The predominant difference between the two polar regions (North and South) is that Antartica, or the South Pole region, is a continent covered with an immense ice shelf, where is the massive ice cap of the Arctic at the North Pole lies on the Arctic Ocean. Julia confuses the two polar regions due to similar names. The Arctic was discovered by Phoenician sailors years before the common era, who named the newly discovered region after a polar star which guided them to the end of the earth. The star was called “Arktos” by the Greeks during this time which meant “land of the big bear.” Coincidentally, this title helps many people remember that polar bears are found in the Arctic rather than Antarctica. Also found in the Arctic region is the arctic fox, different species of seals and whales, puffins, fulmars, and other bird species. Though the Arctic is obviously a very cold region, it is still much warmer than Antarctica in the South. Known as “the land of the midnight sun,” the Arctic is located in a landmass above 12 frozen feet of ice. Most commonly, scientists define the Arctic as the region above the Arctic Circle, an imaginary line that marks the latitude above which the sun does not set on the summer solstice, and does not rise on the winter solstice. So, at the North Pole, the sun rises only once each year and sets only once each year, offering six months of continuous daylight and six months of continuous night. "That is long!" Adrian noted.
Some animals live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere like penguins and south polar skua bird, while others like polar bears, caribou, Arctic wolf and Arctic fox, Arctic hare, and musk ox live only at the Arctic region. Seals, killer whale, fish, and arctic tern bird inhabit both hemispheres.
Killer whales, also called orca, (buy here) are apex predators, meaning that they are at the top of the food chain, with no other animals (except for humans) hunting them. Some killer whales feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals. Orcas use many different techniques to catch prey. Sometimes they beach themselves to catch seals on land, meaning they jump from the water onto land.
Although penguins (buy here) are stereotypically associated with Antarctica, most penguins do not live in Antarctica all year long. In fact, only two species actually live on the Antarctic coastline – the Emperor and the Adélie, the former (Emperor penguins) being the only animal to inhabit the open ice of Antarctica during the brutal winter as well as summer. So, Emperor penguins are true and the only permanent citizens of Antartica, who can rightfully declare the land as their own, since no other country had claimed the Antarctic region as of yet.
Although penguins reside only in the Southern Hemisphere, not all penguins live in a very cold climate. In fact, there are penguins in and around Australia, New Zealand, and in many areas along the tip of South Africa. Penguins can even be found up and around the coast of South America and even in the Galapagos Islands, which are located on the equator, being the warmest penguin home of all. Galapagos Islands have the average temperatures of around 73 degrees Fahrenheit - a 100 °F difference from the average temperature in Antarctica, which is - 58°F!
Despite the frigid cold winter conditions in the Arctic, the animal population is diverse. Herbivores on the tundra include the Arctic hare, lemming, muskox, and caribou. They are preyed on by the snowy owl, Arctic fox, grizzly bear, and wolf. The polar bear is also a predator, though it prefers to hunt for marine life from the ice, seals being its favorite food. There are also many Arctic birds and marine species endemic to the colder regions. Other land animals include wolverines, ermines, and Arctic ground squirrels. Marine mammals include seals, walrus, and several species of cetacean—baleen whales and also narwhals, killer whales and belugas. An excellent and famous example of a ring species exists and has been described around the Arctic Circle in the form of the Larus gulls.
I placed white styrofoam on one side to represent the continent of Antarctica, and blue marbles on the other to represent the Arctic ocean. I then poured water over it, froze the tray in the freezer and later added some instant snow (buy here).
This lesson is a part of our Polar Regions of the 🌏 Earth unit study (read here ❄️Polar 🌎Regions Unit Study • 🎅🏻 🇦🇶Land 🌊Water 🌬Air).
