Where on earth is the hottest and coldest place? The coldest places in the world The coldest place on earth temperature

Earth is a large and diverse planet, so it's not surprising that some regions experience extreme temperatures. Have you ever wondered where the coldest place on Earth is?

If you want to go to the coldest place on the planet, head south... far south in ! It is the second smallest. It is the coldest, driest and windiest. Antarctica also has the highest average altitude of any continent.

Located within the Antarctic Circle, Antarctica is the most... southern continent Earth. She turns on and is washed by waters.

Approximately 98% of Antarctica is covered with ice, with an average thickness of 2.5 km and a maximum thickness of 4.8 km. Most of the continent's territory is occupied by polar desert, since the average annual precipitation is about 20 cm. Have you ever thought that a desert could be covered with ice?

Cold temperatures and general climate make life on the continent difficult. In fact, there are no permanent residents in Antarctica. However, during the year, between 1,000 and 5,000 people live and work at research stations.

So, how cold is the climate in Antarctica? Very cold! The coldest temperature on Earth ever recorded on the continent was -89.2° C at Vostok station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983. However, thanks to the research group of Ted Scambos from Colorado State University, a new record of -98.6° C was set in June 2018.

Temperatures in Antarctica can vary greatly throughout the year. In winter, temperatures reach -80° C and below. In summer, near the coast, temperatures can rise to +15.5° C, although the record Maximum temperature was +17.5° C in March 2015.

Despite the low temperatures, solar radiation is a big problem in Antarctica. Snow and ice reflect almost all ultraviolet light that reaches the surface, so sunscreen needed throughout the year.

The harsh climate of Antarctica makes life on the continent difficult. However, the most adaptive species of organisms managed to adapt to these harsh climatic conditions.

Interesting to know! The coldest permanently inhabited place is in the village of Oymyakon in Yakutia. average temperature in this settlement is -16.1° C. The coldest months - from December to February - have an average temperature of -50° C. The maximum record in Oymyakon was recorded in February 1933, it was -67.7° C. Village is located approximately 320 km south of the Arctic Circle, and is home to more than 400 people. Schools in Oymyakon only close when the temperature is below -52° C. Some people leave their cars running all day so they can start if needed!

Rogers Pass is a pass rising 1710 m above sea level. Located in the US state of Montana. Known for its inaccessibility and as one of the few natural habitats for grizzly bears, golden eagles and bald eagles. On January 20, 1954, the coldest temperature in the United States outside of Alaska was recorded here - -57°C.

Fort Selkirk is an abandoned trading post located on the Yukon River, Canada. It was founded in 1848 by explorer and fur trader Robert Campbell, but was later abandoned due to bad weather conditions. Now Fort Selkirk is protected by the state. It can only be reached by boat or plane. Most cold month It's January here and the lowest temperature recorded was -58.9°C.

Prospect Creek is a small community located 290 km north of Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Serves as home to numerous mountain expeditions. Once a camp for workers during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Low temperatures prevail here almost all year round. On January 23, 1971, a record low temperature was recorded, which was -62°C.

Snag

The seventh place on the list of the coldest places in the world is occupied by Snag, a small abandoned settlement located in the White River valley 25 kilometers east of Beaver Creek, Yukon, Canada. It was founded during the Alaska Gold Rush. On February 3, 1947, a record temperature of -63°C.

Ismitte is a polar station of Alfred Wegener's expedition (1930-1931) located on the Greenland ice sheet 402 km from the coast. The minimum temperature recorded during the expedition was -65°C. The average temperature of the coldest month (February) is -47 °C.

The fifth place in the ranking of the coldest places in the world is occupied by Northays - the former research station of the British Expedition (1952-1954), led by Captain James Simpson. It was located on the Greenland Ice Sheet. On January 9, 1954, the station recorded the lowest temperature in North America - -66.1 °C.

Verkhoyansk is a city in the Republic of Yakutia, located on the right bank of the Yana River, 675 km north of Yakutsk, Russia. With a population of 1,173 inhabitants (2014), Verkhoyansk is one of the smallest cities Russian Federation. The average temperature here is -14.7° C. The lowest recorded in February 1892 was -69.8°C.

Oymyakon is a village located on the left bank of the Indigirka River in the Republic of Yakutia, Russia. As of 2010, 462 people live in the village. Oymyakon is the coldest populated area on Earth. The lowest temperature here was recorded on January 26, 1926 and was -79° C, however, according to unofficial data, the temperature in the village reached -83° C.

Plateau Station is an inactive American research station located on the Antarctic polar plateau. The average temperature in the cold season (from April to October) here is about -70° C, in the warm season (from November to March) - -40° C. The lowest temperature was recorded on July 20, 1968 and was -86.2° C.

