He was the first to reach the south pole. History of the discovery of the South Pole

Attempts to reach the North Pole have been made for half a century - mainly because of the desire to perpetuate their name in this way. In 1873, Austrian explorers Julius Payer and Karl Weyprecht approached the pole to a distance of about 950 kilometers and named the archipelago they discovered Franz Josef Land (in honor of the Austrian emperor). In 1896, the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, drifting in arctic ice, approached the North Pole approximately 500 kilometers. And finally, on March 1, 1909, the American officer Robert Edward Peary, accompanied by 24 people on 19 sleighs pulled by 133 dogs, headed to the Pole from the main camp on the northern coast of Greenland. Five weeks later, on April 6, he planted his country's starry flag at the North Pole and then returned safely to Greenland.

Who discovered Antarctica

Antarctica was discovered by the Russian round-the-world expedition (1819-1821) under the leadership of F. F. Bellingshausen on the sloops “Vostok” (commander F. F. Bellingshausen) and “Mirny” (commander M. P. Lazarev). This expedition was aimed at maximum penetration into the southern circumpolar zone and the discovery of unknown lands - the site. Antarctica was discovered on January 28, 1820 at coordinates 69 degrees 21 minutes south latitude and 2 degrees 14 minutes west longitude (the area of the modern Bellingshausen Ice Shelf). On February 2, the expedition members saw the ice shores for the second time, and on February 17 and 18 they came almost close to the ice massif.

This allowed Bellingshausen and Lazarev to conclude that there was an “ice continent” in front of them. The discovery of Antarctica was the result of a deeply thought-out and carefully implemented plan of Russian sailors. Hugh Robert Mill, one of the outstanding experts on the history of the discovery of Antarctica, author of the book “Conquest South Pole”, this is how this wonderful polar journey characterizes: “A study of the route of Bellingshausen’s ships shows that even if they did not reach a degree and a quarter before the milestone reached by Cook, his sloops Vostok and Mirny nevertheless passed south of 60 degrees latitude more than 242 degrees longitude, of which 41 degrees are in the seas beyond the Antarctic Circle, while Cook's ships Resolution and Adventure covered only 125 degrees of longitude south of 60 degrees, of which only 24 degrees are in the seas beyond the Antarctic Circle. But that's not all. The care with which Bellingshausen deliberately crossed all the huge gaps left by his predecessor created complete confidence that south of 60 degrees south latitude the open sea lies everywhere..

Who was the first to reach the South Pole

The first to reach the South Pole was the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen, planting the Norwegian flag on it on December 14, 1911. On January 17, 1912, an English expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott arrived at the Pole - to see, to their great disappointment, the flag planted by Amundsen. Expeditions reached the Pole different routes and were differently equipped. Amundsen chose more shortcut. Along the way, he laid out camps with enough provisions needed for the return. As a means of transport, he used a sleigh drawn by Eskimo dogs, accustomed to extreme climatic conditions. Unlike the Norwegians, the British went to the Pole on a motor sleigh, and took dogs only in case the sleigh failed. The sleigh quickly broke down, and there were too few dogs. The polar explorers were forced to leave part of the cargo and harness themselves to the sleigh. The route Scott walked along was 150 kilometers longer than the one chosen by Amundsen. On the way back, Scott and his companions died.

Who and when first sailed around Eurasia

In 1878-1879, the Swedish Arctic explorer and navigator Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (1832-1901) on the steamship Vega for the first time carried out a through voyage (with wintering off the coast of Chukotka) through the Northeast Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (along the northern coasts of Europe and Asia) and returned to Sweden through the Suez Canal in 1880, thus for the first time circumventing all of Eurasia.

Who was the first sailor to circumnavigate the world alone?

