Two Poles, Two Worlds

The Arctic and Antarctic may both be frozen, but they are fundamentally different. The Arctic is a frozen ocean surrounded by land. The Antarctic is a frozen continent surrounded by ocean. This single distinction shapes everything from temperature to the life each region supports.

Antarctica is far colder. The lowest temperature ever recorded — -89.2 degrees C — was measured at Vostok Station. The Arctic stays milder because the ocean beneath the ice holds heat and moderates the air above it. Antarctica's high elevation and isolation make it the coldest continent.