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Where is the Arctic?


Wilting

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I'm going north soon and hope to do some caching in the Arctic. I've been trying to find out the current exact latitude of the Arctic circle but every site I've looked at has a slightly different value. It would be nice to know exactly when I cross it.

Any ideas?

Please log me in and let me know which caches I've found. I'd love to add the Artic to my stats.
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According to Wikipedia:
In 2010, it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ (or 66.56083°) north of the Equator. . . . The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed, but directly depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000 year period, notably due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon. The Arctic Circle is currently drifting northwards at a speed of about 15 m (49 ft) per year, see Circle of latitude for more information.
So, as long as you're finding anything more than a mile north of the coordinates, the caches you'll find will be within the circle for over 100 years.
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I'm going north soon and hope to do some caching in the Arctic. I've been trying to find out the current exact latitude of the Arctic circle but every site I've looked at has a slightly different value. It would be nice to know exactly when I cross it.

 

Any ideas?

 

The Arctic circle is not fixed, but moves slowly. According to Wikipedia, the Arctic circle moves between N65.5° and N67.9° during a period of 41 thousand years. It is currently around N66.56°.

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Perhaps not the answer you're looking for, but every road that I've travelled over the Arctic circle on certainly let me know that I was! YMMV.
I was thinking that this would be so. Given that the circle moves about 50 ft every year, it makes me wonder who the guy that has to go move the signs every year is, and how long does it take them?
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Perhaps not the answer you're looking for, but every road that I've travelled over the Arctic circle on certainly let me know that I was! YMMV.
I was thinking that this would be so. Given that the circle moves about 50 ft every year, it makes me wonder who the guy that has to go move the signs every year is, and how long does it take them?

 

If the circle moves, wouldn't the sign move with it? :blink:

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Perhaps not the answer you're looking for, but every road that I've travelled over the Arctic circle on certainly let me know that I was! YMMV.
I was thinking that this would be so. Given that the circle moves about 50 ft every year, it makes me wonder who the guy that has to go move the signs every year is, and how long does it take them?

 

I can't speak for Alaska, but in Canada, there's only one public all season road that crosses the Arctic Circle. There's a cache at the sign, and it Doesn't look like it's moving

 

But I see the OP is European anyways.

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Perhaps not the answer you're looking for, but every road that I've travelled over the Arctic circle on certainly let me know that I was! YMMV.
I was thinking that this would be so. Given that the circle moves about 50 ft every year, it makes me wonder who the guy that has to go move the signs every year is, and how long does it take them?

It takes them about two years.

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It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 50 feet a year...like it sits there for a year and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/50,000th of an inch per second?

It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 1/50,000th of an inch per second...like it sits there for a second and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/2 a millimeter every millisecond?

 

<_<

Edited by Markwell
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It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 50 feet a year...like it sits there for a year and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/50,000th of an inch per second?

It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 1/50,000th of an inch per second...like it sits there for a second and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/2 a millimeter every millisecond?

 

<_<

I know, I know...but that's much too fast

 

wouldn't that be 1/2 meter per second?

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All very interesting by can we drag this back on topic. <_<

 

I already checked Wikipedia so I was aware of the data there but I also checked other sites and each of them gave a slightly different latitude. I know that the latitude varies continually which is why I wanted to know where the arctic circle starts today. Does anyone actually know?

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All very interesting by can we drag this back on topic. <_<

 

I already checked Wikipedia so I was aware of the data there but I also checked other sites and each of them gave a slightly different latitude. I know that the latitude varies continually which is why I wanted to know where the arctic circle starts today. Does anyone actually know?

Looks like the best aproach would be to make sure you get well above the maximum latitude. Find the source with the highest Latitude listed and go above that. USGS might have some reliable info.

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All very interesting by can we drag this back on topic. <_<

 

I already checked Wikipedia so I was aware of the data there but I also checked other sites and each of them gave a slightly different latitude. I know that the latitude varies continually which is why I wanted to know where the arctic circle starts today. Does anyone actually know?

 

University of Turku states that the latitude is nowadays approx 66.5 degrees north, but moving ~15 metres towards north each year. Additionally, nutation causes ~290 metre variation between each side of this average point, within a 18.6 year period.

 

The definition of Arctic circle is 90 degrees minus the ecliptic.

 

How exact numbers do you need, or would it be sufficient to just go to N67 or further, in which case you would certainly be north of the Arctic circle?

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Perhaps not the answer you're looking for, but every road that I've travelled over the Arctic circle on certainly let me know that I was! YMMV.
I was thinking that this would be so. Given that the circle moves about 50 ft every year, it makes me wonder who the guy that has to go move the signs every year is, and how long does it take them?

 

I can't speak for Alaska, but in Canada, there's only one public all season road that crosses the Arctic Circle. There's a cache at the sign, and it Doesn't look like it's moving

 

But I see the OP is European anyways.

 

Yup, went over that one this summer - there were two caches there though at the time, called Arctic Circle (GC8A0A) and Yukon Circle (GC68F6). I've just checked, and only one other person has found them since we did in August, which is cool - I guess the winter is pretty savage up there! </off-topic>

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We have about 400 find north of arctic circle, because we live there. ;)

 

There is internet in the Arctic? <_<

 

Yes. And we have cars too, but we preefer reindeer.

 

Hey, I was just reading about your area a couple months ago in a magazine article. It's about Arctic Surfing. I found the online version of it I don't think your City is actually mentioned, but your County is. Wow, you have a City of 60,000 people way up there, and there are plenty of caches! I'd love to visit someday. You never know. :)

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It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 50 feet a year...like it sits there for a year and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/50,000th of an inch per second?

It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 1/50,000th of an inch per second...like it sits there for a second and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/2 a millimeter every millisecond?

 

<_<

 

actually it's continually moving. what you're talking about is SPEED

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It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 50 feet a year...like it sits there for a year and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/50,000th of an inch per second?

It's funny to see folks saying that it moves 1/50,000th of an inch per second...like it sits there for a second and then jumps?? I guess it really moves just about 1/2 a millimeter every millisecond?

 

:laughing:

 

actually it's continually moving. what you're talking about is SPEED

 

SPEED is the measurement of DISTANCE/TIME. So short of the one arithmetic error I saw above, they're all correct based on your comment.

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I'm going north soon and hope to do some caching in the Arctic. I've been trying to find out the current exact latitude of the Arctic circle but every site I've looked at has a slightly different value. It would be nice to know exactly when I cross it.

 

Any ideas?

Having just returned from the Arctic (2nd time) I must ask exactly where you intend on going as the Arctic is a circle encompassing many different countries. Perhaps we can better assist?

n691230601_5280940_4709.jpg

Edited by buttaskotch
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Don't know if there is anything similar for the Arctic, but this one in Mexico seems to be very accurate for a Tropic line :D

 

9052945.jpg

That's very cool. It looks like the "Tropico de Cancer" sign is at the correct and current spot. I wonder if a road maintenance worker comes out and moves it a foot every week?

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