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40-592: The polar regions , also called the frigid zones or polar zones , of Earth are Earth's polar ice caps , the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North and South Poles ), lying within the polar circles . These high latitudes are dominated by floating sea ice covering much of the Arctic Ocean in the north, and by the Antarctic ice sheet on the continent of Antarctica and

80-724: A Fokker F-27 Friendship of the Argentine Air Force manned by Vice-Commodore Erwin Roberto Kern , left Rio Gallegos and landed directly in Marambio Airport , carrying on board civil and military authorities. It was the first aircraft taking off in another continent and landing in Antarctica using conventional landing gear: Antarctica was no longer an isolated place; from that day onwards, all domestic and foreign Antarctic stations got interconnected with

120-627: A MBI International Meteorological Center, and others; several warehouses and deposits; fuel storage array; potable water and sewerage network; incinerator and waste disposal module, and firefighting system. The station also has CATV and public and internal mobile phone service. The 45 m (480 sq ft) medical suite is attended by one doctor and three paramedics, and has three beds and x-ray , dentistry , coronary care and telemedicine facilities. Over 492,000 L (108,000 imp gal; 130,000 US gal) of Antarctic gasoil are used every year for transportation, and to feed

160-461: A geographical zone was first hypothesized by the ancient Greek scholar Parmenides and lastingly modified by Aristotle . Both philosophers theorized the Earth divided into three types of climatic zones based on their distance from the equator. Like Parmeneides, thinking that the area near the equator was too hot for habitation, Aristotle dubbed the region around the equator (from 23.5° N to 23.5° S)

200-410: A la Antártida ). It is also Argentina's most important station in the continent. As of 2014, Marambio is one of 13 research stations in Antarctica operated by Argentina. The increased Antarctic activity that Argentina developed since 1940 created the need for an aviation runway operable throughout the year for wheeled units. The flight of Vice-Commodore Mario Luis Olezza  [ es ] to

240-402: A longer distance through the Earth's atmosphere in which it may be absorbed, scattered or reflected, which is the same thing that causes winters to be colder than the rest of the year except in tropical regions. The axial tilt of the Earth has the most effect on climate of the polar regions due to its latitude. However, since the polar regions are the farthest from the equator , they receive

280-435: A manner similar to a Zonda wind . Its highest recorded temperature was 17.4 °C (63.3 °F) on 23 March 2015. This was surpassed on 9 February 2020 when a temperature of 20.75 °C (69.3 °F) was recorded at the station. Fog frequently occurs in the station. December and January are the foggiest months, averaging 16 to 19 days with fog while June to September are the least, averaging 9 to 11 days. The station

320-971: A permanent staff of 60 people and a large complement of scientific personnel, reaching 165 people. Some of the facilities are: main, dining and recreation halls; emergency house with 28-bed capacity; personnel accommodation buildings; aircraft parking platform; flight deck; airline passenger terminal; flight ground support equipment; library; mail office; gym; a Catholic chapel ; laundry; kitchen; two freezing chambers; snow melter; satellite dish for television and internet; radio communications station; towing and personnel carrier vehicles (including tractors , trucks and forklifts ); road maintenance tools and vehicles (several snow dozers , tracked loaders and graders ); mechanical, carpentry, blacksmithing, turning, plumbing and electricity workshops; laboratory with substations for APT (Automatic Picture Transmission) satellite imagery receiver, ozone and uv light measurement, sounding balloon and radiosonde setup and launching,

360-458: A type of marine Crustacea , which in turn feed a complex of living creatures from penguins to blue whales . Geographical zone On the basis of latitudinal extent, the globe is divided into three broad heat zones. The Torrid Zone is also known as the tropics . This zone is bounded on the north by the Tropic of Cancer and on the south by the Tropic of Capricorn ; these latitudes mark

