Tuesday 25 April 2017

The 10 coldest places on Earth

Polar bears can endure severe temperatures
Polar bears can endure severe temperatures

A team of scientists analysing 32 years of satellite data say they have recorded a new record low temperature on earth. But what are the top ten coldest places on the planet?

10. Snag, Yukon, Canada -63C

Snag is a village located near the Alaskan Highway in Canada. It holds the current record for the lowest ever temperature recorded in continental North America.

9. North Ice, Greenland -66C

North Ice was a research station of the British North Greenland Expedition (1952 to 1954) on the inland ice of Greenland. The station recorded the lowest temperature ever in North America on January 9th 1954.

8. Klinck research station, Greenland -69.4C

The Klinck research station is located within the Arctic Circle. Direct observations of temperatures as low as -69.4C have been made at the station.

7. Verkhoyansk, Russia -69.8C

Verkhoyansk, Russia has around 1,434 hardy residents. In winter average monthly temperatures are around −45.4C, though lower have been recorded.

6. Oymyakon, Russia -71.2C

Officially recognised as one of the two coldest regularly inhabited places on the planet (along with number seven Verkhoyansk), the town of 472 people is known as one of the candidates for the Northern Pole of Cold.

5. Mount McKinley, Alaska -73.8C

Denali, or Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, has long been considered the coldest mountain on earth. Winter air temperatures regularly fall to -40C, and lower have been unofficially recorded.

4. Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station -82C

A scientific research station in the southernmost place on earth the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station has recorded temperatures below −73C.

3. Dome A, Antarctic Plateau −82.5C

Dome Argus is an Antarctica plateau located near East Antarctica at 4091 meters above sea level. The coldest temperature ever recorded there was -82.5 C (or -116.5 F) in July 2005. It is the highest point of ice sheet in Antarctic region.

2. Russia’s Vostok research station –89.2C

The Vostok Station is a Russian Antarctic research station at 3488 meters above sea level. It still remains officially the coldest place on earth having measured a bone shattering -89.2C (or -128.6 °F) on 21 July 1983.

And the winner is......

1. Dome Fuji ridge East Antarctic Plateau –93.2C.

A high ridge located between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji on the East Antarctic Plateau saw the lowest ever temperature on earth according to Nasa satellite data. As the temperature was not recorded directly, however, it is not counted as a new Guinness World record.

The new record low temperature smashed the previous low of minus 89.2C, set in 1983 at the Russian Vostok Research Station in East Antarctica.

Newly analysed data showed the temperature plunged to an astonishing -93.2C (-135.8F) in August 2010

Online Editors

Promoted articles

Also in this section