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Because there was no land
at the Pole Peary photographed 4 directions
looking south (all directions at the Pole are south) to provide a record that he saw no land. |
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Notice how smooth the ice looks all around; for about 100 miles around the Pole it is very easy to travel.
This is because the ocean is so deep there are fewer of the
"pressure ridges" found over shallower regions, or near land. |
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When we say "Peary discovered the North Pole" we mean his
expedition reached 90 degrees North; they attained that geographic point on the earth
called an axis. At the North Pole there is no land—only shifting, drifting ice.
Since no one knew what was there, they found out—ice! Nothing but
ice.
For hundreds of years men had tried to reach this
point. Peary achieved a goal that no other expedition had previously been able to
accomplish. They learned there is no land at the Pole, so they could not claim anything other than having reached a
purely geographical point. Traditionally, explorers left markers to prove where they had
been. In fact, Henson and Peary left such markers, called cairns, in
many places on Greenland and Ellesmere Island as they explored. At the Pole Peary left a tube with a note and a piece of his flag.
Because it was so easy to travel, Peary sledded in various directions
taking sextant readings to check his position. Somewhere he
probably passed very near over the Pole but could not find the exact spot. But it really
doesn't matter, does it? They were as close as they could determine
with their instruments. The work was done. |
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