Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which continent contains the geographic South Pole?
The South Pole sits on a high ice plateau, while the North Pole lies over ocean water.
Why is ice-covered Antarctica classified as a desert?
Snowfall can build a thick ice sheet because much of the snow survives each summer and compacts over time.
Alaska's North Slope tundra lies between the Arctic Ocean and which mountain range?
The Brooks Range continues east into Canada's Yukon, so the mountain chain extends beyond Alaska.
Which landscape is typical of the Arctic tundra?
Arctic tundra forms a broad belt beyond the northern forest line in North America and Eurasia.
Which U.S. state has Arctic tundra along its northern coast?
Alaska's tundra extends down the western coast, so the treeless terrain also reaches well south of the Arctic Circle.
Iqaluit, surrounded by Arctic tundra, stands on which Canadian island?
Davis Strait separates Baffin Island from Greenland and connects Baffin Bay with the Atlantic Ocean.
What are Antarctica's large floating platforms of ice that stay attached to the coast called?
Ice shelves hold back the glaciers feeding them, so their collapse can speed the flow of land ice into the sea.
Which continent is the coldest on Earth?
A thick ice sheet raises much of Antarctica far above sea level, adding to the cold caused by its polar location.
Which term describes ground that remains continuously frozen for two or more consecutive years?
Permafrost underlies large areas of the Arctic tundra, storing organic matter accumulated over thousands of years.
Why do wild polar bears never hunt wild penguins in their natural habitats?
Polar bears inhabit the northern Arctic regions, while wild penguins live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere.