Exploratour - The Surface of the Earth
The Poles of the Earth
At both the north pole and the south pole there are deep areas of snow, ice, and glaciers. These areas of snow and ice at the poles are called polar caps.
In fact, the continent of Antarctica is buried in about 10,000 ft of ice!
The polar caps are part of the Earth's water cycle. The term water cycle describes the way water flows back and forth between the land to the oceans and back again. Clouds, rain, and snowfall are also a part of the water cycle. The water cycle is a very special part of the surface processes on Earth.