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Polar Seas

Polar Seas. Test your knowledge…. True or False??. Penguins make delicious polar bear food. FALSE: Penguins live South of the equator, polar bears live in the Arctic. Most of the world’s fresh water is frozen in Antarctica’s ice. TRUE.

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Polar Seas

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  1. Polar Seas

  2. Test your knowledge… True or False??

  3. Penguins make delicious polar bear food. FALSE: Penguins live South of the equator, polar bears live in the Arctic.

  4. Most of the world’s fresh water is frozen in Antarctica’s ice. TRUE

  5. Antarctica is the highest, driest, windiest, coldest, cleanest place on earth. TRUE

  6. The Arctic is frozen land surrounded by water FALSE: The Arctic is frozen ocean surrounded by land.

  7. The only direction you can go from the South Pole is North. TRUE

  8. There are candy striped barber poles to mark both the North and South Poles. FALSE: Only at the South Pole at the Amundsen-Scott base.

  9. There are only 6 sunrises and 6 sunsets each year at the Poles. FALSE: The sun rises and sets only once a year.

  10. Polar Exploration • 1909 – Robert Peary 1st to reach North Pole • Dec. 1911 – Roald Amundsen, with 4 companions, is 1st to reach South Pole • Jan. 1912 – Robert Scott, Edward Wilson, Birdie Bowers, Edgar Evans & Lawrence Oates reached South Pole; they did not survive the return journey

  11. 1929 – Richard Byrd 1st to fly over the South Pole • 1920 – Amundsen dies in air ship rescue at North Pole • 1955 – Admiral Byrd establishes 8 research stations at South Pole • 1958 – Captain Anderson sails under Arctic Ocean – Alaska to Greenland

  12. North Pole Huge mass of ice over Arctic ocean Average temps: Winter: -30oF Summer: 32oF Record: -92oF Polar bears, pinnipeds, no penguins South Pole Land mass covered by ice – extends 100s of miles into ocean Average temps: Winter: -78oF Summer: 20oF Record: -128oF Penguins, pinnipeds (walruses) Comparing Polar Seas

  13. Arctic

  14. Antarctic

  15. Polar Conditions • High winds • Cold winters, cool summers • Low precipitation • Summer = 6 months of daylight • Winter = 6 months darkness

  16. Water warmer than surrounding land • Upwelling • Ice may completely cover or float on sea • Provide resting spots for marine animals • Floes – polar bears • Ice bergs found at both poles

  17. High Productivity • In summer months, phytoplankton (diatoms) can go through unending photosynthesis • 24 hours daylight • Upwelling provides nutrients • With large amounts of phytoplankton • Zooplankton grow • Large animals migrate to feed

  18. Animal Adaptations • BLUBBER • Insulation • Buoyancy • Food reserve • Penguins • Male keeps eggs balanced on his feet to avoid freezing • Huddle en masse, rotate during storms

  19. Pinnipeds • Group of marine mammals • Paddle-shaped flippers • Blubber • Need to rest & breed on land

  20. Seals • Largest group of pinnipeds • Can’t rotate rear flippers forward • Have short necks • No external ears

  21. “Eared” seals Front flippers rotate to support body weight Rear flippers rotate forward to walk on land Sea Lions

  22. Pair of protruding tusks Use to pull up on ice Whiskers used to sense environment Feed mainly on bottom invertebrates Walruses

  23. Antarctic • Permafrost – soil that never thaws • Great Freeze • March • Once temp hits -40oC, ocean freezes at a rate of 5.75 km/minute

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