An Emperor Penguin dives into the ocean through a hole in the ice.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of Emily Stone, National Science Foundation
Polar Games and Activities
Dive into one of our new polar activities or games!
Animation showing Annual Variation of Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic
Animation showing Annual Variation of Sea Ice Extent in the Antarctic
Changing Planet: The Case of the Leaky Gyre
Changing Planet: Melting Glaciers
Changing Planet: Permafrost Gas Leak
Compare Images of Arctic Sea Ice Extent Side-by-side
Compare Images of Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Side-by-side
Earth's North Magnetic Pole interactive
Glaciers: Then and Now - Compare photographs of glaciers to observe how Alaskan glaciers have changed over the last century.
Graphing Sea Ice Extent in the Arctic and Antarctic A classroom activity for grades 5-12 where students graph sea ice extent (area) in both polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) over a three-year period to learn about seasonal variations and over a 25-year period to learn about longer-term trends.
Model a Moving Glacier - Make a model of glacier motion and then experiment with it.
Polar Jigsaw Puzzles - Want a challenge? Try 12x12 piece puzzles!
Polar Wordsearch Puzzle Try all three levels, beginner, intermediate and advanced!
Postcards from the Field - Antartica - Send a postcard yourself!
Make an Arctic Creature Mobile! - A craft activity to print and color
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
The
Summer 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, available in our
online store, includes articles on rivers and snow, classroom planetariums, satellites and oceanography, hands-on astronomy, and global warming.
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Polar exploration includes the physical exploration of the Arctic and the Antarctica. The Arctic is the area around the Earth's north pole and includes parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia, the United States
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What Will You Find There? South of the Antarctic Circle (at 66.5°S latitude) you will find the continent of Antarctica surrounded by the Southern Ocean, the geographic South Pole and the magnetic South
...moreAntarctica is unique. It is the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on Earth. The land is barren and mostly covered with a thick sheet of ice. Antarctica is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle
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North of the Arctic Circle (at 66.5°N latitude) you will find the Arctic Ocean surrounded by the continents of Europe, Asia, and North America. You will find the geographic North Pole and the magnetic
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“Polar bears are one of nature’s ultimate survivors, able to live and thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments, but we are concerned the polar bears’ habitat may literally be melting” said US
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Sea ice is frozen seawater. It can be several meters thick and it moves over time. Although the salts in the seawater do not freeze, pockets of concentrated salty water become trapped in the sea ice when
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The Southern Ocean is a bit different. Many mapmakers do not even recognize it as an ocean. The Southern Ocean (sometimes known as the Antarctic Ocean or South Polar Ocean) surrounds Antarctica in the
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