Tofauti kuu kati ya mikoa miwili ya polar (Kaskazini na Kusini) ni kwamba Antarctica, au mkoa wa Ncha ya Kusini, ni bara lililofunikwa na barafu kubwa, ambapo barafu kubwa ya Arctic iko kwenye Ncha ya Kaskazini. Julia huchanganya maeneo hayo mawili ya bara kwa sababu ya majina yanayofanana. Bahari ya Aktiki iligunduliwa na mabaharia wa Phoenicia miaka mingi kabla ya enzi ya kawaida, ambao waliita eneo hilo jipya baada ya nyota ya polar ambayo iliwaongoza hadi mwisho wa dunia. "Nyota hiyo iliitwa ""Arctus"" na Wagiriki wakati huo, ikimaanisha ""nchi ya dubu mkubwa"" - jina ambalo linasaidia watu wengi kukumbuka kwamba dubu wa bara hupatikana katika eneo la Arctic badala ya Antarctica." Pia katika eneo la Aktiki kuna mbweha wa Aktiki, spishi mbalimbali za sili na nyangumi, puffins, fulmars, na spishi nyingine za ndege. Ingawa eneo la Aktiki ni baridi sana, bado ni lenye joto kuliko Antaktika. "Nchi inayojulikana kama ""nchi ya jua la usiku wa manane,"" Arctic iko katika ardhi ya juu ya miguu 12 ya barafu." "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Arctic"" ni eneo lililo juu ya mduara wa Arctic, mstari wa kuwaziwa ambao unaashiria latitudo ambapo jua halizuii wakati wa majira ya joto na halitoki wakati wa majira ya baridi kali." Katika Ncha ya Kaskazini, jua huchomoza mara moja tu kwa mwaka na kuzama mara moja tu kwa mwaka, na hivyo kutoa miezi sita ya mwanga wa mchana na miezi sita ya usiku. "Hiyo ni ndefu!" Adrian aliona hivyo. Wanyama wengine huishi katika eneo la kaskazini tu, kama vile pengwini na ndege wa polar skua, wakati wengine kama dubu wa kaskazini, caribou, mbwa mwitu wa kaskazini na mbweha wa kaskazini, sungura wa kaskazini, na ng'ombe wa musk wanaishi tu katika eneo la kaskazini. Nyigu, nyangumi wauaji, samaki, na ndege anayeitwa arctic tern huishi katika pande zote mbili za dunia. Killer whale (au Orca) ni aina ya wanyama wanaowinda wanyama kwa sababu wao ni juu ya mlolongo wa chakula na hawawezi kuwinda. Nyangumi fulani wauaji hula samaki tu, huku wengine wakivua mamalia wa baharini kama vile sili. Orcas hutumia mbinu nyingi tofauti-tofauti za kuvua mawindo. Nyakati nyingine wao hujifungia kwenye ufuo ili kuvua sili kwenye nchi kavu, ikimaanisha kwamba wao huruka kutoka majini hadi kwenye nchi kavu. Ingawa pengwini (nunua hapa) huhusianishwa kwa kawaida na Antaktika, pengwini wengi hawaishi Antaktika mwaka mzima. Kwa kweli, ni spishi mbili tu zinazokaa kwenye pwani ya Antaktika - Mfalme na Adélie, yule wa kwanza (Penguin Mfalme) akiwa mnyama pekee anayeishi kwenye barafu ya Antarctica wakati wa majira ya baridi kali na majira ya joto. Kwa hivyo, pengwini wa maliki ni raia wa kudumu wa Antarctica, ambao wanaweza kutangaza ardhi kama yao wenyewe, kwani hakuna nchi nyingine iliyodai eneo la Antarctica. Ingawa pengwini huishi katika Kizio cha Kusini tu, si pengwini wote wanaoishi katika hali ya hewa baridi sana. Kwa kweli, kuna pengwini katika Australia na maeneo ya karibu, New Zealand, na katika maeneo mengi kando ya ncha ya Afrika Kusini. Pengwini huishi karibu na pwani ya Amerika Kusini na katika visiwa vya Galapagos, ambavyo ni sehemu ya dunia yenye joto zaidi. Jiji la Galapagos lina joto la wastani la karibu digrii 73 Fahrenheit - tofauti ya digrii 100 F kutoka joto la wastani katika Antaktika, ambalo ni - 58 F! Licha ya hali baridi kali za majira ya baridi kali katika Aktiki, idadi ya wanyama ni tofauti. Wanyama wanaokula mimea katika tundra wanatia ndani sungura wa Aktiki, lemming, muskox, na caribou. Wao huwindwa na mbuni wa theluji, mbweha wa Aktiki, dubu mwenye rangi ya kijivu, na mbwa-mwitu. Dubu wa barafu pia ni mwindaji, ingawa hupendelea kuwinda wanyama wa baharini kutoka kwenye barafu, na nyigu ndio chakula chake cha kupendwa. Pia kuna ndege wengi wa Aktiki na spishi za baharini zinazopatikana tu katika maeneo baridi zaidi. Wanyama wengine wa nchi kavu wanatia ndani wolverines, ermines, na squirrels za ardhi za Aktiki. Wanyama wa baharini ni pamoja na sili, walrus, na spishi kadhaa za nyangumi wa cetacean <unk> baleen na pia narwhal, nyangumi wauaji na belugas. Mfano mzuri na maarufu wa spishi ya pete ipo na imeelezwa karibu na Mzunguko wa Aktiki katika fomu ya Larus gulls. "Nilikuwa na Styrofoam nyeupe upande mmoja ili kuwakilisha bara la Antarctica, na marumaru ya bluu upande mwingine ili kuwakilisha bahari ya Aktiki.""" Kisha nilimwaga maji juu yake, nikafungia tray katika friji na baadaye nikaongeza theluji ya papo hapo (nunua hapa). Somo hili ni sehemu ya Polar Mikoa yetu ya <unk> Dunia kitengo cha utafiti (kusoma hapa <unk>️ Polar <unk> Mikoa Kitengo cha utafiti <unk> <unk> <unk> Ardhi <unk> Maji <unk> Hewa).