What makes the Arctic different from the Antarctic ?

The Arctic and Antarcic, the two polar regions at the North and South pole, are both under the same conditions of sunlight (and no sunlight) approaching them, but yet they are of very different nature. The most obvious difference is probably that the South Pole lies on a continent where as the North Pole is after all just ocean covered with sea ice. That was actually for long a subject of speculation, Barrow, who was sending out many english expeditions to explore the Arctic in the 19th century was convinced that there is land at the north pole.

But the actual important difference, which is the cause for the much colder climate at Antarctica, is the different distribution of land and ocean in the northern and southern Hemisphere. The southern Hemisphere consists of 80% of water, where as the northern Hemisphere has many continents on it. Since the oceans need much longer to warm up then the land, and also need longer too cool down, they act as a “heat resource” and will smooth the climate more. Additionally the big Mountain Ranges in the northern Hemisphere, the Rockies and the Himalaya, are the source of waves in the atmosphere – just as there can be waves in water, they can be in the air as well. These waves will disturb the conditions and mix the cold polar and warmer mid-latitude air and therefore transport warmer air in the Arctic. On the southern hermisphere, where there are not enough high mountain ranges to produce as many waves, no warm air is mixed into the Antarctic. What happens is, that in the Antartic develops every winter a cell of very cold and therefore heavy air which is basically a big and strong Low (the “polar vortex” ), being stable and very well isolated from the air further north. In the Arctic, the waves mentioned earlier will constantly disturb the development of such a strong cell.

The Arctic vs. the Antarctic