar 24-hour interval) and is when the dominicus is above the horizon for 24 hours per twenty-four hours so it is e'er light.

The summertime solstice dates are the opposite of the winter solstice, occurring effectually the 21^st of June in the Arctic and effectually 21^st December in Antarctica. The image above shows midnight lord's day in Antarctica.

Like to polar nights, the elapsing of the midnight dominicus increases as you go closer to the poles.

Svalbard is a group of islands situated about halfway betwixt Norway and the North Pole. It is one of the world's northernmost inhabited areas. Here, the midnight sun lasts for 124 days per yr⁴ .

At the poles themselves, the sun but rises once per yr, it and so stays in the sky for 6 months earlier setting once per year and does not rise again for half-dozen months.

Differences Between Antarctica and the Antarctic

Now, let'south take a look at the differences between Antarctica and the Arctic:

1. Antarctica is much colder than the Chill

Temperatures in the Chill vary significantly across the region and between seasons. Typically, temperatures will vary from as low as −35 °F (−37 °C) in the winter up to 10 °C (50 °F) in summer.

As the temperatures are above freezing in summer, it allows the snowfall to melt and lets vegetation abound.

Meanwhile, Antarctica is colder than the Arctic and is the coldest continent on Globe.

Average annual temperatures here range from around −10 °C on the coast to −60 °C inland. In the most extreme parts of the continent, temperatures can drib below -eighty°C in Winter^v .

2. Antarctica is an ice cap whereas the Arctic is a tundra

Although both the Arctic and Antarctica can both be chosen deserts due to the rainfall, an alternative way of classifying climates is the Köppen climate organization. This considers both rainfall and temperatures.

Under this system, the Arctic and the Antarctic autumn under different types of polar climates with one existence an ice cap and the other being a tundra^{half dozen} .

Antarctica is mostly an ice cap because monthly average temperatures don't exceed 0°C (32°F) whereas the Arctic is mostly tundra because the warmest calendar month has an average temperature between 0-10°C (32-50°F).

The main difference between the ii is that snow will melt from a tundra during the summer months, allowing vegetation to grow whereas an ice cap will remain snow-covered year-circular.

That being said, some of the Antarctic peninsular which is the northernmost function of the continent do exceed 0°C in the summer months⁷ and therefore can be classified as a tundra. This is the only part of Antarctica where you'll notice vegetation during summer.

3. The Arctic and Antarctica are home to very dissimilar animals

Despite a common myth that polar bears consume penguins, they live at opposite ends of the globe. The Chill has a thriving fauna population including the Arctic fox, polar conduct, snowy owl, Arctic hare, Arctic wolf, caribou (reindeer), moose, and more.

All the same, at the southern tip of the planet, there'south quite a different story as Antarctica doesn't accept any naturally occurring land mammals, reptiles, or amphibians⁸ .

Yous volition detect some invertebrates such equally earthworms, mollusks, and a few insects, however, information technology'south best known for its marine mammals, such every bit whales and seals, and birds including penguins and albatross.

4. There is more diverse vegetation in the Arctic compared to Antarctica

Both the Arctic and Antarctica are home to lower plant species such equally mosses, liverworts, lichens, and fungi. These have adapted well to surviving in extreme climates.

However, the big divergence between the two is when we await at vascular plants (i.eastward. flowering plants). In Antarctica, at that place are only ii species of vascular plants, these are Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort.

Meanwhile, the Arctic is home to more than 2,200 unlike species of vascular plants⁹ . This is due to the warmer climate in the Chill which allows a few inches of soil to thaw each twelvemonth for vegetation, this is known as the agile soil.

five. The Chill has iv 1000000 permanent residents whereas Antarctica has none

The climate establish in the Arctic might be extreme, but people accept all the same establish ways to live there for over twenty,000 years. It is currently estimated that 4 million people are living in the Arctic which includes ethnic people as well as modern towns and cities¹⁰ .

