9 The Arctic

KIKI'S MISSION NOTES THE ARCTIC The Arctic is a huge frozen wilderness at the top of the Earth. It's one of the coldest and most extreme habitats on Earth. Most of the Arctic is made up of the frozen Arctic Ocean, but there is also land around the outer edges known as tundra. SEASONS There are two seasons in the Arctic. During the freezing winter it is dark almost all day and night. The summer is warmer, but still cold, and it stays light most or all of the time.

THE NORTH POLE At the center of the Arctic is the North Pole—the northern most point on Earth. At the North Pole, the ice never melts, but farther south the ice in the Arctic melts during the summer. The average temperature during summer is 35°F (1.5°C), but during winter a lack of sunlight and strong winds make it drop to an average temperature of (-29°C). -20°F