South Pole - wikipedia South Pole This article is about the Geographic South Pole. For other uses, see South Pole ( disambiguation ). Coordinates : 90 ° S 180 ° E ﻿ / ﻿ 90 ° S 180 ° E ﻿ / - 90 ; 180 The Geographic South Pole. ( The flag used on the flagpole is interchangeable. ) Image taken by NASA showing Antarctica and the South Pole in 2005. South Geographic Pole South Magnetic Pole ( 2007 ) South Geomagnetic Pole ( 2005 ) South Pole of Inaccessibility The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth 's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole. Situated on the continent of Antarctica, it is the site of the United States Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station, which was established in 1956 and has been permanently staffed since that year. The Geographic South Pole is distinct from the South Magnetic Pole, the position of which is defined based on the Earth 's magnetic field. The South Pole is at the center of the Southern Hemisphere. Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Ceremonial South Pole 1.2 Historic monuments 2 Exploration 2.1 Pre-1900 2.2 1900 -- 1950 2.3 1950 -- present 3 Climate and day and night 4 Time 5 Flora and fauna 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Geography The Ceremonial South Pole in 1998. The Ceremonial South Pole as of February 2008. For most purposes, the Geographic South Pole is defined as the southern point of the two points where the Earth 's axis of rotation intersects its surface ( the other being the Geographic North Pole ). However, the Earth 's axis of rotation is actually subject to very small `` wobbles '' ( polar motion ), so this definition is not adequate for very precise work. The geographic coordinates of the South Pole are usually given simply as 90 ° S, since its longitude is geometrically undefined and irrelevant. When a longitude is desired, it may be given as 0 °. At the South Pole, all directions face north. For this reason, directions at the Pole are given relative to `` grid north '', which points northwards along the prime meridian. Along tight latitude circles, clockwise is east, and counterclockwise is west, opposite to the North Pole. The Geographic South Pole is located on the continent of Antarctica ( although this has not been the case for all of Earth 's history because of continental drift ). It sits atop a featureless, barren, windswept and icy plateau at an altitude of 2,835 metres ( 9,301 ft ) above sea level, and is located about 1,300 km ( 800 mi ) from the nearest open sea at Bay of Whales. The ice is estimated to be about 2,700 metres ( 9,000 ft ) thick at the Pole, so the land surface under the ice sheet is actually near sea level. The polar ice sheet is moving at a rate of roughly 10 metres per year in a direction between 37 ° and 40 ° west of grid north, down towards the Weddell Sea. Therefore, the position of the station and other artificial features relative to the geographic pole gradually shift over time. The Geographic South Pole is marked by a stake in the ice alongside a small sign ; these are repositioned each year in a ceremony on New Year 's Day to compensate for the movement of the ice. The sign records the respective dates that Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott reached the Pole, followed by a short quotation from each man, and gives the elevation as `` 9,301 FT. ''. A new marker stake is designed and fabricated each year by staff at the site. Ceremonial South Pole The Ceremonial South Pole is an area set aside for photo opportunities at the South Pole Station. It is located some meters from the Geographic South Pole, and consists of a metallic sphere on a short bamboo pole, surrounded by the flags of the original Antarctic Treaty signatory states. Historic Monuments Argentinian soldiers saluting the flag after erecting the pole in 1965. Amundsen 's Tent : The tent was erected by the Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen on its arrival on 14 December 1911. It is currently buried beneath the snow and ice in the vicinity of the Pole. It has been designated a Historic Site or Monument ( HSM 80 ), following a proposal by Norway to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. The precise location of the tent is unknown, but based on calculations of the rate of movement of the ice and the accumulation of snow, it is believed, as of 2010, to lie between 1.8 and 2.5 km ( 1.1 and 1.6 miles ) from the Pole at a depth of 17 m ( 56 ft ) below the present surface. Argentine Flagpole : A flagpole erected at the South Geographical Pole in December 1965 by the First Argentine Overland Polar Expedition has been designated a Historic Site or Monument ( HSM 1 ) following a proposal by Argentina to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Exploration See also : History of Antarctica, List of Antarctic expeditions, Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, and Farthest South Pre-1900 In 1820, several expeditions claimed to have been the first to have sighted Antarctica, with the very first being the Russian expedition led by Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. The first landing was probably just over a year later when American Captain John Davis, a sealer, set foot on the ice. The basic geography of the Antarctic coastline was not understood until the mid-to - late 19th century. American naval officer Charles Wilkes claimed ( correctly ) that Antarctica was a new continent, basing the claim on his exploration in 1839 -- 40, while James Clark Ross, in his expedition of 1839 -- 43, hoped that he might be able to sail all the way to the South Pole. ( He was unsuccessful. ) 1900 -- 1950 Amundsen 's party at the South Pole, December 1911. From left to right : Amundsen, Hanssen, Hassel and Wisting ( photo by fifth member Bjaaland ). British explorer Robert Falcon Scott on the Discovery Expedition of 1901 -- 04 was the first to attempt to find a route from the Antarctic coastline to the South Pole. Scott, accompanied by Ernest Shackleton and Edward Wilson, set out with the aim of travelling as far south as possible, and on 31 December 1902, reached 82 ° 16 ′ S. Shackleton later returned to Antarctica as leader of the British Antarctic Expedition ( Nimrod Expedition ) in a bid to reach the Pole. On 9 January 1909, with three companions, he reached 88 ° 23 ' S -- 112 miles ( 180 km ) from the Pole -- before being forced to turn back. The first men to reach the Geographic South Pole were the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and his party on December 14, 1911. Amundsen named his camp Polheim and the entire plateau surrounding the Pole King Haakon VII Vidde in honour of King Haakon VII of Norway. Robert Falcon Scott returned to Antarctica with his second expedition, the Terra Nova Expedition, initially unaware of Amundsen 's secretive expedition. Scott and four other men reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912, thirty - four days after Amundsen. On the return trip, Scott and his four companions all died of starvation and extreme cold. In 1914 Ernest Shackleton 's Imperial Trans - Antarctic Expedition set out with the goal of crossing Antarctica via the South Pole, but his ship, the Endurance, was frozen in pack ice and sank 11 months later. The overland journey was never made. US Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, with the assistance of his first pilot Bernt Balchen, became the first person to fly over the South Pole on November 29, 1929. 