Arctic Circle - Wikipedia

Boundary of the Arctic This article is about one of the five major circles of latitude. For other uses, see Arctic Circle (disambiguation).

The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N.[1] Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle.

The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude for which at the December solstice (winter) the Sun does not rise and at the June solstice (summer) the Sun does not set. These phenomena are referred to as polar night and midnight sun, respectively, and the closer to the pole one goes, the longer that situation persists. For example, in the Russian port city of Murmansk (three degrees north of the Arctic Circle) the Sun stays below the horizon for 20 days before and after the winter solstice, and above the horizon for 20 days before and after the summer solstice.[2][3][4]

The positions of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles vary slightly from year to year. Currently the Arctic Circle is 66°33′50.7″ north of the Equator.[5] Its latitude depends on Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates by a margin of some 2° over a 41,000-year period due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon.[6] Consequently, in the current epoch the Arctic Circle is drifting toward the North Pole, while the Antarctic Circle drifts towards the South Pole, each at a speed of about 14.5 m (48 ft) per year.

Etymology

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The word arctic comes from the Greek word ἀρκτικός (arktikos: "near the Bear, northern")[7] and that from the word ἄρκτος (arktos: "bear").[8]

Midnight sun and polar night

[edit] Further information: Midnight sun and Polar night

The Arctic Circle is the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the centre of the Sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for twenty-four hours; as a result, at least once each year at any location within the Arctic Circle the centre of the Sun is visible at local midnight, and at least once the centre is not visible at local noon.[9]

Directly on the Arctic Circle these events occur, in principle, exactly once per year: at the June and December solstices, respectively. However, because of atmospheric refraction and mirages, and also because the sun appears as a disk and not a point, part of the midnight sun is visible, on the night of the northern summer solstice, at a latitude of about 50 minutes of arc (′) (90 km (56 mi)) south of the Arctic Circle. Similarly, on the day of the northern winter solstice, part of the Sun may be seen up to about 50′ north of the Arctic Circle. That is true at sea level; those limits increase with elevation above sea level, although in mountainous regions there is often no direct view of the true horizon.

Human habitation

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Further information: Circumpolar peoples

The largest communities north of the Arctic Circle are situated in Russia, Norway, and Sweden: Murmansk (population 295,374) and Norilsk (178,018) in Russia; Tromsø (75,638) in Norway, Vorkuta (58,133) in Russia, Bodø (52,357) and Harstad (24,703) in Norway; and Kiruna, Sweden (22,841). In Finland, the largest settlement in the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle is Rovaniemi (62,667), lying 6 km (4 mi) south of the line. Salekhard (51,186) in Russia is the only city in the world located directly on the Arctic Circle.[10]

In contrast, the largest North American community north of the Arctic Circle, Sisimiut (Greenland), has approximately 5,600 inhabitants. In the United States, Utqiagvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow) is the largest settlement north of the Arctic Circle with about 5,000 inhabitants. The largest such community in Canada is Inuvik in the Northwest Territories, with 3,137 inhabitants.

Geography

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The Arctic Circle is roughly 16,000 km (9,900 mi) in circumference.[11] The area north of the Circle is about 20,000,000 km2 (7,700,000 sq mi) and covers roughly 4% of Earth's surface.[12]

The Arctic Circle passes through the Arctic Ocean, the Scandinavian Peninsula, North Asia, Northern America, and Greenland. The land within the Arctic Circle is divided among eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Denmark (Greenland), and Iceland (where it passes through the small offshore island of Grímsey).

Climate

[edit] Further information: Climate of the Arctic

The climate north of the Arctic Circle is generally cold, but the coastal areas of Norway have a generally mild climate as a result of the Gulf Stream, which makes the ports of northern Norway and northwest Russia ice-free all year long. In the interior, summers can be quite warm, while winters are extremely cold. For example, summer temperatures in Norilsk, Russia will sometimes reach as high as 30 °C (86 °F), while the winter temperatures frequently fall below −50 °C (−58 °F).

Sites along the Arctic Circle

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Starting at the prime meridian and heading eastwards, the Arctic Circle passes through:

