9781422279243

1 2

O I L A N D GA S I N T H E A R C T I C

with an average July temperature of 50˚F (10°C) or below. Different orga- nizations use different boundaries, which can sometimes complicate data collection and international agreements about the region. At the center of the Arctic is its most dominant feature, the nearly circular-shapedArctic Ocean. It is the smallest of theworld’s five oceans,but makes up for it in depth; its deepest point, the Eurasian Basin, measures some 17,880 feet (5,449 m). Much of the ocean’s surface is covered with ice. Some of this is frozen seawater, or pack ice, including the polar ice cap at the North Pole. Large chunks of pack ice called floes also float across the water, colliding to create thick ridges. In thewinter when temperatures fall, more of the ocean freezes so there is a greater amount of ice. When tem- peratures rise again in the summer,

Arctic vs. Antarctica Because they are two of the coldest, most sparsely populated places on earth, people often confuse the Arctic with Antarc- tica. There are many differences between the two places, the most obvious being that the Arctic is in the north and contains the North Pole, while Antarctica is home to the South Pole on the opposite end of the globe. Another major difference is that Antarctica is its own continent—meaning that beneath all the ice and snow is solid, stony land—and the Arctic is mainly frozen ocean surrounded by parts of different continents. The bedrock of Antarctica keeps it much colder year-round than the comparatively warmer ocean temperatures of the Arctic. While it’s often believed that polar bears and penguins live in both places, it’s actually polar bears who roam the Arctic and penguins who live in the Antarctic.

over half the ice melts back into the ocean. Two other main forms of Arctic ice are glaciers and icebergs. Glaciers are like giant frozen rivers that move slowly over land.