1950 -- present Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station. The ceremonial pole and flags can be seen in the background, slightly to the left of centre, below the tracks behind the buildings. The actual geographic pole is a few more metres to the left. The buildings are raised on stilts to prevent snow build up. It was not until 31 October 1956 that humans once again set foot at the South Pole, when a party led by Admiral George J. Dufek of the US Navy landed there in an R4D - 5L Skytrain ( C - 47 Skytrain ) aircraft. The US Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station was established by air over 1956 -- 1957 for the International Geophysical Year and has been continuously staffed since then by research and support personnel. After Amundsen and Scott, the next people to reach the South Pole overland ( albeit with some air support ) were Edmund Hillary ( January 4, 1958 ) and Vivian Fuchs ( January 19, 1958 ) and their respective parties, during the Commonwealth Trans - Antarctic Expedition. There have been many subsequent expeditions to arrive at the South Pole by surface transportation, including those by Havola, Crary and Fiennes. First group of women to reach the pole were Pam Young, Jean Pearson, Lois Jones, Eileen McSaveney, Kay Lindsay and Terry Tickhill in 1969. In 1978 Michele Eileen Raney becomes the first woman to winter at the South Pole. Subsequent to the establishment, in 1987, of the logistic support base at Patriot Hills Base Camp, the South Pole became more accessible to non-government expeditions. On December 30, 1989, Arved Fuchs and Reinhold Messner were the first to traverse Antarctica via the South Pole without animal or motorized help, using only skis and the help of wind. Two women, Victoria E. Murden and Shirley Metz reached the pole by land on January 17, 1989. The fastest unsupported journey to the Geographic South Pole from the ocean is 24 days and one hour from Hercules Inlet and was set in 2011 by Norwegian adventurer Christian Eide, who beat the previous solo record set in 2009 by American Todd Carmichael of 39 days and seven hours, and the previous group record also set in 2009 of 33 days and 23 hours. The fastest solo ( female ), unsupported and unassisted trek to the south pole was performed by Hannah McKeand from the UK in 2006. She made the journey in 39 days 9hrs 33mins. She started on the 19th November 2006 and finished on the 28 December 2006. In the 2011 / 12 summer, separate expeditions by Norwegian Aleksander Gamme and Australians James Castrission and Justin Jones jointly claimed the first unsupported trek without dogs or kites from the Antarctic coast to the South Pole and back. The two expeditions started from Hercules Inlet a day apart, with Gamme starting first, but completing according to plan the last few kilometres together. As Gamme traveled alone he thus simultaneously became the first to complete the task solo. Climate and day and night See also : Climate of Antarctica, Midnight sun, and Polar night During the southern winter ( March -- September ), the South Pole receives no sunlight at all, and from May 11 to August 1, between extended periods of twilight, it is completely dark ( apart from moonlight ). In the summer ( September -- March ), the sun is continuously above the horizon and appears to move in a counter-clockwise circle. However, it is always low in the sky, reaching a maximum of 23.5 ° in December. Much of the sunlight that does reach the surface is reflected by the white snow. This lack of warmth from the sun, combined with the high altitude ( about 2,800 metres ( 9,200 ft ) ), means that the South Pole has one of the coldest climates on Earth ( though it is not quite the coldest ; that record goes to the region in the vicinity of the Vostok Station, also in Antarctica, which lies at a higher elevation ). Temperatures at the South Pole are much lower than at the North Pole, primarily because the South Pole is located at altitude in the middle of a continental land mass, while the North Pole is at sea level in the middle of an ocean, which acts as a reservoir of heat. The South Pole is at an altitude of 9,300 feet ( 2,800 m ) but feels like 11,000 