East

The coldest place on Earth is the Russian (formerly Soviet) Antarctic research station, located 1253 km from the South Pole - Vostok. The station was founded on December 16, 1957 and is currently used jointly by Russian, American and French scientists. On July 21, 1983, the lowest temperature on the planet was recorded here, it was -89.2°C.

Climatic and weather conditions on our planet are characterized by significant diversity. When a snowstorm is raging at one end of it, warm tropical rain is falling somewhere or the scorching sun is shining. Do you know where the coldest place on earth is? If you ever decide to engage in extreme tourism or simply want to expand your horizons, be sure to read this kind of information.

Unofficial record holder

The coldest place on Earth is located in Antarctica, in the so-called ice dome. The thickness of this unique block of ice is approximately 2.5 kilometers, which represents the largest reserves of frozen water. This area is completely uninhabited, and research is not being conducted on its territory. It is generally accepted that temperatures down to minus 100 degrees Celsius can be recorded here, but there is no official confirmation of this information.

Recognized leader

Since the information described above is not confirmed by reliable sources and research, it is generally accepted that the coldest place on Earth is located on the territory of the Vostok polar station in Antarctica. It was here that the official minimum was recorded, amounting to 89.2 degrees Celsius (the record was set in 1983; according to some secret sources, 14 years later, the temperature dropped another two degrees lower).

An explanation for this phenomenon could be natural features local places:

• the thickness of the ice located under the station is approximately 3.5 kilometers (altitude above sea level);
• significant distance from the ocean;
• long period of polar night.

Negative temperatures are common in the area where the station is located; as a rule, even in summer the air does not warm up above minus 21 degrees.

The coldest inhabited cities

Where is the coldest inhabited place on Earth? You shouldn’t be surprised by this question; some people feel comfortable even in the harshest conditions. climatic conditions. The official data is as follows: the pole of cold is located in the Russian Federation on the territory of Siberia. The leading positions in terms of the most extreme temperature indicators here are held by two settlements: Oymyakon and the city of Verkhoyansk.

A little more than a thousand people live in modern Verkhoyansk; this city is relatively young, located within the Arctic Circle, the first mentions of it date back to the end of the 18th century. At this time, convicts who violated the law or opposed state power were exiled to Northern Siberia. Air temperature in winter period in this region, according to average indicators, it is approximately minus 46 degrees. Record figures were recorded in 1885 (-67.8)

An even more difficult weather situation occurs in Oymyakon, located on the banks of the small Indigirka River. About 500 people live on its territory, who annually have to withstand truly severe cold. According to long-term meteorological observations, winter temperatures in this area are significantly lower than in neighboring Verkhoyansk. The absolute minimum was recorded in 1926 and amounted to -71.2 degrees.

When answering the question, where is the coldest place on earth, you have to choose between these two settlements.

The coldest populous city

The title “The coldest place on planet Earth” can easily be claimed by a large Russian city Yakutsk is the center of the Sakha Republic. The settlement was founded back in 1632, and today the number of its inhabitants has reached 250 thousand people. The townspeople easily tolerate frosts and are not afraid of even the most severe cold, their bodies have adapted so well to difficult weather conditions. Dry figures from official statistics can confirm such a bold statement:

The kingdom of cold outside Russia

When searching for an answer to the question of where the coldest place on earth is located, you most often hear about various residential and non-residential locations on the territory of the Russian Federation, however, outside our country there are also areas of the kingdom of cold and ice. Of course, the island of Greenland can be considered such a place. The average temperature for individual altitudes in this area is minus 47 degrees (data recorded in the center of the island are averages for February).

How do people live in extreme conditions?

Who is he, a resident of the coldest place on earth? Of course, even in the most northern latitudes there are representatives of the world of flora and fauna, but we will talk about whether ordinary people can live in such an area.

Polar scientists live at Vostok station all year round; in the cold continental poles, hundreds of ordinary people work and organize their lives, challenging the elements, frost and cold. What difficulties do local residents have to face? The greatest problems of northern life are usually associated with:

Being outside at very low temperatures is quite difficult, if not impossible. So, at minus 70 degrees, the liquid in a person’s eyes freezes, which means that for carrying out scientific research special uniform is required. Without such devices, even with milder indicators, you can stay on the street for no more than a quarter of an hour, and sometimes even 10 minutes. In addition, in extremely low temperatures, it is not recommended to try to run or breathe frequently and deeply. Experts advise paying significant attention to shoes; for example, platform models with the thickest soles are in high demand in this case.

Many foreigners, having arrived in Russia, for example, in Moscow or Belgorod, are sincerely surprised that winter here is not so severe. Stereotype created by means mass media, is collapsing. But these cities are not the whole country, and in fact there are many places in the Russian Federation where the temperature drops significantly below 0 degrees. And people live and work in these harsh conditions of eternal winter.