First circumnavigation accomplished alone by the Canadian Joshua Slocum (1844-1909). On July 2, 1895, on a homemade ship “Spray” (length 11.3 meters, width 4.32 meters, side height 1.27 meters), he left the port of Yarmouth in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and headed to Europe. Arriving in Gibraltar, Slocum decided to reverse the direction of his trip around the world. After spending the Southern Hemisphere summer of 1897 in Tasmania, Slocum again went out into the ocean and, rounding the Cape of Good Hope on January 1, 1898, returned to the Atlantic. Arriving at the island of St. Helena, he took a goat on board, intending to milk it and drink its milk. But on Ascension Island he landed a goat that destroyed all his sea charts. On June 28, 1898, Joshua Slocum came ashore in Newport (USA). The only living creature that circumnavigated the world with him was a spider, which Slocum noticed on the day of departure and kept him alive.

What other name is the Republic of Grenada commonly known by?

Due to the fact that the bulk of Grenada's exports are nutmeg and other spices, this is a small state located on the island of the same name between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, often called the Spice Island.

The point of intersection of the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation with its surface at Southern Hemisphere. Located at an altitude of 2800 m in the Polar Plateau of Antarctica. The South Pole was first reached by the Norwegian expedition of R. Amundsen in 1911. EdwART. Explanatory Naval ... Marine Dictionary

SOUTH POLE, the point of intersection of the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation with its surface in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located within the Polar Plateau of Antarctica at an altitude of 2800 m. For the first time, the South Pole was reached by a Norwegian expedition led by R.... ... Modern encyclopedia

The point of intersection of the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation with its surface in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located within the Polar Plateau of Antarctica at an altitude of 2800 m. The South Pole was first reached by a Norwegian expedition led by R. Amundsen in 1911... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

South Pole- The point of intersection of the Earth's rotation axis with earth's surface in the Southern Hemisphere... Dictionary of Geography

South Pole- pietų polius statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: engl. antarctic pole; south pole vok. Südpol, m rus. south pole, m pranc. pôle Sud, m … Fizikos terminų žodynas

South Pole- south pole... Russian spelling dictionary

The point at which the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation intersects its surface in the Southern Hemisphere. Any other point on the Earth's surface is always in the northern direction in relation to the South. Located on the mainland of Antarctica, closer to... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

The point at which the Earth's imaginary axis of rotation intersects its surface in the South. hemispheres. Located on Antarctic continent, on the Polar Plateau, at an altitude of 2800 m. The thickness of the ice in the southern region exceeds 2800 m, i.e. bedrock lies... ... Geographical encyclopedia

The point of intersection of the imaginary axis of rotation of the Earth with its surface in the South. hemispheres. Located within the Polar Plateau of Antarctica at altitude. 2800 m. For the first time U.P. reached nor. exp. under hand R. Amundsen in 1911 ... Natural science. Encyclopedic Dictionary

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South Pole. Amundsen v. Scott, Ousland Björn. The race to the South Pole was akin to a dramatic thriller in which the forces of nature decided to compete with strong men, testing them themselves, the technical equipment and the dogs for strength. In the new...

Every inhabitant of the Earth knows that the South Pole is located in Antarctica. Antarctica itself is a huge piece of land surrounded on all sides by water. That is, it is a continent. It should not be confused with the mainland - a huge piece of land surrounded by water and connected by a small piece of land to another continent. The area of Antarctica is 13.7 million square meters. km. For example, the area of Europe is 10.2 million square meters. km, and Australia - 7.6 million square meters. km.

South Pole

Antarctica contains 90% of all fresh water planets. It is fabulously rich in minerals, but is fenced off from the whole world by a huge ice crust and bitter frosts. In winter, temperatures on the continent drop to minus 60° Celsius. Summer is also not very warm. The most fertile months are December and January average temperature is minus 30°.

Strong winds blow over the icy desert all year round. Animal world lives only in coastal areas yes on the Antarctic Peninsula. On this north-facing small piece of land winter temperature sometimes it is minus 10° Celsius, and in summer it rises to 12° Celsius.

