Polar regions

Polar regions are the high-latitude areas surrounding Earth’s North and South Poles. They comprise the Arctic in the north and Antarctica and its surrounding ocean in the south.

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Arctic: The northern polar region, centered on the Arctic Ocean and bordered by parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the ocean-centered northern half of the polar regions.
Midnight sun: A period when the Sun remains above the horizon for at least 24 hours at high latitudes. It is the summer counterpart to polar night, arising from the same axial tilt.
Polar research: Scientific investigation of polar environments, ice, oceans, ecosystems, and their links to the wider Earth system. Long-term polar measurements reveal changes that are difficult to observe elsewhere.
Sea-level rise: An increase in the average level of the global ocean relative to the land. Loss of land ice in Greenland and Antarctica adds water to the ocean.
Antarctica: Earth’s southernmost continent, covered largely by a thick ice sheet and surrounded by the Southern Ocean. It forms the continental core of the southern polar region.
Sea ice: Frozen seawater that forms, melts, and moves across ocean surfaces in cold conditions. Its seasonal area and reflectivity change the exchange of heat between ocean and atmosphere.
Ice core: A cylinder of ice extracted from a glacier or ice sheet, preserving layers and trapped atmospheric gases. Polar ice cores provide records of past climate and atmospheric composition.
Permafrost: Ground that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years. Warming can thaw frozen ground across Arctic landscapes, disrupting infrastructure and releasing greenhouse gases.
Arctic Ocean: The smallest and shallowest of Earth’s five oceans, largely enclosed by northern landmasses. Its sea ice and waters define much of the Arctic.
Ice-albedo feedback: A climate feedback in which melting reflective ice exposes darker surfaces that absorb more solar energy. It can amplify warming as polar snow and ice retreat.