Coordinates(approximate) Country, territory, or ocean Notes 66°34′N 0°0′E / 66.567°N 0.000°E / 66.567; 0.000 (Prime Meridian)  Atlantic Ocean Norwegian Sea 66°34′N 12°3′E / 66.567°N 12.050°E / 66.567; 12.050 (Nordland County, Norway) Norway Islands and skerries of Træna Municipality, Nordland County 66°34′N 12°18′E / 66.567°N 12.300°E / 66.567; 12.300 (Norwegian Sea) Atlantic Ocean Trænfjorden [no], Norwegian Sea 66°34′N 12°29′E / 66.567°N 12.483°E / 66.567; 12.483 (Nordland County, Norway) Norway Islands and skerries of Nesøya, Nordland County 66°34′N 12°41′E / 66.567°N 12.683°E / 66.567; 12.683 (Norwegian Sea) Atlantic Ocean Nesøyfjorden [no], Norwegian Sea 66°34′N 12°49′E / 66.567°N 12.817°E / 66.567; 12.817 (Nordland County, Norway) Norway Islands and skerries of Storselsøya, Nordland County 66°34′N 12°52′E / 66.567°N 12.867°E / 66.567; 12.867 (Norwegian Sea) Atlantic Ocean Kvarøyfjorden [no], Norwegian Sea 66°34′N 12°57′E / 66.567°N 12.950°E / 66.567; 12.950 (Nordland County, Norway) Norway Islands and skerries of Rangsundøya, Nordland County, including Vikingen island 66°34′N 13°3′E / 66.567°N 13.050°E / 66.567; 13.050 (Norwegian Sea) Atlantic Ocean Værangfjorden [no], Norwegian Sea 66°34′N 13°12′E / 66.567°N 13.200°E / 66.567; 13.200 (Nordland County, Norway) Norway Nordland County 66°34′N 15°33′E / 66.567°N 15.550°E / 66.567; 15.550 (Norrbotten County, Sweden) Sweden Norrbotten County (Provinces of Lapland and Norrbotten) 66°34′N 25°50′E / 66.567°N 25.833°E / 66.567; 25.833 (Lapland Province, Finland) Finland Lapland Region, crosses Rovaniemi Airport 66°34′N 29°28′E / 66.567°N 29.467°E / 66.567; 29.467 (Karelia, Russia) Russia Republic of Karelia 66°34′N 31°36′E / 66.567°N 31.600°E / 66.567; 31.600 (Murmansk, Russia) Murmansk Oblast 66°34′N 32°37′E / 66.567°N 32.617°E / 66.567; 32.617 (Karelia, Russia) Republic of Karelia 66°34′N 33°10′E / 66.567°N 33.167°E / 66.567; 33.167 (Murmansk, Russia) Grand Island, Murmansk Oblast 66°34′N 33°25′E / 66.567°N 33.417°E / 66.567; 33.417 (Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea) Arctic Ocean Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea, Barents Sea 66°34′N 34°28′E / 66.567°N 34.467°E / 66.567; 34.467 (Murmansk Oblast, Russia) Russia Kola Peninsula, Murmansk Oblast — for about 7 km (4.3 mi) 66°34′N 34°38′E / 66.567°N 34.633°E / 66.567; 34.633 (Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea) Arctic Ocean Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea, Barents Sea 66°34′N 35°0′E / 66.567°N 35.000°E / 66.567; 35.000 (Murmansk Oblast, Kola Peninsula, Russia) Russia Kola Peninsula, Murmansk Oblast 66°34′N 40°42′E / 66.567°N 40.700°E / 66.567; 40.700 (White Sea) Arctic Ocean White Sea, Barents Sea 66°34′N 44°23′E / 66.567°N 44.383°E / 66.567; 44.383 (Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia) Russia Nenets Autonomous Okrug 66°34′N 50°51′E / 66.567°N 50.850°E / 66.567; 50.850 (Komi Republic, Russia) Komi Republic 66°34′N 63°48′E / 66.567°N 63.800°E / 66.567; 63.800 (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia) Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 66°34′N 71°5′E / 66.567°N 71.083°E / 66.567; 71.083 (Gulf of Ob) Arctic Ocean Gulf of Ob, Kara Sea 66°34′N 72°27′E / 66.567°N 72.450°E / 66.567; 72.450 (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia) Russia Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 66°34′N 83°3′E / 66.567°N 83.050°E / 66.567; 83.050 (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia) Krasnoyarsk Krai 66°34′N 106°18′E / 66.567°N 106.300°E / 66.567; 106.300 (Sakha Republic, Russia) Yukaghir Highlands, Sakha Republic 66°34′N 158°38′E / 66.567°N 158.633°E / 66.567; 158.633 (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia) Anadyr Highlands and Chukotka Mountains, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug 66°34′N 171°1′W / 66.567°N 171.017°W / 66.567; -171.017 (Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean Chukchi Sea 66°34′N 164°38′W / 66.567°N 164.633°W / 66.567; -164.633 (Seward Peninsula, Alaska, United States) United States Seward Peninsula, Alaska 66°34′N 163°44′W / 66.567°N 163.733°W / 66.567; -163.733 (Kotzebue Sound, Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean Kotzebue Sound, Chukchi Sea 66°34′N 161°56′W / 66.567°N 161.933°W / 66.567; -161.933 (Alaska, United States) United States Alaska—passing through Selawik Lake 66°34′N 141°0′W / 66.567°N 141.000°W / 66.567; -141.000 (Yukon, Canada) Canada Yukon 66°34′N 133°36′W / 66.567°N 133.600°W / 66.567; -133.600 (Northwest Territories, Canada) Northwest Territories, passing through Great Bear Lake 66°34′N 115°56′W / 66.567°N 115.933°W / 66.567; -115.933 (Nunavut, Canada) Nunavut 66°34′N 82°59′W / 66.567°N 82.983°W / 66.567; -82.983 (Foxe Basin, Hudson Bay) Arctic Ocean Foxe Basin 66°34′N 73°25′W / 66.567°N 73.417°W / 66.567; -73.417 (Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada) Canada Nunavut (Baffin Island), passing through Nettilling Lake and Auyuittuq National Park (sign location) 66°34′N 61°24′W / 66.567°N 61.400°W / 66.567; -61.400 (Davis Strait, Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Davis Strait 66°34′N 53°16′W / 66.567°N 53.267°W / 66.567; -53.267 (Greenland) Greenland passing through Kangerlussuaq Fjord and Schweizerland 66°34′N 34°9′W / 66.567°N 34.150°W / 66.567; -34.150 (Denmark Strait, Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Denmark Strait 66°34′N 26°18′W / 66.567°N 26.300°W / 66.567; -26.300 (Greenland Sea) Greenland Sea 66°34′N 18°1′W / 66.567°N 18.017°W / 66.567; -18.017 (Grímsey, Iceland) Iceland Island of Grímsey 66°34′N 17°59′W / 66.567°N 17.983°W / 66.567; -17.983 (Greenland Sea, Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Greenland Sea 66°34′N 12°32′W / 66.567°N 12.533°W / 66.567; -12.533 (Norwegian Sea) Norwegian Sea

