Where Is the South Pole Located?

Where is the South Pole located? There are actually two locations for the South Pole.

The geographic answer to where is the South Pole is answered by saying that the South Pole is located at the southern point where the Earth’s rotational axis intersects the surface. It is the point where all directions face North.

The coordinates for the South Pole, another answer to where is the South Pole located, are typically given as 90 degrees South latitude. A longitude coordinate is not typically given. However, when a longitude requirement is asked for this is typically given a 0 degrees West longitude.

More About the South Pole's Location

The geographic location and coordinates aren't the complete answer to where the South Pole is located, however.

• The South Pole is designated by a marker each year.
• The reason that it must be identified by a marker each and every year is because the location of the South Pole moves at an average of ten meters each year.

Why Does the South Pole Move?

The reason the answer to where the South Pole is located changes is because of a number of factors including:

• The Earth is not a perfect sphere or circle
• Tidal forces
• Motions in the Earth’s mantle or core
• Variations in pressure in the Earth’s oceans

Each year on New Year’s day, the new location of the South Pole is re-evaluated and re-positioned. This is done by moving a sign to the new calculated position of the actual South Pole.

The sign that has been used for many years to mark the South Pole includes the names of the first explorers to reach the South Pole: Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott. It also contains the date at which they came to the pole for the first time, and a small quotation from each of the explorers. The sign also records the elevation of the South Pole, which is approximately 9,301 feet.

South Pole on Antartica

There is still more to understand about where the South Pole is located and about how it was found:

• The South Pole is located on the continent of Antarctica.
• Due to its geographic location and dangerous climate or environment, it was one of the last places on Earth to be discovered and explored.
• The pole sits on top of an icy plateau that is at an altitude of 2,835 meters or 9,306 feet.
• It lies approximately 800 miles from the nearest source of water which is the McMurdo Sound.
• At the South Pole, the ice sheet is estimated to be approximately 9,000 feet thick, almost a mile in width. This places the surface of the land beneath the pole at or near sea level.

South Pole Station

Near the location of the South Pole is the South Pole Station.

• The Ceremonial South Pole is located near the actual South Pole Station and it is used for photo opportunities.
• This Ceremonial South Pole is not located at the geographic location of the South Pole.
• The Ceremonial South Pole is marked with a pole that has a sphere on the top.
• The marker is changed each year in commemoration of the discovery of the South Pole.
• Surrounding the marker are the flags of the nations that have signed the Antarctic Treaty.

Unlike the geographic South Pole, the Ceremonial South Pole is only moved once every two or three years in order to reduce the walking distance to access it for picture opportunities.