400-529: Is located in Marambio Island , Graham Land , Antarctic Peninsula , some 100 km (60 mi) from the coastal civilian village of Esperanza . At the time of its construction it was the first airfield in Antarctica and is still one of the most frequently used ones due to its suitability for wheeled landing , for which it is called "Antarctica's Entrance Door" ( Spanish : Puerta de Entrada

440-400: Is provided by Speedy Argentina , allowing the personnel in the station to be permanently connected to net services. Wireless LAN and Wi-Fi cover the entire complex, becoming one of the southernmost spots in the world with a wireless network. Telephone service is provided by Telefónica de Argentina at low national rates. In September 2006, a GSM mobile phone network was also added to

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480-547: Is the largest research station in Antarctica , run by the United States. Other notable stations include Palmer Station and Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station (United States), Esperanza Base and Marambio Base ( Argentina ), Scott Base ( New Zealand ), and Vostok Station (Russia). While there are no indigenous human cultures, there is a complex ecosystem, especially along Antarctica's coastal zones. Coastal upwelling provides abundant nutrients that feed krill ,

520-436: The 05/23 -oriented runway had a length of 300 m (980 ft). It was the first one in the continent. The task took three months of work and culminated when a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver , set with conventional wheels, took off from Matienzo Station and landed on the new airport. Before the end of October the runway had already reached 800 m (2,600 ft). The station was founded on 29 October 1969. That day,

560-640: The Levant ( Syria , Lebanon , Jordan , Israel , Palestine ), and Turkey ). The South Temperate Zone includes Southern Australia (the southern regions of the Australian states of Western Australia and Queensland, the southern regions of the Northern Territory, and the entire territories of the states of New South Wales , South Australia , Tasmania and Victoria ), great part of Zealandia ( New Zealand ), southern South America (large part of

600-1064: The March equinox . The Torrid zone includes southern Mexico , Central America , the Caribbean , northern South America (larger parts of Brazil , the Guyanas , Caribbean South America , Andean states and the northern tip of the Southern Cone ), the Sudan , the southern regions of Western Sahara , Algeria , Libya and Egypt , West Africa , Central Africa , East Africa , larger parts of Southern Africa ( Malawi , Zambia , Zimbabwe , northern Namibia and northern Botswana ), southern Middle East (southern Saudi Arabia , southern United Arab Emirates , Oman and Yemen ), southern Indian subcontinent (south-central and southern India , southern Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and Maldives ), Southeast Asia , northern Australia (the northern regions of

640-613: The September equinox . After then, the center of the Sun at the high point, the zenith , of the sky (which makes for the subsolar point beneath) aligns with successive latitudes in the southern tropics. The Sun passes overhead of these then does so once per year for the Tropic of Capricorn at the December solstice , then passes back again over those latitudes to return to the equator for

680-526: The South Pole , the newly built United States McMurdo Station and the frequent operations launched from the Matienzo Station showed the need to secure better transport and communications in the sector. The Argentine Air Force set about to find a suitable spot to construct an airport. On 25 November 1968, two helicopters operating from the icebreaker ARA General San Martín descended on

720-599: The Southern Ocean in the south. The Arctic has various definitions, including the region north of the Arctic Circle (currently Epoch 2010 at 66°33'44" N), or just the region north of 60° north latitude, or the region from the North Pole south to the timberline . The Antarctic is usually defined simply as south of 60° south latitude, or the continent of Antarctica. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty uses

760-631: The United States ( Alaska ), Canada ( Yukon , the Northwest Territories and Nunavut ), Denmark ( Greenland ), Norway , Finland , Sweden , Iceland , and Russia . Arctic circumpolar populations, though small, often share more in common with each other than with other populations within their national boundaries. As such, the northern polar region is diverse in human settlements and cultures. The southern polar region has no permanent human habitation as of now. McMurdo Station

800-499: The "Torrid Zone." Both philosophers reasoned the region from the Arctic Circle to the pole to be permanently frozen. This region thought uninhabitable, was called the "Frigid Zone." The only area believed to be habitable was the northern "Temperate Zone" (the southern one not having been discovered), lying between the "Frigid Zones" and the "Torrid Zone". However, humans have inhabited almost all climates on Earth, including inside