feet ( 3,400 m ).. Centrifugal force from the spin of the planet pulls the atmosphere toward the equator. The South Pole is colder than the North Pole because of the elevation difference. The North Pole is a few feet from sea level. In midsummer, as the sun reaches its maximum elevation of about 23.5 degrees, high temperatures at the South Pole in January average at − 25.9 ° C ( − 15 ° F ). As the six - month `` day '' wears on and the sun gets lower, temperatures drop as well : they reach − 45 ° C ( − 49 ° F ) around sunset ( late March ) and sunrise ( late September ). In midwinter, the average temperature remains steady at around − 58 ° C ( − 72 ° F ). The highest temperature ever recorded at the Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station was − 12.3 ° C ( 9.9 ° F ) on Christmas Day, 2011, and the lowest was − 82.8 ° C ( − 117.0 ° F ) on June 23, 1982 ( for comparison, the lowest temperature directly recorded anywhere on earth was − 89.2 ° C ( − 128.6 ° F ) at Vostok Station on July 21, 1983, though − 93.2 ° C ( − 135.8 ° F ) was measured indirectly by satellite in East Antarctica between Dome A and Dome F in August 2010 ). The South Pole has a desert climate, receiving very little precipitation. Air humidity is near zero. However, high winds can cause the blowing of snowfall, and the accumulation of snow amounts to about 20 cm ( 8 in ) per year. The former dome seen in pictures of the Amundsen -- Scott station is partially buried due to snow storms, and the entrance to the dome had to be regularly bulldozed to uncover it. More recent buildings are raised on stilts so that the snow does not build up against the sides of them. Climate data for The South Pole Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) − 14.4 ( 6.1 ) − 20.6 ( − 5.1 ) − 26.7 ( − 16.1 ) − 27.8 ( − 18 ) − 25.1 ( − 13.2 ) − 28.8 ( − 19.8 ) − 33.9 ( − 29 ) − 32.8 ( − 27 ) − 29.3 ( − 20.7 ) − 25.1 ( − 13.2 ) − 18.9 ( − 2 ) − 12.3 ( 9.9 ) − 12.3 ( 9.9 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) − 26.0 ( − 14.8 ) − 37.9 ( − 36.2 ) − 49.6 ( − 57.3 ) − 53.0 ( − 63.4 ) − 53.6 ( − 64.5 ) − 54.5 ( − 66.1 ) − 55.2 ( − 67.4 ) − 54.9 ( − 66.8 ) − 54.4 ( − 65.9 ) − 48.4 ( − 55.1 ) − 36.2 ( − 33.2 ) − 26.3 ( − 15.3 ) − 45.8 ( − 50.4 ) Daily mean ° C ( ° F ) − 28.4 ( − 19.1 ) − 40.9 ( − 41.6 ) − 53.7 ( − 64.7 ) − 57.8 ( − 72 ) − 58.0 ( − 72.4 ) − 58.9 ( − 74 ) − 59.8 ( − 75.6 ) − 59.7 ( − 75.5 ) − 59.1 ( − 74.4 ) − 51.6 ( − 60.9 ) − 38.2 ( − 36.8 ) − 28.0 ( − 18.4 ) − 49.5 ( − 57.1 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) − 29.6 ( − 21.3 ) − 43.1 ( − 45.6 ) − 56.8 ( − 70.2 ) − 60.9 ( − 77.6 ) − 61.5 ( − 78.7 ) − 62.8 ( − 81 ) − 63.4 ( − 82.1 ) − 63.2 ( − 81.8 ) − 61.7 ( − 79.1 ) − 54.3 ( − 65.7 ) − 40.1 ( − 40.2 ) − 29.1 ( − 20.4 ) − 52.2 ( − 62 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 41.1 ( − 42 ) − 58.9 ( − 74 ) − 71.1 ( − 96 ) − 75.0 ( − 103 ) − 78.3 ( − 108.9 ) − 82.8 ( − 117 ) − 80.6 ( − 113.1 ) − 79.3 ( − 110.7 ) − 79.4 ( − 110.9 ) − 72.0 ( − 97.6 ) − 55.0 ( − 67 ) − 41.1 ( − 42 ) − 82.8 ( − 117 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 0.3 ( 0.012 ) 0.6 ( 0.024 ) 0.2 ( 0.008 ) 0.1 ( 0.004 ) 0.2 ( 0.008 ) 0.1 ( 0.004 ) Trace Trace 0.1 ( 0.004 ) 0.1 ( 0.004 ) 0.1 ( 0.004 ) 0.3 ( 0.012 ) 2.3 ( 0.091 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 0.1 mm ) 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 1.6 Average snowy days 22.0 19.6 13.6 11.4 17.2 17.3 18.2 17.5 11.7 16.7 16.9 20.6 203.0 Mean monthly sunshine hours 406.1 497.2 195.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 34.1 390.6 558.0 616.9 2,698.2 Mean daily sunshine hours 13.1 17.6 6.