It is in Antarctica, among permafrost and severe cold, that the South Pole of the Earth is located. This is the southernmost point of the planet, and it is located at 90° south. w. It has no longitude, since all meridians converge in this place to one point.

The South Pole has chosen the so-called Arctic Plateau. That is, he did not settle down somewhere in the lowlands, but was comfortably located at an altitude of 2800 meters above sea level. Hence, there is a deficiency of oxygen and low humidity, the average value of which is 18%. In this area, the force of gravity is approximately 15% greater than in other areas of the planet. Atmospheric pressure below the norm by 150 mm. Hg pillar There are also increased solar radiation and magnetic anomalies.

Speaking of magnetic anomalies. In addition to the South Pole, which is a purely geographical magnitude, there is also the South Magnetic Pole. In 2007, its coordinates were 64° 30′ S. w. and 137° 42′ E. d. This is the sea of D'Urville. Behind it begin the waters of the Indian Ocean. On the coast of the sea, which is called Adélie Land, there is the French Antarctic station Dumont d'Urville. It has been located in this place since 1956.

For reference, it should be noted that in 1909 the coordinates of the Southern magnetic pole were completely different and equal to 72° 25′ S. w. and 155° 16′ E. d. The pole was located on the mainland, but over the past 100 years it has shifted into the depths of the sea and continues to “creep” to the north. No one knows how this anomalous magnetic phenomenon will end.

Antarctica itself was officially discovered in January 1820. Made it happen significant event Russian expedition. It was headed by Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen (1778-1852) and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (1788-1851). The first person to winter on the icy continent was the Norwegian polar explorer Karsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (1864-1934). Given historical event took place in 1895.

Finding yourself on the coast ice continent, restless human nature decided to find out what was in the depths mysterious land. The excitement around the South Pole began in 1909, when the conquest of the North Pole was publicly announced, first by Frederick Cook and then by Robert Peary. Other venerable explorers and travelers decided to glorify their names in the cold south. The first place among them was occupied by the Norwegian polar traveler and explorer Roald Amundsen (1872-1928).

Roald Amundsen

At first, the Norwegian planned to conquer the North Pole and even began preparing an expedition. But the nimble, shameless Americans overtook him, and the journey into the pack ice of the North Arctic Ocean lost all meaning.

Amundsen needed sponsors. He found such in the army. The military provided the traveler with food, tents, and other necessary equipment. The generals needed to test the effectiveness of soldiers' rations in extreme conditions, so they went to meet their compatriot halfway.

The Argentine tycoon Don Pedro Christophersen also provided great financial support. He was Norwegian by origin and readily supported his fellow countryman.

The journey to the shores of Antarctica was carried out on the legendary ship Fram. From 1893 to 1912, Norwegian expeditions were regularly carried out on it in northern and southern latitudes. The ship was 39 meters long, 11 meters wide, displaced 1,100 tons, and had a speed of 5.5 knots.

On the momentous day of January 13, 1911, the ship dropped anchor in Whale Bay off the coast of Ross in Antarctica. From that moment, in fact, the polar expedition began, which made Roald Amundsen famous throughout the world.

The Norwegian set off to the South Pole on October 19, 1911. He was accompanied by four people. The whole world also knows the names of these people. These are Oskar Wisting, Helmer Hansen, Sverre Hassel and Olaf Bjoland. All Norwegians. The expedition included four dog sleds. Already on December 14, 1911, a small group of courageous people, having overcome 1,500 km through the icy desert, reached the desired point. It is this date that is considered the official time of the discovery and conquest of the South Pole.

On the most southern point Planet travelers hoisted the Norwegian flag and headed back. The expedition returned to the original route point after 99 days. Thus, 3000 km were covered in just over three months. It must also be taken into account that the path lay through an icy desert, and, moreover, not level, but with constant ascents, descents, snow drifts and icy winds.

The second to challenge the severe frosts and permafrost was the English polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912). He set off to his intended goal a month later than Amundsen. The English expedition also consisted of five people. It was in this number that the British reached the South Pole on January 17, 1912.

