Lisa Martinson, age 12, of St. Paul, 'zinnesota, for her question:

Is it colder at the North or the South Pole?

There is no doubt that the coldest place on earth is at or near the South Pole. There the mighty glacier on the continent of Antarctica is almost two riles thick. Bitter blizzards sweep over the white wasteland and the mildest breezes come in icy gusts. There are no thaws, for even the midsummer temperatures rarely rise above freezing. On the coldest day, ever recorded on earth, the 'temperature dropped to minus 126.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The place was near the South Pole. '

In the Arctic realm of the North Pole, winter temperatures often drop to minus 60 degrees. The coldest spot is in Siberia, some distance from the North Pore. There the winter weather may drop to minus 90 degrees. But the Arctic summer areas up to 60 degrees above. The ice melts and the ground thaws. Most of the time, the South polar region is about 50 degrees colder than the North polar region.