Pole of Inaccessibility
Antarctica
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- University of California, Santa Barbara - Department of Geography - Poles of Inaccessibility
- NERC Open Research Archive - Finding Antarctica’s Pole of Inaccessibility
- Academia - Poles of inaccessibility: A calculation algorithm for the remotest places on earth
- Cambridge Core - Finding Antarctica’s Pole of Inaccessibility
Pole of Inaccessibility, point on the Antarctic continent that is farthest, in all directions, from the surrounding seas, lying on the Polar Plateau in a vast territory claimed by Australia. The site, at an elevation of 12,198 feet (3,718 m) above sea level, is occupied by a meteorological research station set up by the Soviet Union during the International Geophysical Year (1957–58).
The term is also used occasionally in the Northern Hemisphere in conjunction with a point in the Arctic Ocean that is equidistant from the encircling landmasses; it lies 400 miles (640 km) from the North Pole in the direction of Alaska.