Pole of inaccessibility

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Map of distance to the nearest coastline (including oceanic islands, but not lakes) with red spots marking the main poles of inaccessibility. Thin isolines are 250 km apart; thick lines 1000 km.
Map of distance to the nearest coastline (including oceanic islands, but not lakes) with red spots marking the main poles of inaccessibility. Thin isolines are 250 km apart; thick lines 1000 km.

A pole of inaccessibility marks a location that is the most challenging to reach owing to its remoteness from geographical features which could provide access. The term describes a geographic construct, not an actual physical phenomenon, and is of interest mostly to explorers.

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[edit] Northern pole of inaccessibility

The northern pole of inaccessibility (84°03′N, 174°51′W) is located on the Arctic Ocean pack ice at a distance farthest from any land mass. It is 661 km (411 statute miles) from the North Pole, 1,453 km (903 mi) north of Barrow, Alaska, and equidistant from the closest landmasses, Ellesmere Island and Franz-Josef Land, 1,094 km (680 mi) away. It was first reached by Sir Hubert Wilkins, who flew by aircraft in 1927; in 1958 a Russian icebreaker reached this point. Owing to the constant motion of the pack ice, no permanent structure can exist at the pole.

[edit] Southern pole of inaccessibility

The old Soviet Pole of Inaccessibility station, revisited by Team N2i on 19 January 2007
The old Soviet Pole of Inaccessibility station, revisited by Team N2i on 19 January 2007

The southern pole of inaccessibility is the point on the Antarctic continent most distant from the Southern Ocean. A variety of different coordinate locations have been given for this pole. The discrepancies are due to the question of whether the "coast" is measured to the grounding line or to the edges of ice shelves, the difficulty of determining the location of the "solid" coastline, the movement of ice sheets and improvements in the accuracy of survey data over the years, as well as possible typographical errors. The Pole of Inaccessibility is commonly referred to the site of the Soviet Union research station mentioned below, which lies at 82°06′S, 54°58′E[1] (though some sources give 83°06′S, 54°58′E[2]). This lies 878 km (545 statute miles) from the South Pole, at an elevation of 3,718 m (12,198 ft). Using different criteria, the Scott Polar Research Institute locates the Pole at 85°50′S, 65°47′E,[3].

According to ThePoles.com, the point furthest from the sea accounting only for the Antarctic land surface proper is at 82°53′14″S, 55°4′30″E, and the furthest point when ice sheets are taken into account is 83°50′37″S, 65°43′30″E. The latter point, calculated by the British Antarctic Survey, is quoted as being "the most accurate measure available" (as of 2005).[4]

The southern pole of inaccessibility is far more remote and difficult to reach than the Geographic South Pole. On 14 December 1958, the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition for International Geophysical Year research work, led by Yevgeny Tolstikov, established the temporary Pole of Inaccessibility Station (Polyus Nedostupnosti) at 82°06′S, 54°58′E. A second Russian team returned there in 1967. Today a building still remains at this location, marked by a bust of Vladimir Lenin that faces towards Moscow, and it is protected as a historical site. Inside the building there is a golden visitors' book for those who make it to the site to sign. However, as of 2007, only the bust on top of the building is visible – the rest is buried under the snow.[5]

On December 14, 2005, Ramón Larramendi, Juan Manuel Viu and Ignacio Oficialdegui of the Spanish Transantarctic Expedition reached the British Antarctic Survey-accredited Pole of Inaccessibility at 83°50′37″S, 65°43′30″E using kite sleds.[4][6]

On December 4, 2006, Team N2i embarked on an expedition to reach the location without direct mechanical assistance, using a combination of traditional man hauling and kite skiing. The team made history when they reached the old Soviet station on 20 January 2007.[7]

[edit] Oceanic pole of inaccessibility

The oceanic pole of inaccessibility (48°52.6′S, 123°23.6′W), also called Point Nemo, is the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. It lies in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,688 km (1,670 mi or 1,451 NM) from the nearest lands: Ducie Island (part of the Pitcairn Islands) in the north, Motu Nui (part of the Easter Islands) in the north-east, and Maher Island (near the larger Siple Island, off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica) in the south. Chatham Island lies farther west, and Southern Chile in the east.

[edit] Continental pole of inaccessibility

The Continental Pole of Inaccessibility (46°17′N, 86°40′E) is the place on land that is farthest from the ocean. It lies in Eurasia, in northern China and is 2,645 km (1,645 mi) from the nearest coastline. It is located approximately 320 km (200 mi) north of the city of Ürümqi, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, in the Dzoosotoyn Elisen Desert. The nearest settlements are Hoxtolgay at 46°34′N, 85°58′E, about 30 miles to the north west, Xazgat at 46°20′N, 86°22′E about 13 miles to the west, and Suluk at 46°15′N, 86°50′E about 7 miles to the east.[8] However, this location unwarrantedly disregards the Gulf of Ob as part of the oceans, and a recent study proposes two other locations as the ones further from any ocean (within the uncertainty of coastline definition): EPIA1 44.29° N 82.19° E and EPIA2 45.28° N 88.14° E, located respectively at 2510±10 km and 2514±7 km from the oceans.[9]

Coincidentally, the continental and oceanic poles of inaccessibility have approximately the same radius; the Eurasian pole is only 43 km closer to the ocean than the Pacific pole is to land.

In North America, the continental pole of inaccessibility is in southwest South Dakota (43°26′N, 102°23′W)[citation needed], located 1650 km (1024 mi) from the nearest coastline. An alternative documented[9] location is 43.36° N 101.97° W.

In South America, the continental pole of inaccessibility is in 14.05° S 56.85° W[9]

In Australia, the continental pole of inaccessibility is located at 23°2′S, 132°10′E [10], 920 km (572 mi) from the nearest coastline. The nearest town is Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, about 56 km to the south-west. An alternative published[9] location is 23.17° S 132.27° E.

In Africa (5.65° N 26.17° E[11]), the PIA is 1814 km far from the coast, in a place close to where the borders of Central African Republic, Sudan and Congo meet, also close to the town of Obo.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Catalogue of Russian Antarctic Meteorological data 1994, World Meteorological Organization, retrieved June 2007
  2. ^ Historic Sites & Monuments in Antarctica, International Polar Heritage Committee
  3. ^ Polar Information Sheets, Scott Polar Research Institute, retrieved June 2007
  4. ^ a b "Spaniards reach the 'second' South Pole of Inaccessibility - still no trace of Lenin", ThePoles.com, December 15, 2005, retrieved June 2007
  5. ^ team n2i website uploaded jan 2007
  6. ^ Terre Polari website
  7. ^ "UK team makes polar trek history", BBC news story, retrieved June 2007
  8. ^ [1] Map of the region around the Continental Pole of Inaccessibility, showing relative locations of Hoxtolgay, Xazgat and Suluk, from MSN Maps.
  9. ^ a b c d Garcia-Castellanos, D.; U. Lombardo (2007). "Poles of Inaccessibility: A Calculation Algorithm for the Remotest Places on Earth". Scottish Geographical Journal 123 (3): 227-233. doi:10.1080/14702540801897809. 
  10. ^ Centre of Australia, States and Territories, Geoscience Australia
  11. ^ [Scottish Geogr. J., 2007, vol.3. - Poles of Inaccessibility: A Calculation Algorithm for the Remotest Places on Earth]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links