Some of the indigenous communities include Inuits in Canada and the Yup'ik in Alaska, they brand upwardly around ten% of the Chill'south permanent residents although this varies past region from more than lx% in Greenland to less than 1% in parts of Russia^xi .

The rest reside in modern towns and cities with the largest ones including Murmansk (Russian federation), Norilsk (Russian federation), and Tromsø (Kingdom of norway).

By dissimilarity, the sub-zippo climate ways that Antarctica has no native human population. There are around 1,100-5,000 people from beyond the earth who alive at the research centers in Antarctica, although they are usually stationed there for 1 year earlier returning home¹²

half-dozen. Antarctica is a continent but the Chill is not

Diagram showing that The Arctic is not a continent but Antarctica is a continent.

Although Antarctica and the Arctic appear equally snowy landscapes. Underneath all the snow you'll observe very different things.

Antarctica is a landmass that was once continued to India and Africa¹³ . Over fourth dimension it has drifted south and froze over. Yet, underneath it even so contains mountain ranges, gorges, and valleys¹⁴ .

Information technology sits on the Antarctic tectonic plate, is vast in size, and is singled-out from other landmasses on World, these are all the criteria needed to consider Antarctica as a continent. In fact, Antarctica is the 5^th largest continent on Earth, larger than Europe and Australia.

On the other manus, most of the Arctic is only ocean ice that sits on the body of water so it is not considered to be a continent. Parts of several other countries do fall within the Chill every bit they protrude north of the Arctic circle which leads to the next difference between the two.

7. Antarctica contains no countries whereas the Arctic does

Although several countries made territorial claims in Antarctica betwixt 1840 and 1940, all of those countries agreed to set aside these claims when the Antarctic Treaty was formed in 1961 and so there are no official countries in Antarctica¹⁵ .

On the other hand, the Arctic region covers the northernmost parts of 8 countries, these are Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United states.

8. Nobody owns Antarctica whereas parts of the Arctic are under the jurisdiction of other countries

The entire continent of Antarctica is entirely free of whatsoever buying.

Although seven states made territorial claims in Antarctica betwixt 1840 and 1940, the introduction of The Antarctic Treaty on 23 June 1961 set bated these claims. The treaty has now been agreed upon by 54 countries¹⁶

On the other paw, all of the landmasses found in the Chill, and upwards to 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) from the coastline into the sea, is owned by 8 different states. These are Canada, Kingdom of denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the USA.

Beyond 12 nautical miles from the coast is considered international waters and is not owned by anybody. The north pole itself sits on body of water water ice which lies more than 12 nautical miles from a coastline, therefore nobody owns this.

9. The timing of the seasons are opposite

Although both the Chill and Antarctica take a similar blueprint in terms of their seasons, they are completely reversed. In the Arctic, summer is from June to September and winter is from December to March.

Conversely, summertime is December to March in Antarctica and winter is June to September. This is because of the tilt of the Globe.

The timing of polar days and midnight sun is too reversed at the south pole compared to the due north pole.

At that place are but two days per year when the corporeality of daylight is equal at the due north pole and s pole, this is the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox which take place in March and September.

Is the Arctic in Antarctica?

No, the Arctic and Antarctica are at opposite ends of the planet. The Arctic is the expanse around the north pole whereas Antarctica is at the due south pole.

Which is Colder, Antarctica or the Arctic?

Antarctica is colder than the Chill. Average temperatures in Antarctica are around -sixty°C in winter compared to -40°C in the Arctic. During summer, virtually of Antarctica remains below freezing whereas most of the Arctic volition elevation in a higher place 0°C.

What is Antarctica Like vs Alaska?

Although both Antarctica and Alaska are snow-covered landscapes in winter. The main difference between the two is that Alaska thaws out in the summertime which allows vegetation to grow and creates a climate that people tin alive in.

On the other hand, Antarctica remains below freezing yr-circular so nobody lives there apart from scientists on a brusk-term ground.

Is Antarctica at the N or South Pole?

Antarctica can be constitute in the southernmost part of the world in the area around the south pole.