840-462: The 1,000  kW main power plant with its three Caterpillar generators. The station also has a sewage treatment plant. Most buildings are connected together by risen metal footpaths to isolate them from snow and ice. In 2010, the Argentine company CITEDEF designed and installed a wind generator on the station. The station is supported by Marambio Airport . The station is connected to

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880-513: The Antarctic Argentine stations from the mainland. The Fokker F28 Fellowship presidential aircraft T-01 Patagonia was the first jet to land in Antarctica when it touched down at Marambio on 28 July 1973, 13:28 h. Commercial passenger traffic from Ushuaia has been announced for 2018. As of 2014, Marambio has 27 buildings with a total covered area exceeding 20,000 m (220,000 sq ft; 2.0 ha). It can host

920-525: The Arctic Circle. As knowledge of the Earth's geography improved, a second "Temperate Zone" was discovered south of the equator, and a second "Frigid Zone" was discovered around the Antarctic . Although Aristotle's map was oversimplified, the general idea was correct. Today, the most commonly used climate map is the Köppen climate classification , developed by Russian climatologist of German descent and amateur botanist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940), which divides

960-472: The Argentine mainland and the world through a satellite downlink station with telephone, fax, TV and internet. They also have a DirecTV dish which provides their service to the whole station. Argentine mobile telephone company Claro and Spanish Movistar have an antenna for local coverage. Within the station and between stations, radio is the most used mean of communication, mainly through HF , Vox /Data, aeronautic VHF - AM and UHF - FM . Internet access

1000-585: The Australian states of Western Australia and Queensland , the northern regions of the Northern Territory , and the entire territory of the New Guinea island), the northern tip of Zealandia ( New Caledonia ), and a great part of Oceania ( Melanesia , Micronesia , and Polynesia , this later not including New Zealand). In the two temperate zones, consisting of the tepid latitudes ,

1040-474: The Marambio Island as part of such survey. Their report favoring the place was decisive: it lacked large obstacles that could trouble aircraft maneuvering, and its long plateau was virtually free of ice. On 30 August 1969, an Air Force team led by Vice-Commodore Olezza occupied the island, carrying with them the elements needed for the construction of the projected landing track. When initially opened,

1080-479: The Southern Cone), and Southern Africa (southern Namibia, southern Botswana, great part of South Africa , the entire territories of Lesotho and Eswatini , and the southern tips of Mozambique and Madagascar ). The two frigid zones, or polar regions , experience the midnight sun and the polar night for part of the year – at the edge of the zone there remains one day, the winter solstice , when

1120-674: The Sun is never directly overhead, and the climate is mild, generally ranging from warm to cool. The four annual seasons, spring , summer , autumn , and winter , occur in these areas. The North Temperate Zone includes North America (including northern Mexico and the northern Bahamas ), Europe , North Africa ( Morocco , Tunisia and the northern regions of Western Sahara, Algeria, Libya and Egypt), Northern Asia , East Asia , Central Asia , northern Indian subcontinent ( Pakistan , northern India and northern Bangladesh) and northern Middle East (northern Saudi Arabia, Qatar , Bahrain , northern United Arab Emirates, Iraq , Iran , Afghanistan ,

1160-401: The Sun is too low to rise, and one day at the summer solstice when the Sun remains above the horizon for 24 hours. In the center of the zone (the pole ), the day is one year long, with six months of daylight and six months of night. The frigid zones are the coldest regions of Earth and are generally covered in ice and snow. It receives slanting rays of the Sun, as this region lies farthest from

1200-424: The average high is −11 °C (12 °F) while the average low is −19 °C (−2 °F). Occasionally, temperatures can reach above freezing during winter. This occurs when warm air from the northeast (characterized by high cloud cover and fog) or from the northwest moves towards the peninsula. As the warm air crosses the mountains in the peninsula, it warms as it descends, leading to warm and dry conditions in

