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Arctic

At the top of the world is a cold and icy area called the Arctic. It is made up of the Arctic Ocean and parts of North America, Asia, and Europe. Much of the ocean is frozen into sea ice, which forms and melts with the seasons. The barren land also freezes many months of the year. People and other animals have adapted to life in these harsh conditions. But rising temperatures and melting ice are creating new challenges for life in the Arctic.

Stats

Definition: the region around the North Pole that includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of North America, Asia, and Europe
Description: Ocean of sea ice surrounded by cold, barren land
Inhabitants: people and other animals like polar bears, seals, sea birds, whales, caribou, Arctic fox
Arctic ice: Sea ice is ice that forms when sea water freezes; glaciers and ice caps are frozen fresh water.

Stumper

Climate change is threatening the Arctic and its species, like polar bears and caribou. You can help protect the Arctic by:

turning off the lights when you're not around

riding bikes instead of driving

both of these

Correct!

Any time you use electricity or gasoline, you're burning fossil fuels—which scientists believe is a leading cause of global warming. Can you think of three other ways to help reduce energy use and protect the Arctic?

Stumper

The Arctic is much colder than regions closer to the equator because:

it snows more in the Arctic

sunlight hitting the Arctic is less direct

places near the equator get 24 hours of sunlight

Correct!

In the Arctic, the Sun's rays are not as intense as they are near the equator because they hit the poles at a more slanted angle. That means that less solar energy reaches the Arctic.

Fact or Fiction

Ice in the Arctic helps slow global warming.

Fact

Fiction

Fact

This ice helps fight global warming by reflecting some of the Sun's energy back into space. So the more ice melts, the faster the land and ocean in the Arctic warm up.

Fact or Fiction

During the Arctic summer, the Sun never sets.

Fact

Fiction

Fact

During summer in northern hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun. Even as Earth rotates, the Sun shines all day and night. This area is called "Land of the Midnight Sun."

Fact or Fiction

Image credits: main image, courtesy of NASA.

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Solve these story puzzles to find out more about how life in the Arctic is affected by climate change.

Solve these interactive story puzzles to find out how people and other animals live in the Arctic.

Antarctica is like no other place on Earth. The continent is covered almost entirely by a thick ice sheet. Yet there...

Correct!

Correct!

Fact

Fact

Fact

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