The coldest places in Russia

The Vostok research facility, located in Antarctica, the coldest place not only in Russia, but on the entire planet, was founded back in 1957. The opening day became the warmest in the entire history of observations - the temperature was -13.6°C. The coldest temperature recorded is -89.2 °C.

It is interesting that the territory on which the Vostok station stands is logically called the largest desert in the world, because there is practically no precipitation there.

The city of Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha, Yakutia, with the largest population of all settlements located in the northeast of the country, is also the coldest city globe. In January, the average temperature here is -41°C. The coldest day on record was recorded in 1946, when it was -64°C outside. What saves the locals is that frosts are tolerated quite easily here.

Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon are two more settlements in Yakutia with a harsh frosty climate. The record for negative temperatures in the first of them was -67.1°C, and in the second it was even lower -71.2°C. The villages are sunk into a niche between the mountains, where icy air collects - hence the severe frosts.

Oddly enough, summers in Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon are more than hot - in 2010 temperatures were recorded at +37.3°C and +34.6°C, respectively.

Of the many Russian seas The coldest is the East Siberian Sea, located in the Arctic Ocean basin. The water temperature in both summer and winter is no more than −1.8 °C. Almost all year round, the sea is covered with drifting ice floes, several meters thick.

The coldest place in the world that does not belong to Russia

Of the foreign lands with consistently low temperatures, the coldest place is Greenland, which belongs to the state of Denmark. An island with an area of ​​more than 2 million square meters. m, is located in the waters of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The average daily winter temperature here is -47°C, and the record minus was recorded in 1954 (-66°C).

The pole of cold can be called a certain area of ​​the globe in which the lowest temperature has ever been recorded. In addition, regions that record the coldest temperatures on the planet can also be considered poles of cold.

At this time, several points are recognized as the coldest places on Earth, although recent studies have revealed record levels of sub-zero temperatures in three specific places on our planet.

South and North poles of cold

There are two officially recognized regions that contain the coldest spots on the planet. These are the North and South poles of cold.

In the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, the cold poles with record temperatures are the village of Oymyakon (with indicators of -67.7 °C) and the city of Verkhoyansk (-67.8 °C).

The Vostok station, located in the vastness of East Antarctica, is considered the boundary point of the South Pole of Cold. Until recently, the lowest temperature recorded in this area was − 89.2 °C. And during the latest research, a temperature of −92 °C was recorded on the territory of the East Antarctic Plateau, which is considered the lowest of all time.

Methods for studying the poles of cold

Such information is contained in special maps compiled using the direct work of meteorological services and satellites. The most accurate research has been carried out continuously for the past 32 years, and one of these meteorological satellites is the American brainchild of Landsat 8 - a high-quality model of an Earth remote sensing apparatus. Such a unit is distinguished by a large set of measuring equipment and research functions, which allows the use of the latest generation spacecraft to perform a variety of purposes and tasks.

Thus, it was revealed that an entire region on the territory of modern Antarctica is much higher than the rest and has record levels of sub-zero temperatures. This is also due to the fact that there is no air circulation for long periods of time, and heat is released into outer space continuously.

In addition, it is worth noting that there are many isolated places on our planet in which sub-zero temperatures border on record lows. Such places are located in different parts of the globe.

The coldest points on the globe

In addition to specific points with minimum temperatures indicated in Antarctica, there are many places on Earth that are constantly constrained by winter frosts. The coldest places in the world were recognized:

• The southern pole of cold is the Russian Antarctic Vostok station(East Antarctica - 78°28′ S 106°48′ E), at this point on July 21, 1983, a record low air temperature was recorded on the surface of the planet −89.2 °C, this is the lowest temperature recorded by meteorologists
• The North Pole of Cold is a city Verkhoyansk in Yakutia - on January 15, 1885, the temperature was recorded in this locality −67.8 °C.
• The village of Oymyakon competes with Verkhoyansk for the title of the northern pole of cold, so in February 1933 the temperature was recorded by Soviet meteorologists −67.7 °C, which is 0.1 °C higher than the temperature record in Verkhoyansk.

It is worth noting that sometimes the poles of cold are considered to be mountains, where the temperature also drops below 65 degrees Celsius, however, this technique is controversial, because scientists are interested in the temperature on the surface of the Earth, and not at altitudes of several kilometers above sea level. For example, Americans consider Mount Denali (or McKinley) and its surroundings to be one of the coldest places on the planet, where the cold lasts as long as possible. Canadian meteorologists sometimes consider Mount Logan (Canada), where a temperature of −77.5 °C was recorded in May 1991, to be the northern cold pole. But we must repeat ourselves - first of all, scientists are interested in the temperature on the surface of the planet, and according to this method, primacy belongs to three points - the Antarctic Vostok station, the city of Verkhoyansk and the village of Oymyakon.