1240-480: The climate is severe with mean temperatures that rarely rise above 0 °C (32 °F) and the presence of strong winds. The strong winds produce a wind chill that makes the temperatures feel colder. In particular, gusts up to 220 km/h (140 mph) can occur during the winter months. Due to the partial melting of snow in summer due to above freezing daytime temperatures, animals as well as limited plant life (moss, lichens, and worts) are able to thrive during

Polar regions of Earth - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-514: The equator. Summer in this region lasts for about 2 to 3 months, and there is almost 24-hour sunlight during summer. The sun's rays are always slanting, so provide less heat per horizontal surface area. The North Frigid Zone includes the United States (only the state of Alaska ), the northern regions of Canada (the Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon ), Greenland ( Denmark ), Norway , Finland , Sweden , and Russia . The South Frigid Zone includes only Antarctica . The concept of

1320-453: The former definition. The two polar regions are distinguished from the other two climatic and biometric belts of Earth, a tropics belt near the equator, and two middle latitude regions located between the tropics and polar regions . Polar regions receive less intense solar radiation than the other parts of Earth because the Sun's energy arrives at an oblique angle , spreading over a larger area, being less concentrated, and also travels

1360-498: The northern and southern extremes in which the Sun passes directly overhead. This happens once annually on these cusps, but in the tropics proper, the Sun passes overhead twice a year. Within the northern tropics, the Sun passes overhead its first time for that year before the June solstice , at which time it does so as to the Tropic of Cancer. It passes over these latitudes in turn again, on its apparent southward journey, to and before

1400-479: The polar regions receive further, contributing to the cold. Polar regions are characterized by extremely cold temperatures, heavy glaciation wherever there is sufficient precipitation to form permanent ice , short and still cold summers, and extreme variations in daylight hours, with twenty-four hours of daylight in summer, and complete darkness at mid-winter . There are many settlements in Earth's north polar region. Countries with claims to Arctic regions are:

1440-539: The rest of the world throughout the year. It was the most important Antarctic event in the decade. By April 1970, the runway had reached 1,200 by 40 m (3,940 by 130 ft). On 11 April 1970, the Argentine Air Force began landing their C-130 Hercules on Antarctica when the TC-61 commanded by Commodore Arturo Athos Gandolfi landed in Marambio, starting a long-standing and uninterrupted tradition of air-supplying

1480-441: The station, provided by the Argentine mobile operator CTI Móvil (now Claro). Scientific research at Marambio is planned and executed by specialized departments, usually during the summer campaigns: In addition Marambio is home to various ongoing scientific projects: In spite of its relatively low latitude, Marambio Station is situated in an ice cap climate , albeit much less severe than in Antarctica's interior. Nonetheless,

1520-516: The warmer months of December, January, and February. Mean monthly temperatures range from −15.1 °C (4.8 °F) in June to −1.7 °C (28.9 °F) in December. During summer, the average high is above freezing while the average low is −4.2 °C (24.4 °F). However, temperatures can reach up to 15 °C (59.0 °F) or fall below −15 °C (5.0 °F) during summer. In winter,

1560-416: The weakest solar radiation and are therefore generally frigid year round due to the earth's axial tilt of 23.5° not being enough to create a high maximum midday declination to sufficiently compensate the Sun's rays for the high latitude even in summer, except for relatively brief periods in peripheral areas near the polar circles. The large amount of ice and snow also reflects and weakens of what weak sunlight

1600-403: The world into five major climate regions, based on average annual precipitation, average monthly precipitation, and average monthly temperature. Marambio Base Marambio Station ( Spanish : Estación Marambio ) is a permanent, all year-round Argentine Antarctica station named after Vice-Commodore Gustavo Argentino Marambio  [ es ] , an Antarctic aviation pioneer. It

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