National Geographic Polar Explorations

What draws people to the poles; the significance these regions hold for the planet; beginning to answer these questions with journalist Fen Montaigne; delving into the story of Ernest Shackleton's struggles in Antarctica; Montaigne's own experiences.

It is easy to take the sun for granted; the poles experience six months each of continuous night and constant day; what causes the strange behavior of the sun at the poles; what causes seasons; finding out with astronomy professor Edward Murphy.

The North and South Poles share a history that is unique; Professor Michael Wysession lays the groundwork for understanding the polar regions; a discussion of their geology; their similarities and differences.

Hundreds of people perish trying to find their way to the North Pole; hundreds more spend a long time trapped on ships in Arctic sea ice; how explorers such as Henry Hudson, Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen open up the polar region to the world.

Virtually every living thing in polar waters evolves in a world dominated by sea ice; how Arctic and Antarctic marine ecosystems work; what happens to a sea ice-dependent marine ecosystem when the sea ice begins to disappear.

A closer look at the unique geologic characteristics of the North Pole and the Arctic Circle; a brief geologic tour of the Arctic regions; how the ocean, atmosphere and surface geology all interact; how this region changes geologically over time.