Robert Falcon Scott

The expedition began on October 24, 1911. It consisted of 12 people. All of them were divided into 3 detachments. The first detachment set off on the specified date. He had to take away several tons of provisions and thus provide for the other members of the expedition.

Scott himself marched with his men on November 1, 1911. He admitted serious mistake, taking Manchurian ponies instead of sled dogs. These animals were not adapted to harsh conditions southern cold and became not a help, but a burden on a difficult journey.

The third detachment, riding sled dogs, caught up with Scott within a week, and on November 15, all three detachments were reunited. Already on December 4, the expedition reached the foothills of the Arctic Plateau. It became obvious that the small horses could not withstand the climb, and they had to be shot.

After this, the people had to drag the heavy sleigh with provisions themselves. And the ascent ended in early January. The snowstorm was a big hindrance. She delayed the detachment for more than a week.

English Expedition (Scott standing in the middle)

Scott took only four people with him to the South Pole. These were Wilson, a doctor, zoologist and artist, Oates, a pony specialist, and Bowers and Evans, career Navy officers. The remaining members of the expedition headed back on December 5.

As already mentioned, on January 17 the British reached their target. Imagine their disappointment when they saw the Norwegian flag, as well as a tent. They found a friendly letter from Amundsen in it. All efforts and labors were in vain. Representatives of the English crown were ahead of them.

The return journey was complicated by a strong snowstorm. She interfered with walking, took away all the strength from people. After only a couple of days of travel, Evans received severe frostbite. Wilson followed him out. He fell and damaged ligaments in his leg.

The first tragedy occurred on February 17, 1912 - Evans died. This made a grave impression on the small detachment. The body was buried in the glacier and the journey continued. Oates was the next to die, on March 16th. The remaining members of the expedition lasted only the next two weeks. The last entry in Scott's diary, which he kept throughout the journey, is dated March 29, 1912.

The expedition leader was the last to die, as the bodies of Wilson and Bowers lay in the tent, neatly tied in sleeping bags. The search group found the tent itself only on November 12, 1912. The ship's doctor Edward Atkinson examined the dead.

They did not take the bodies with them. They were buried in the tent, having first removed the tripwires. They piled a bunch of snow on top and put the skis crosswise.

Upon arrival at the ship, the rescuers made a large cross from mahogany. They carved the inscription on it - “Fight and seek, find and do not give up” and installed it on the top of a high hill called Observer. Thus ended one of the attempts to conquer the harsh and inhospitable southern land.

Richard Byrd conquered Antarctica in 1929. This American pilot flew over the South Pole in an airplane. Next up were Briton Vivian Fuchs and New Zealander Edmund Hillary. In 1958, they carried out a sleigh-caterpillar crossing across the icy desert. These courageous people walked from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea and back. Thus, they crossed the South Pole twice and left 3,500 km behind them.

American Antarctic station at the South Pole

Today, the American Antarctic station is located at the South Pole. It is a structure on stilts. This prevents snow from accumulating near the building. It has a telescope 10 meters high, equipment that predicts magnetic storms, as well as a powerful drilling rig.

A total of 200 people live at the station. Communication with the outside world is maintained through NASA satellites. Scientists working in this coldest corner of the world are specialists in geophysics, meteorology, physics, astrophysics and astronomy. Living conditions are very difficult. An untrained person is susceptible to illness and fainting. Blood thickening, headaches, and muscle cramps may occur. Neglecting basic safety can easily result in lung burns and frostbite.

So the South Pole is not a place for idle recreation. Only the very courageous and strong people. The most low temperature, recorded in this place, amounted to minus 74°. There is no trace of anything like this at the North Pole. From here you can imagine the strength of spirit of those people who went to this place a hundred years ago icy desert to conquer her. And they did it, otherwise we would still know nothing about the southernmost point of our planet.

