polar cap
Frozen axial region
A polar cap is the mass of ice covering the north or south pole of a planet.
On Earth, the polar caps consist of ice sheets and glaciers that expand and contract seasonally.
Mars also has polar caps, composed of water ice and frozen carbon dioxide.
The term sometimes appears in climate discussions, where shrinking polar caps serve as evidence of global warming.
Scientists monitor the polar caps for signs of melting.
Southernmost continental landmass
- penguinFlightless aquatic southern bird
- Ross Ice ShelfFloating Antarctic ice formation
- Southern OceanSea around Antarctica
- aurora australisAntarctic atmospheric light display
krill · ozone hole · ice sheet
Slow-moving ice mass
- ice sheetThick glacial landmass covering
- icebergFloating glacial fragment
- crevasseDeep glacial fissure
- firnYear-old compacting snow
calving · moraine · ice shelf · ice field · accumulation zone · serac · meltwater · ice core
Largest island on Earth
- Arctic OceanEarth's northernmost body of water
- arctic foxCold-adapted northern canine
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
- caribouNorth American arctic deer
muskox · Svalbard · Nunavut · Inuit · Sami · aurora borealis · midnight sun · tundra
Surface reflection coefficient
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- greenhouse effectAtmospheric heat retention mechanism
- carbon sinkCO2 storage reservoir
feedback loop · sea level rise · insolation · cryosphere · paleoclimate · climate model
Return to liquid
- retreatSanctuary or withdrawal
- shrinkageDecrease in size
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- meltwaterWater from melted ice
ice loss · permafrost thaw · coastal flooding · warming · thinning · breakup · disintegration · glacial lake
Organized exploratory journey
- ShackletonPolar expedition commander
- ScottName of Scottish origin
- dogsledAnimal-drawn snow vehicle
- icebreakerTension-easing social activity
Amundsen · basecamp · overwintering · sledge · survival · endurance · supply depot · reconnaissance
Antarctica
Southernmost continental landmass
- penguinFlightless aquatic southern bird
- Ross Ice ShelfFloating Antarctic ice formation
- Southern OceanSea around Antarctica
glacier
Slow-moving ice mass
- ice sheetThick glacial landmass covering
- icebergFloating glacial fragment
- crevasseDeep glacial fissure
firn · calving · moraine · ice shelf · ice field · accumulation zone · serac · meltwater · ice core · glacial retreat
Greenland
Largest island on Earth
- Arctic OceanEarth's northernmost body of water
- arctic foxCold-adapted northern canine
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
caribou · muskox · Svalbard · Nunavut · Inuit · Sami · aurora borealis · midnight sun · tundra · permafrost
albedo
Surface reflection coefficient
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- greenhouse effectAtmospheric heat retention mechanism
carbon sink · feedback loop · sea level rise · insolation · cryosphere · paleoclimate · climate model
thaw
Return to liquid
- retreatSanctuary or withdrawal
- shrinkageDecrease in size
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
meltwater · ice loss · permafrost thaw · coastal flooding · warming · thinning · breakup · disintegration · glacial lake · feedback loop
expedition
Organized exploratory journey
- ShackletonPolar expedition commander
- ScottName of Scottish origin
- dogsledAnimal-drawn snow vehicle
Amundsen · icebreaker · basecamp · overwintering · sledge · survival · endurance · supply depot · reconnaissance
- iceiceberg, ice sheet, ice shelf, ice floe, floe
- glaciersglacier, crevasse, glacial movement, moraine, iceberg
- planetary featuresvolcano, mountain, crater, canyon, cliff
- Arctic Phenomenaaurora borealis, Northern Lights, northern lights, midnight sun, ice fog
- solar systemsun, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
polar capequatorial region
Area around Earth's midline
equator · tropics · tropical zone · hot zone · temperate zone
polar capdesert
To leave behind completely
hot desert · Sahara · Death Valley · tropical rainforest · volcanic region
polar captropics
Warm equatorial region
tropical region · hot desert · Sahara · equatorial rainforest · Death Valley
cap, pole, capital, polar, capsule, polarization, capped, caps, polarity