Gallery

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• Arctic Circle marker on island of Grímsey in Iceland
• Northern Polar Circle Globe on Vikingen island marking the Arctic Circle in Norway
• Arctic Circle sign by the Inland Line railway, Sweden
• Polcirkeln portal near Nattavaara, Sweden
• The white borderline of the Arctic Circle at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland
• Arctic Circle line 66° 32′ 35″ in Santa Claus Village, Finland
• Arctic Circle sign in the Republic of Karelia, Russia
• Arctic Circle sign in the Tazovsky District, Russia
• A sign near Zhigansk (Yakutia), Russia
• A sign along the Dalton Highway marking the location of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, United States

See also

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• 60th parallel north
• Arctic cooperation and politics
• Arctic haze
• Circumpolar star
• Scott Polar Research Institute
• Territorial claims in the Arctic
• Tropic of Cancer
• Tropic of Capricorn

References

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1. ^ "Arctic FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about the Arctic".
2. ^ "40 days without the sun. How? Polar Night begins in Murmansk". Auroravillage.info. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
3. ^ Burn, Chris. The Polar Night (PDF). The Aurora Research Institute. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
4. ^ N.B.: This refers to the true geometric center which actually appears higher in the sky because of refraction by the atmosphere.
5. ^ "Obliquity of the Ecliptic (Eps Mean)". Neoprogrammics.com. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
6. ^ Berger, A. L. (1976). "Obliquity and Precession for the Last 5000000 Years". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 51 (1): 127–135. Bibcode:1976A&A....51..127B.
7. ^ Liddell, Henry; Scott, Robert. "Arktikos". A Greek–English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library.
8. ^ Liddell, Henry; Scott, Robert. "Arktos". A Greek–English Lexicon. Perseus Digital Library.
9. ^ Burn, Chris. The Polar Night (PDF). The Aurora Research Institute. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
10. ^ Всеволод Липатов (26 April 2011). "Город на Полярном круге". ToGeo.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
11. ^ Nuttall, Mark (2004). Encyclopedia of the Arctic Volumes 1, 2 and 3. Routledge. p. 115. ISBN 978-1579584368.
12. ^ Marsh, William M.; Kaufman, Martin M. (2012). Physical Geography: Great Systems and Global Environments. Cambridge University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-521-76428-5.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arctic Circle. Look up arctic circle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Terra Incognita: Exploration of the Canadian Arctic—Historical essay about early expeditions to the Canadian Arctic, illustrated with maps, photographs and drawings
• Temporal Epoch Calculations ©2006 by James Q. Jacobs Download: Epoch v2009.xls (modify D4)
• Useful constants" See: Obliquity of the ecliptic

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v t e Circles of latitude / meridians

Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle Equator Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Arctic Circle Antarctic Circle W0°E 30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 5° 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 95° 105° 115° 125° 135° 145° 155° 165° 175° 5° 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 95° 105° 115° 125° 135° 145° 155° 165° 175° 10° 20° 40° 50° 70° 80° 100° 110° 130° 140° 160° 170° 10° 20° 40° 50° 70° 80° 100° 110° 130° 140° 160° 170° 0° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 90° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 90° 5° N 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 5° S 15° 25° 35° 45° 55° 65° 75° 85° 45x90 45x90 45x90 45x90