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 12.6 18.6 19.9 7.4 Source # 1 : Pogoda.ru.net ( temperatures, 1981 -- 2010, extremes 1957 -- present ) Source # 2 : Deutscher Wetterdienst ( precipitation 1957 -- 1988 and sun 1978 -- 1993 ), NOAA ( snowy days data, 1961 -- 1988 ) Time In most places on Earth, local time is determined by longitude, such that the time of day is more - or-less synchronised to the position of the sun in the sky ( for example, at midday the sun is roughly at its highest ). This line of reasoning fails at the South Pole, where the sun rises and sets only once per year, and all lines of longitude, and hence all time zones, converge. There is no a priori reason for placing the South Pole in any particular time zone, but as a matter of practical convenience the Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station keeps New Zealand Time ( UTC + 12 ). This is because the US flies its resupply missions ( `` Operation Deep Freeze '' ) out of McMurdo Station, which is supplied from Christchurch, New Zealand. Flora and fauna Due to its exceptionally harsh climate, there are no native resident plants or animals at the South Pole. Remarkably, though, off - course south polar skuas and snow petrels are occasionally seen there. In 2000 it was reported that microbes had been detected living in the South Pole ice. See also Antarctica portal List of Antarctic expeditions North Pole South Pole Telescope References Jump up ^ `` Moving the South Pole '' Archived 2011 - 07 - 16 at the Wayback Machine., NASA Quest ^ Jump up to : Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station, National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs Jump up ^ `` Where is the real Pole really ? ''. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 25. ^ Jump up to : `` Marker makes annual move '', page 6, Antarctic Sun. January 8, 2006 ; McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Jump up ^ `` Sign at the ( ever moving ) actual geographical South Pole ( a few feet away from the Ceremonial Pole ) ''. Pierre R. Schwob Physics / Astronomy. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ Kiefer, Alex ( January 1994 ). `` South Pole Marker ''. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ `` List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM ( 2012 ) '' ( PDF ). Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2012. Retrieved 2014 - 01 - 07. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Polar Record / Volume 47 / Issue 03 / July 2011 Jump up ^ `` List of Historic Sites and Monuments approved by the ATCM ( 2012 ) '' ( PDF ). Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. 2012. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 04. Jump up ^ Armstrong, Terence ( 1971 ). `` Bellingshausen and the discovery of Antarctica ''. Polar Record. 15 ( 99 ) : 887 -- 889. doi : 10.1017 / S0032247400062112. Jump up ^ Hurtigruten. `` General Information ''. hurtigruten.com/us/. Hurtigruten. Retrieved 2014 - 10 - 23. Jump up ^ Van Doren, Charles Lincoln ; McHenry, Robert ( 1971 ). Webster 's Guide to American History : A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium. Merriam - Webster. p. 1326. ISBN 978 - 0 - 87779 - 081 - 5. Jump up ^ Berkman, Paul Arthur ( 2002 ). Science Into Policy : Global Lessons from Antarctica. Academic Press. p. 35. ISBN 978 - 0 - 12 - 091560 - 6. Jump up ^ Berkman, Paul Arthur ( 2002 ). Science Into Policy : Global Lessons from Antarctica. Academic Press. p. 37. ISBN 978 - 0 - 12 - 091560 - 6. Jump up ^ Simpson - Housley, Paul ( 2002 ). Antarctica : Exploration, Perception and Metaphor. Taylor & Francis. p. 24. ISBN 978 - 0 - 203 - 03602 - 0. Jump up ^ `` First Women at Pole ''. South Pole Station. Retrieved 24 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Famous Firsts ''. The Antarctic Sun. United States Antarctic Program. 13 November 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Südtirol -- Diese Seite existiert nicht ''. Suedtirol.info. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Britannica Online Encyclopedia ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Antarctic Firsts ''. Antarctic Circle. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2016. Jump up ^ Explorersweb ( 2011 - 01 - 13 ). `` Breaking news : Christian Eide bags the South Pole solo speed ski world record ''. explorersweb.com. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Canadians break speed record trekking to South Pole ''. Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. 2009 - 01 - 07. Retrieved 2010 - 02 - 10. Jump up ^ Glenday, Craig ( 2013 ). Guinness World Records 2014. The Jim Patison Group. p. 76. ISBN 978 - 1 - 908843 - 15 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Ice Trek Expeditions ''. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Crossing the Ice ''. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Wilson, nå er vi framme ! ''. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ Science question of the week, Goddard Space Flight Center. Jump up ^ `` The USAP Portal : Science and Support in Antarctica - Course Material ''. www.usap.gov. Jump up ^ `` Why is the South Pole colder than the North Pole ? ''. Jump up ^ Matthew A. Lazzara ( 2011 - 12 - 28 ). `` Preliminary Report : Record Temperatures at South Pole ( and nearby AWS sites... ) ''. Retrieved 2011 - 12 - 28. Jump up ^ Your stay at Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station Archived 2006 - 02 - 02 at the Wayback Machine., National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs Jump up ^ `` How cold is the Antarctic ? ''. NIWA. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Antarctic Weather ''. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 25. Jump up ^ `` NASA - USGS Landsat 8 Satellite Pinpoints Coldest Spots on Earth '', NASA, December 9, 2013 Jump up ^ Initial environmental evaluation -- development of blue - ice and compacted - snow runways, National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, April 9, 1993 Jump up ^ `` Weather and Climate - The Climate of Amundsen -- Scott '' ( in Russian ). Weather and Climate ( Погода и климат ). Retrieved 5 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Klimatafel von Amundsen - Scott / Südpol - Station ( USA ) / Antarktis '' ( PDF ). Baseline climate means ( 1961 - 1990 ) from stations all over the world ( in German ). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 5 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Amundsen -- Scott Climate Normals 1961 − 1990 ''. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 5 April 2017. Jump up ^ Mark Sabbatini, `` Non-human life form seen at Pole '', The Antarctic Sun, 5 January 2003. Jump up ^ `` Snow microbes found at South Pole '', BBC News, 10 July 2000 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Pole. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for South Pole. NOAA South Pole Webcam 360 ° Panoramas of the South Pole Images of this location are available at the Degree Confluence Project South Pole Photo Gallery Poles by the Australian Antarctic Division The Antarctic Sun -- Online news source for the U.S. Antarctic Program Big Dead Place UK team makes polar trek history -- BBC News article on first expedition to Pole of Inaccessibility without mechanical assistance Listen to Ernest Shackleton describing his 1908 South Pole Expedition, and read more about the recording on ( australianscreen online ). The recording describing Shackleton 's 1908 South Pole Expedition was added to the National Film and Sound Archive 's Sounds of Australia registry in 2007 Polar exploration Arctic Ocean History Expeditions Research stations Farthest North North Pole Barentsz Hudson Marmaduke Carolus Parry North Magnetic Pole J. Ross J.C. Ross Abernethy Kane Hayes Polaris Polaris C.F. Hall British Arctic Expedition HMS Alert Nares HMS Discovery Stephenson Markham Lady Franklin Bay Expedition Greely Lockwood Brainard 1st Fram expedition Fram Nansen Johansen Sverdrup Jason Amedeo F. Cook Peary Sedov Byrd Airship Norge Amundsen