Our planet holds many secrets. Exploring some of its secrets, a person, it would seem, has long reached the very essence, however, more and more mysteries are found around.
Severe frost is one of those phenomena that humanity has always studied with keen interest. The poles, so inaccessible and at the same time rich and generous, always attracted the desperate and courageous.
In our article, we will look at some of the coldest places in the world and talk about their inhabitants, as well as touch upon a question such as survival in severe frost. Some of the most interesting facts will help you get the most complete picture of record low temperatures.
World record
Many still remember from school that the most severe frost was recorded at the Russian Vostok station in Antarctica. This place cannot be included in the ranking of the coldest cities in the world, since it is not a settlement at all. However, people live there permanently (in shifts), conducting research work.
The absolute record recorded on planet Earth was -89.2 degrees. This happened on July 21, 1989, and since then such a temperature has never been recorded.
The most severe frosts in history
People began to monitor weather conditions and the weather for quite some time. However, of course, in ancient times, of course, there were no accurate instruments to objectively assess the situation. Ancestors left us only subjective judgments about those days when frost was especially severe.
There is a lot of evidence. For example, it is known that in 856 the Adriatic Sea completely froze. The 1010th was abnormally cold even for Egypt - the Nile was covered with ice. Severe frost, which raged in 1210 in Italy, even bound the canals of Venice with ice. The frosts of 1322 made it possible to pave the toboggan route between Germany and Denmark directly along the Baltic Sea. And after 4 years, the ice captured the Mediterranean Sea, which usually does not freeze even off the coast. 1709 became record cold for the inhabitants of France. According to contemporaries, the temperature at -24 kept for several months. Church bells cracked during the ringing, and wines froze in the cellars. In 1953-1954, frosts bound almost all of Eurasia, from France to the Urals for more than five months, temperatures were record low. Ponds froze, the Sea of Azov completely covered with ice. The fierce winter returned to Europe a dozen years later, turning the rivers of Italy and France into an ice mirror.
Of course, Russia survived many cold winters. Not without reason, among those who came to her with the war, there were legends about General Moroz, who was fighting on the side of the Russians. But for the indigenous population, frosts are so familiar that the river bound by ice is no wonder, worthy of mention in the annals of history, never seemed. Moreover, if during the most severe frosts of the year (Epiphany) the pond is covered with ice, an ice hole is made in it so that you can swim!
In search of the capital of cold
Some settlements of Russia are included in the list of the coldest in the world. Residents not only do not seek to leave snow-covered cities and towns en masse, but also try to defend the right to name their small homeland the capital of cold.
One of the main contenders for this title is the Russian Oymyakon. In this city there are severe frosts 9 months a year. The record temperature of -71.2 was recorded in the 29th year of the last century. In these parts, -40 Celsius is not considered an out of the ordinary event. The population of Oymyakon is small, approximately 600 people. Interestingly, the name is translated from the local dialect as “non-freezing water”. Ordinary water there, of course, freezes, but the name of the settlement is due to the hot springs breaking from the ground. You can detect them even during and after severe frosts. Oymyakon can safely be awarded the title "Coolest Town". An even lower average annual temperature prevails in the village of Deyankyr, also located in Yakutia.
The main competitor of Oymyakon is Verkhoyansk. A recorded temperature of -69.8 degrees is considered a serious bid for victory. The history of the city began with a settlement for exiles. Is it possible to come up with a punishment as scary as a link to eternal winter? Once the unwanted people were sent here, and today at least 1.4 thousand people live in Verkhoyansk, apparently happy with their fate and loving their harsh land. Residents of Verkhoyansk deserve the right to call their small homeland the coldest city.
Many other settlements that are on the list of the most frosty are quite small. Therefore, Irkutsk with a population of 250 thousand falls into our top as the coldest of large cities of administrative significance.
Other coldest places
A lot of settlements are located on the coast and islands of the Arctic Ocean. Severe frost is common for the population, mainly employed in defense, research and mining enterprises. This is not only about Russia, but also the countries of Scandinavia, American Alaska, and Greenland. The harsh climate prevails in some mountainous regions (for example, in Mongolia and Kazakhstan). But the thermometer column there rarely drops below 40, so they can not compete with the Antarctic and the Arctic.
Eternal Frost
On the northern banks of the Vilyui River in Siberia in February 1982, scientists recorded a record permafrost. Its depth exceeded 1370 meters. Powerful layers of ice that never melts are also found on the Taimyr Peninsula. In places, their depth reaches 600 meters.
The fauna and flora of the most frosty places on the planet
Surprisingly, the regions with the harshest climate are not at all lifeless. Why do not severe frosts scare animals and birds? There are a number of protective properties possessed by animals living in areas of eternal winter. This is a thick waterproof fur and feathers, a powerful layer of subcutaneous fat, special thermoregulation.
The fauna of the Arctic is quite diverse. Several species of mammals live in these parts: polar bears, walruses, arctic foxes and wolves, deer, lemmings, narwhals, whales and killer whales. The number of northern birds is great, and the cold seas are rich in fish. A huge number of penguins live in Antarctica (they are not in the northern hemisphere).
In Antarctica, a few hundred miles from the South Pole you can find lichens and mosses. They are also spread on the opposite pole of the planet. The dominant position is occupied by reindeer moss. They carry severe frost and some large plants: birch, coniferous trees. And during a short summer in the Far North, you can even see flowers. The huge adaptive potential allows northern plants to survive a long frosty winter. They do not die even in severe frosts and wait for the thaw to catch their portion of sunlight.
How to survive in severe frost?
Severe frost is especially dangerous for those who grew up in mild climates. What is familiar to northerners can play a fatal role for an unprepared person. To protect yourself from frostbite, everyone needs to know a few simple rules. Indeed, as we already know, severe frosts sometimes occur even in warm places.
Firstly, the use of alcohol "for warming" is unacceptable. Alcohol in no way prevents hypothermia, but only contributes to it, creating a short illusion of heat. Secondly, due to the need to work in the air during severe frosts, it is worth alternating with periods of rest in a warm room. If you suspect frostbite of the limbs and face, you need to warm the victim with dry heat and immediately send to the hospital. Do not hope that the disease goes away by itself. Competently organized regular hardening is of no small importance in the prevention of hypothermia. It is worth taking the choice of clothes seriously.
Photos of the coldest places on the planet allow you to see how beautiful these edges are. True connoisseurs even the most severe frosts do not interfere with admiring their harsh beauty.