Wondering about this since last night....
Thank you, Torgo, for posting that pic...I now understand some of the differences between the Arctic and Antarctica.



The Arctic

The Arctic is an ocean surrounded by continents.

It is defined by the Arctic Circle at 66.5º north which marks the edge of 24 hour days and nights.

North Pole expeditions are largely conducted on the frozen sea ice surface of the Arctic Ocean. Water is always flowing beneath your feet and in many areas there is a constant threat of falling through the ice.

Polar bears live only in the Arctic. Seals of varying types live in both the Arctic and Antarctica.

There are trees, roads, villages and shops inside the Arctic Circle but nothing permanent exists on the Arctic Ocean as it constantly moves and melts.

The North Pole is only ever a metre or two above sea level depending on the thickness of the ice.

There is nothing at the location of the North Pole.

The Arctic Ocean is very humid. Managing moisture inside a tent is critical during North Pole expeditions.

On average, the Arctic is not as cold as Antarctica. However, most North Pole expeditions cannot operate at the Arctic’s warmest because the sea ice melts so, in practice, it can be just as cold.

Antarctica

Antarctica is a continent surrounded by oceans.

There is an Antarctic Circle at 66.5º south but Antarctica refers to the continent.

South Pole expeditions operate on ice but largely with land beneath it.

Penguins live in Antarctica. They live outside the Antarctic Circle too but never in the Arctic. The aggressive Leopard seals live in Antarctica but not the Arctic.

A few permanent and seasonal bases exist in Antarctica, mostly research stations, including one at the South Pole. There are no roads, villages or trees though.

The South Pole is at an elevation of almost 3,000 metres.

The South Pole is marked by a nearby research station, circle of flags and a stripey pole for posed photographs.

Antarctica is the driest of the seven continents and technically a desert. Any ‘snowing’ that you experience is almost certainly the result of snow on the ground being blown by wind.

Antarctica is colder than the Arctic but most people will plan their expeditions for the warmer summer and the dryness also makes it easier to handle the cold.

The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve...where I live.

Pikas are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America and parts of eastern Europe. Most species live on rocky mountain sides, where there are numerous crevices to shelter in, although some also construct crude burrows. A few burrowing species are instead native to open steppe land. In the mountains of Eurasia, pikas often share their burrows with snowfinches, which build their nests there.



I wonder if this is where Pikachu comes from?

Not sure the of the scientific name. It looks like a wild weed that my neighbor has growing over my fence. He calls it purple passion and claims that some part u can smoke for some reason or other. I know it was his late wife's favorite.

I will go take a picture to compare. I might me all wrong with being same flower.
oh this section rocks! All u guys and ladies have some cool picture!

OK I feel stupid, one I see someone already named the flower. Two I have two pictures on my profile I took to share if you or anyone is interested . Was going to post it here but do not know how.

Don't feel stupid! Turns out you were right anyway. I looked at the pic on your profile....thanks for sharing!

And, welcome to Mingle.

This reminds me of a place near Traverse City Mich.
It is called The Tunnel of Trees.
Several miles long (I forget how many) running alongside Lake Michigan.
We go up spring and fall to ride the motorcycles there.
It is Beautiful!!

The Terme di Saturnia in Tuscany are a group of springs located in the municipality of Manciano, a few kilometers from the village of Saturnia. The springs that feed the baths, which are found in the south-eastern valley, cover a vast territory that stretches from Mount Amiata and the hills of Fiora and Albegna rivers to the Maremma grossetana at Roselle (Terme di Roselle) and Talamone (Terme dell'Osa).

One legend, according to the Etruscans and Romans, was that the Terme di Saturnia were formed by lightning bolts, thrown by Jupiter. During a violent quarrel between the two mythological deities, the bolts thrown towards Saturn had missed, causing the formations.

The sulphurous spring water, at a temperature of 37.5 °C, are well-known for their therapeutic properties, offering relaxation and well being through immersion.

Dino the Desert Tortoise. Every so often I get to tortoise-sit him.

I can't remember the last time I saw fireflies.

I've never seen fireflies Ruth. Thanks for the pic, are they in a specific area like gloworms? Or are they everywhere there?

A species of dandelion that we call Puha, which is quite flavoursome when thrown in the pot.

As is this species of fern which we call piko piko

They're in specific areas of the U.S. I'll have to google that tomorrow. I'm trying to remember if I was in Texas when I saw them. For some reason I think I was farther east than that. But, I was only about 10 so it's hard to remover. We don't have em here in Southern California.

What's a gloworm?

A delicious dandelion? That tortoise I took a picture of above LOVES dandelions. But, I don't think the ones we have here are good to eat. But, I could be wrong. I mean, I never tried one so...

Thank you for sharing the pics. I love learning about new plants.

Love it :)

My parents' backyard gets very dark at night, as the street lights are blocked by the house. So, you can see fireflies lighting up everywhere. They look awesome right along the trees.

I used to date someone who was from England who had never seen them, so when he saw that many, he was pretty amazed. haha.

This is one thing I'd love to see.

This is what the gloworm looks like lined along the the inside of caves. We have them in New Zealand, place called Waitomo Caves.



And i cheated a little here with you tube...sorry..i got a little lazy. But they're really interesting critters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBIEmjaoE5w

Emily, that picture is great! Yeah, that is something I'd really like to see as well.

Kahurangi, very cool! So, are they really worms? I'll check out the video...

Well, okay! They are worms! Very gross and very cool!