Nobile Wisting Riiser - Larsen Ellsworth Airship Italia Nautilus Wilkins ANT - 25 Chkalov Baydukov Belyakov `` North Pole '' manned drifting ice stations NP - 1 Papanin Shirshov E. Fyodorov Krenkel NP - 36 NP - 37 Sedov Badygin Wiese USS Nautilus USS Skate Plaisted Herbert NS Arktika Barneo Arktika 2007 Mir submersibles Sagalevich Chilingarov Iceland Greenland Pytheas Brendan Papar Vikings Naddodd Svavarsson Arnarson Norse colonization of the Americas Ulfsson Galti Erik the Red Christian IV 's expeditions J. Hall Cunningham Lindenov C. Richardson Danish colonization Egede Scoresby Jason Nansen Sverdrup Peary Rasmussen Northwest Passage Northern Canada Cabot G. Corte - Real M. Corte - Real Frobisher Gilbert Davis Hudson Discovery Bylot Baffin Munk I. Fyodorov Gvozdev HMS Resolution J. Cook HMS Discovery Clerke Mackenzie Kotzebue J. Ross HMS Griper Parry HMS Hecla Lyon HMS Fury Hoppner Crozier J.C. Ross Coppermine Expedition Franklin Back Dease Simpson HMS Blossom Beechey Franklin 's lost expedition HMS Erebus HMS Terror Collinson Rae -- Richardson Expedition Rae J. Richardson Austin McClure Expedition HMS Investigator McClure HMS Resolute Kellett Belcher Kennedy Bellot Isabel Inglefield 2nd Grinnell Expedition USS Advance Kane Fox McClintock HMS Pandora Young Fram Sverdrup Gjøa Amundsen Rasmussen Karluk Stefansson Bartlett St. Roch H. Larsen Cowper North East Passage Russian Arctic Pomors Koch boats Willoughby Chancellor Barentsz Mangazeya Hudson Poole Siberian Cossacks Perfilyev Stadukhin Dezhnev Popov Ivanov Vagin Permyakov Great Northern Expedition Bering Chirikov Malygin Ovtsyn Minin V. Pronchishchev M. Pronchishcheva Chelyuskin Kh. Laptev D. Laptev Chichagov Lyakhov Billings Sannikov Gedenschtrom Wrangel Matyushkin Anjou Litke Lavrov Pakhtusov Tsivolko Middendorff Austro - Hungarian Expedition Weyprecht Payer Vega Expedition A.E. Nordenskiöld Palander USS Jeannette De Long Yermak Makarov Zarya Toll Kolomeitsev Matisen Kolchak Sedov Rusanov Kuchin Brusilov Expedition Sv. Anna Brusilov Albanov Konrad Wiese Nagórski Taymyr / Vaygach Vilkitsky Maud Amundsen AARI Samoylovich Begichev Urvantsev Sadko Ushakov Glavsevmorput Schmidt Aviaarktika Shevelev Sibiryakov Voronin Chelyuskin Krassin Gakkel Nuclear - powered icebreakers NS Lenin Arktika class Antarctic Continent History Expeditions Southern Ocean Roché Bouvet Kerguelen HMS Resolution J. Cook HMS Adventure Furneaux Smith San Telmo Vostok Bellingshausen Mirny Lazarev Bransfield Palmer Davis Weddell Morrell Astrolabe Dumont d'Urville United States Exploring Expedition USS Vincennes Wilkes USS Porpoise Ringgold Ross expedition HMS Erebus ( J.C. Ross Abernethy ) HMS Terror ( Crozier ) Cooper Challenger expedition HMS Challenger Nares Murray Jason C.A. Larsen `` Heroic Age '' Belgian Antarctic Expedition Belgica de Gerlache Lecointe Amundsen Cook Arctowski Racoviță Dobrowolski Southern Cross Southern Cross Borchgrevink Discovery Discovery Discovery Hut Gauss Gauss Drygalski Swedish Antarctic Expedition Antarctic O. Nordenskjöld C.A. Larsen Scottish Antarctic Expedition Bruce Scotia Orcadas Base Nimrod Expedition Nimrod French Antarctic Expeditions Pourquoi - Pas Charcot Japanese Antarctic Expedition Shirase Amundsen 's South Pole expedition Fram Amundsen Framheim Polheim Terra Nova Terra Nova Scott Wilson E.R. Evans Crean Lashly Filchner Australasian Antarctic Expedition SY Aurora Mawson Far Eastern Party Imperial Trans - Antarctic Expedition Endurance Ernest Shackleton Wild James Caird Ross Sea party Mackintosh Shackleton -- Rowett Expedition Quest IPY IGY Modern research Christensen Byrd BANZARE BGLE Rymill New Swabia Ritscher Operation Tabarin Marr Operation Highjump Captain Arturo Prat Base British Antarctic Survey Operation Windmill Ketchum Ronne Expedition F. Ronne E. Ronne Schlossbach Operation Deep Freeze McMurdo Station Commonwealth Trans - Antarctic Expedition Hillary V. Fuchs Soviet Antarctic