Pole of Cold
Encyclopedia
The Poles of Cold are the places in the Northern
and Southern hemisphere
s where the lowest air temperature
s have been recorded.
, Russia
that vie for the honour of being considered the "Pole of Cold". These are Verkhoyansk
(located at 67°33′N 133°23′E) and Oymyakon
(located at 63°15′N 143°9′E).
In December 1868 and then in February 1869 I. A. Khudyakov made the discovery of the Northern Pole of Cold by measuring a record temperature of -63.2 °C in Verkhoyansk. Later, on January 15, 1885 a temperature of -67.8 °C was registered there by S. F. Kovalik, which became the new world record, and still holds the record for the northern hemisphere. This measurement was published in the Annals of the General Physical Observatory in 1892; however, by mistake was written as -69.8 °C, which was later corrected. One can still find this incorrect value in some literature.
On February 6, 1933, an absolute minimum of -67.7 °C was registered in Oymyakon.
However, the conventional practice is to round the measurement to the nearest degree Celsius. In this convention, the two places share the world record of -68 °C. On the other hand, it is not correct to compare the data measured in different years with different equipment and different uncertainties. A more correct procedure is to compare average temperatures over large periods of time. On the average, the temperature at Oymyakon appeared to be lower than at Verkhoyansk during 70 years of simultaneous observations.
Other possible candidates are:
n (formerly Soviet
) Antarctic station Vostok at 78°28′S 106°48′E. On July 21, 1983, this station recorded a temperature of -89.2 °C. This is the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Vostok station's location at the elevation of 3488 metres (11,443.6 ft) above sea level, far removed from moderating influence of oceans (more than 1000 kilometres (621.4 mi) from the nearest sea coast), and high latitude that results in almost 3 months of civil polar night every year (early May to end of July), all combine to produce a remarkably inhospitable environment, where temperatures rarely rise above -25 °C during summer and frequently fall below -70 °C in winter. By comparison, the South Pole, due to its lower elevation, is, on average, 5 to 10 °C (9 to 18 °F) warmer than Vostok, and the lowest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole is "only" -82.8 °C.
It is generally thought that Vostok is not the coldest place in Antarctica, and there are locations (notably, Dome A
) that are modestly colder on average. However, Antarctica is very sparsely populated; prior to 1995, Vostok was the only research station on the Antarctic Plateau
above the elevation of 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft), with no other stations for several hundreds of kilometers in any direction. Temperatures below -89.2 °C, if they did occur elsewhere, wouldn't have been recorded simply because there was no one around to record them. The automatic weather station at the aforementioned Dome A was only installed in 2005, which has recorded -82.5 °C as the coldest so far (2010).
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
and Southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
s where the lowest air temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
s have been recorded.
Northern hemisphere
In the Northern hemisphere, there are two places in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
that vie for the honour of being considered the "Pole of Cold". These are Verkhoyansk
Verkhoyansk
Verkhoyansk is a town in Verkhoyansky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, situated on the Yana River, near the Arctic Circle, from Yakutsk. Population: There is a river port, an airport, a fur-collecting depot, and the center of a reindeer-raising area....
(located at 67°33′N 133°23′E) and Oymyakon
Oymyakon
Oymyakon is a village in Oymyakonsky Ulus of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located along the Indigirka River, 30 kilometres northwest of Tomtor on the Kolyma Highway.-Geography:...
(located at 63°15′N 143°9′E).
In December 1868 and then in February 1869 I. A. Khudyakov made the discovery of the Northern Pole of Cold by measuring a record temperature of -63.2 °C in Verkhoyansk. Later, on January 15, 1885 a temperature of -67.8 °C was registered there by S. F. Kovalik, which became the new world record, and still holds the record for the northern hemisphere. This measurement was published in the Annals of the General Physical Observatory in 1892; however, by mistake was written as -69.8 °C, which was later corrected. One can still find this incorrect value in some literature.
On February 6, 1933, an absolute minimum of -67.7 °C was registered in Oymyakon.
However, the conventional practice is to round the measurement to the nearest degree Celsius. In this convention, the two places share the world record of -68 °C. On the other hand, it is not correct to compare the data measured in different years with different equipment and different uncertainties. A more correct procedure is to compare average temperatures over large periods of time. On the average, the temperature at Oymyakon appeared to be lower than at Verkhoyansk during 70 years of simultaneous observations.
Other possible candidates are:
- The isolated settlement of TomtorTomtorTomtor is the name of several rural localities in the Sakha Republic, Russia. The most notable one is on the Kolyma Highway. Thirty kilometers northwest is Oymyakon, known chiefly for recording the coldest temperature on Earth at a locality with permanent, year-round habitation...
, also in Sakha, which holds the record of low temperature among the places with permanent residents. - Mount LoganMount LoganMount Logan is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest peak in North America, after Mount McKinley . The mountain was named after Sir William Edmond Logan, a Canadian geologist and founder of the Geological Survey of Canada . Mount Logan is located within Kluane National Park and...
in Canada which recorded a temperature of -77.5 °C in May 1991. This is quite controversial as it is at a very high altitude at nearly 6000 m. - Old Crow, YukonOld Crow, Yukon-Population data:-External links:******, a National Film Board of Canada documentary...
in Canada which recorded a temperature of -66.0 °C in January 1935.
Southern hemisphere
In the Southern hemisphere, the Pole of Cold is currently located in Antarctica, at the RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n (formerly Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) Antarctic station Vostok at 78°28′S 106°48′E. On July 21, 1983, this station recorded a temperature of -89.2 °C. This is the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth. Vostok station's location at the elevation of 3488 metres (11,443.6 ft) above sea level, far removed from moderating influence of oceans (more than 1000 kilometres (621.4 mi) from the nearest sea coast), and high latitude that results in almost 3 months of civil polar night every year (early May to end of July), all combine to produce a remarkably inhospitable environment, where temperatures rarely rise above -25 °C during summer and frequently fall below -70 °C in winter. By comparison, the South Pole, due to its lower elevation, is, on average, 5 to 10 °C (9 to 18 °F) warmer than Vostok, and the lowest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole is "only" -82.8 °C.
It is generally thought that Vostok is not the coldest place in Antarctica, and there are locations (notably, Dome A
Dome A
Dome A or Dome Argus is an Antarctican plateau located 1200 kilometres inland. It is thought to be one of the coldest naturally occurring places on Earth, with temperatures believed to get close to . It is the highest ice feature in Antarctica, comprising a dome or eminence of 4,093 meters...
) that are modestly colder on average. However, Antarctica is very sparsely populated; prior to 1995, Vostok was the only research station on the Antarctic Plateau
Antarctic Plateau
The Antarctic Plateau is a large area of Central Antarctica, which extends over a diameter of about , and which includes the region of the South Pole and the Amundsen-Scott Station...
above the elevation of 3000 metres (9,842.5 ft), with no other stations for several hundreds of kilometers in any direction. Temperatures below -89.2 °C, if they did occur elsewhere, wouldn't have been recorded simply because there was no one around to record them. The automatic weather station at the aforementioned Dome A was only installed in 2005, which has recorded -82.5 °C as the coldest so far (2010).