Yuri Syromyatnikov

I always dreamed of becoming a traveler, dreamed of discoveries. As a child I loved to read about discoverers. What fascinated me most were the people who discovered the coldest parts of our planet, e.g. South Pole. About these brave people I want to tell you.

First attempts

Nothing was known about the South Pole until almost the 20th century. Although attempts to get to him were made repeatedly. Because of lack of proper equipment, and just the skills to survive in the cold, this was unattainable. They tried to open the South Pole:

F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev- Russian navigators, in 1722 reached the coast of Antarctica, discovered and gave names to several islands.
James Ross in 1941 he discovered the ice shelf and Antarctic volcanoes.
E. Shelkton in 1907 he tried to reach the south pole using a pony, but turned back;

Who discovered the South Pole

The most desperate and stubborn researcher who discovered the South Pole was Raoul Amundsen. Originally from Norway, he knew what cold was; he already had several expeditions in extreme conditions behind him. Preparing to conquer Antarctica, he studied secrets survival of Eskimos in the cold. Big paid attention to equipment and clothes. His entire team was equipped with fur jackets and high boots. He also selected for the expedition strong Eskimo dogs who pulled the sleigh during the hike. And he reached his goal on December 14 1911 and remained at the South Pole for three more days conducting research, and then returned safely with his entire team. It is noteworthy that simultaneously with him, a team of British led by Robert Scott. At the cost of incredible efforts, he and the remnants of the team reached the pole, 34 days late, where he found traces of Norwegians, a tent with provisions and a letter addressed to him...

Scott's team died on the way back... It was all to blame insufficient preparedness of the team, a small amount of food, clothes, by the way, were not fur, and the fact that they used ponies that died almost immediately, and motor sleighs that were not suitable for working in such frosts. I think it also had an impact depressed state of people because Amundsen was ahead of them. This is the price at which the South Pole was discovered.

The South Pole is the point through which the imaginary axis of rotation of our planet passes. It is located not in the middle of Antarctica, but closer to its Pacific coast. The south pole was discovered on December 11, 1911 (according to some sources - December 14).

Who was the first to reach the south pole?

We set ourselves the goal of visiting this harsh place. globe at the beginning of the last century, two travelers at once - the Norwegian Raoul Amundsen and the Englishman Robert Scott. Both researchers conducted the most thorough preparation to the hike. Robert Scott decided to use motor sleighs and ponies as draft power. R. Amundsen relied on dog sleds. Both researchers prepared for the trip, of course, as carefully as possible. So who was the first to reach the south pole?

Robert Scott's expedition moved towards its goal slowly, overcoming great difficulties. The explorer's ponies, unfortunately, could not bear the strain the hard way and they had to be euthanized. Motorized sleds could not overcome the ice hummocks.

Amundsen was doing much better. Thanks to the hardy northern dogs, he reached the youngest point on the globe faster than Scott. It was Amundsen who is considered the first person to reach the South Pole. Robert Scott's expedition arrived here only on January 17, 1912.

Tragedy

Of course, the moral shock had a negative impact on the return journey English group. First, the youngest member of R. Scott's expedition, E. Evans, died. Then, on his own initiative, he left his comrades, so as not to become a burden, and L. Ots froze his feet.

The remaining members of the expedition, including Scott himself, also did not return to base. On the way they were caught in a snowstorm. The bodies of the group members were later found 18 km from the camp. Their fate became known only from the diary of R. Scott, who was the last to die.

Memory of the Explorers

Well, now our reader knows who was the first to reach the south pole. The winner - the ambitious Amundsen - was, of course, very upset by the tragedy that occurred in the ice of Antarctica. Subsequently, he repeatedly told reporters that he would not hesitate to sacrifice his fame as a discoverer just to bring Scott and his people back to life.

This is how one of the most important geographical discoveries last century. However, the pole remembers both heroic explorers. Their names were forever united in the name of the great scientific station Amundsen-Scott, still working at the southernmost point of the Earth.