Expeditions 1st Somov Klenova Mirny 2nd Tryoshnikov 3rd Tolstikov Antarctic Treaty System Transglobe Expedition Fiennes Burton Lake Vostok Kapitsa Farthest South South Pole HMS Resolution J. Cook HMS Adventure Furneaux Weddell HMS Erebus J.C. Ross HMS Terror Crozier Southern Cross Borchgrevink Discovery Barne Nimrod Shackleton Wild Marshall Adams South Magnetic Pole Mawson David Mackay Amundsen 's South Pole expedition Fram Amundsen Bjaaland Helmer Hassel Wisting Polheim Terra Nova Scott E. Evans Oates Wilson Bowers Byrd Balchen McKinley Dufek Amundsen -- Scott South Pole Station Hillary V. Fuchs Pole of Cold Vostok Station Pole of inaccessibility Pole of Inaccessibility Station Tolstikov Crary A. Fuchs Messner Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica South Pole South Pole Coats Land Belgrano II Station Queen Maud Land Dakshin Gangotri Humboldt Mountains Schirmacher Oasis Showa Station Enderby Land Proclamation Island Kemp Land Pole of Inaccessibility Mac. Robertson Land Cape Bruce Princess Elizabeth Land Tryne Islands Vostok Station Walkabout Rocks Queen Mary Land Buromskiy Island Mirny Station Wilkes Land A.B. Dobrowolski Station Adélie Land Débarquement Rock Petrel Island Port Martin George V Land Cape Denison Victoria Land Cape Adare Cape Geology Cape Wadworth Foyn Island Hells Gate Moraine Inexpressible Island Mount Dockery Ross Sea Cape Crozier Cape Evans Cape Royds Discovery Hut Hut Point Peninsula Lewis Bay McMurdo Station Mount Betty Mount Erebus Observation Hill Scott Base Scott 's Hut Edward VII Land Scott Nunataks Graham Land Bernardo O'Higgins Station Damoy Point Detaille Island Esperanza Station Hope Bay Horseshoe Island Lambda Island Megalestris Hill Metchnikoff Point Paradise Harbor Paulet Island Port Charcot Port Lockroy San Martin Station Seymour Island Snow Hill Island Stonington Island Waterboat Point Winter Island South Shetlands Antarctic Treaty Monument Arturo Prat Station Great Wall Station Half Moon Beach Henryk Arctowski Station Lame Dog Hut Maxwell Bay Pendulum Cove Point Wild Potter Cove Whalers Bay Yankee Harbour South Orkneys Scotia Bay Stonington Island East Base VIAF : 315128179 GND : 4527930 - 5 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Pole&oldid=828475597 '' Categories : East Antarctica Extreme points of Earth Geography of Antarctica Polar regions of the Earth Historic Sites and Monuments of Antarctica Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from May 2013 CS1 Russian - language sources ( ru ) CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from September 2016 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Afrikaans Alemannisch አማርኛ Ænglisc Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Boarisch Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Cebuano Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Fiji Hindi Français Frysk Galego 贛 語 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ilokano Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua IsiXhosa Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ Къарачай - малкъар ქართული Қазақша Kernowek Kiswahili Kurdî Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Limburgs Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी مازِرونی Bahasa Melayu Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Нохчийн Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Piemontèis Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русиньскый Русский Саха тыла Scots Shqip Sicilianu Simple English سنڌي Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Tarandíne Татарча / tatarça ไทย ᏣᎳᎩ Türkçe Türkmençe Українська اردو ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche Vepsän kel ' Tiếng Việt Võro 文言 Winaray Wolof ייִדיש 粵語 Žemaitėška 中文 111 more Edit links This page was last edited on 2 March 2018, at 19 : 45. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the latitude of the south pole
Answer: 90°S