Renato Granieri

The North Pole (90°N)

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By Sue Stockdale

MAY 29, 2024

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Reaching the North Pole gives one a certain sense of pride. Standing at the top of the world and knowing that in past centuries, explorers battled through extremes of wind, ice, and freezing temperatures to plant a flag at the end of the earth gives one a sense of achievement and satisfaction.

No one lives at the North Pole permanently as it is situated on frozen Arctic sea ice, which moves because of the currents beneath the ice. That moment of glory, in one sense, is a short-lived experience. No one else will stand on the same piece of ice that represents the North Pole for you. By the time another group arrives, your piece of ice will likely have drifted away from that unique spot, pushed by the currents beneath to remain only your special and significant place.

I once met a Frenchman who spent a month camped at the North Pole to record who visited. Every day, he had to move his tent, sometimes up to a mile, back to 90 degrees north to be at the exact location of the Pole and document the myriad of adventurers who came to visit.

The North Pole, which should really be described as the geographic North Pole, is located at 90 degrees north and is the point where the earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface. If you turn around 360 degrees at the Pole, you will have passed through all twelve time zones in the world!

Despite the stark beauty of the North Pole and Arctic region, it’s unlikely you will want to linger given that the annual average temperature at the North Pole is minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or minus 40 Celsius (C) in winter and a balmy zero degrees C in summer (around 32 F).

There is also a magnetic North Pole, where the earth’s magnetic fields point vertically downwards. Since the forces that generate magnetic fields are constantly changing, this causes the location of the magnetic north to gradually shift, currently around 40 km each year. Now, it can be found in the Arctic Ocean towards Siberia, and therefore, today, it is possible to travel to both the magnetic and Geographic North Poles during one voyage.

I am fascinated by the Arctic environment, particularly the North Pole, which is undergoing significant changes due to the increase in global temperatures. Ice plays a vital role in local sea temperature regulation, which means that any reduction in sea ice may impact the survival of many indigenous peoples. For those, like the Inuit or the Sami people who live closest to the North Pole and have a strong connection to nature, any changes in sea ice mean that their livelihoods of fishing, hunting, and herding are threatened, and their way of life changes irrevocably.

According to NASA, over 70% of Arctic Sea ice is now seasonal, which means it grows in the winter and melts in the summer. It also melts faster and breaks up easier, making it much more susceptible to wind and atmospheric conditions, and ironically making travel to the North Pole by ship easier. Given the rapid change in climatic conditions in the Arctic, if you want to experience that sense of accomplishment like explorers Robert Peary, Frederick Cook and others did, I recommend exploring this region before the ice melts permanently in the summer months.