Christophe Courteau / Rusty barrels at the historical site of Virgohamna where, in 1897, the hydrogen balloon 'Omen' (the Eagle) sailed northward in a failed attempt to reach the north pole with 3 Swedish ballooners led by...

Eric Baccega / Melting ice at Floe Edge, Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, April 2009.

Eric Baccega / Melting ice under expansive clouds. Floe Edge, Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, April 2009.

Jerry Monkman / Lone hiker at sunrise on the Bold Coast trail in Cutler, Maine, USA, June 2009. Model released

Uri Golman / Photographer Uri Golman on cross country skies in snow blizzard, Scoresbysund, North East Greenland, March 2009. Model released

Sue Flood / Sign showing the location of the North Pole, June 2008

Sue Flood / Tourists standing in a circle around the North Pole, July 2008

Sue Flood / Tourists standing in a circle around the North Pole, July 2008

Sue Flood / Photographer Sue Flood standing next to North Pole sign surrounded by water, on a tourist trip to the North Pole July 2007

Niall Benvie / A conceptual picture of Global warming illustrated through a model of the earth with a sign at the North Pole saying "Danger, Thin Ice".

Norbert Wu / Humpback Anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsoni) deep sea species showing bioluminescent fishing pole attracts deep sea prey, California

Andy Rouse / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) Low angle shot using pole cam Arctic October

Ingo Arndt / Traditional wooden prayer pillars with flags. Olkhon Island, Buryat Region, Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia. February 2019.

Marie Read / Backyard setup for photographing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilocus colubris) in summer, New York, USA. A natural food plant (cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)) in a floral tube of water is tie...

Ashley Cooper / Tourists collect plastic rubbish on a remote beach in Northern Svalbard, only about 600 miles from the North Pole. The plastic has been washed ashore from the sea by ocean currents. July 2013

Ashley Cooper / Tourists collect plastic rubbish on a remote beach in Northern Svalbard, only about 600 miles from the North Pole. The plastic has been washed ashore from the sea by ocean currents. July 2013

Ashley Cooper / Plastic rubbish on a remote beach in Northern Svalbard, only about 600 miles from the North Pole. The plastic has been washed ashore from the sea by ocean currents. July 2013

Ashley Cooper / The Russian research vessel, AkademiK Sergey Vavilov an ice strengthened ship on an expedition cruise to Northern Svalbard, Norway, July 2013

Ashley Cooper / The Russian research vessel, AkademiK Sergey Vavilov an ice strengthened ship on an expedition cruise to Northern Svalbard, Norway, July 2013

Ashley Cooper / The Russian research vessel, AkademiK Sergey Vavilov an ice strengthened ship on an expedition cruise to Northern Svalbard, Norway, July 2013

Ashley Cooper / The Russian research vessel, AkademiK Sergey Vavilov an ice strengthened ship on an expedition cruise to Northern Svalbard, Norway, July 2013

Ashley Cooper / The Russian research vessel, AkademiK Sergey Vavilov an ice strengthened ship on an expedition cruise to Northern Svalbard, Norway, July 2013

Ashley Cooper / Tourists collecting plastic rubbish on a remote beach in Northern Svalbard, only about 600 miles from the North Pole. The plastic has been washed ashore by ocean currents. July 2013

Ashley Cooper / Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) on rotten melting sea ice, off the coast of Northern Svalbard. July 2013.

Ashley Cooper / Kestrel wind turbine in Scoraig, North West Scotland, UK. This whole community is off grid, powered by renewable energy. October 2013

Cyril Ruoso / Great tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) displaying on telephone wire, South Texas, USA, April.

Kirkendall-Spring / Vicky Spring hiking, Pacific Coast, Olympic National Park south of Toleak Point, Washington, USA. August, 2015. Model released

Kirkendall-Spring / Cross country skier, Amabilis Mountain, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA. December 2015. Model Released.

Kirkendall-Spring / Cross country skier, Amabilis Mountain, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, USA. December 2015. Model released.

Pete Oxford / Adi Gallong pole house, Adi Gallong Tribe village, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, October 2014.

Pete Oxford / Adi Gallong pole houses, Jamlouvari Village, Adi Gallong Tribe, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Apatani village showing Babo or elaborate structured wooden pole erected during the Myoko festival, Apatani Tribe, Ziro Valley, Himalayan Foothills, Arunachal Pradesh. North East India. November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Interior of a Nyshi Long House, Nyshi Tribe, Arunachal Pradesh.North East India, November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Nyshi rice paddies.Yazali Village, Nyshi Tribe, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Konrad Wothe / Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) female on nest with chicks on powerline pole, Tobago, West Indies, Caribbean

Pete Oxford / Chris Jenkins from the Orianne Society with Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) Little St Simon's Island, Barrier Islands, Georgia, USA, March 2014.

Kirkendall-Spring / Phil Russell fishing for Rockfish from kayak near Seal and Sail Rock, Strait of Juan De Fuca, Washington, USA, August 2014. Model released.

Kirkendall-Spring / Phil Russell fishing for Rockfish from kayak near Seal and Sail Rock, Strait of Juan De Fuca, Washington, USA, August 2014. Model released.

John Abbott / Whitespotted sawyer beetle (Monochamus scutellatus) in flight, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA.

John Abbott / Whitespotted Sawyer (Monochamus scutellatus) on white background, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA.

John Abbott / Whitespotted sawyer beetle (Monochamus scutellatus) in flight, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA.

John Abbott / High Country Bumble Bee (Bombus flavifrons) worker on white background, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA, July.

John Abbott / Frigid Bumble Bee (Bombus frigidus) male, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA, July.

John Abbott / European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) female nymph, North Pole, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, USA, July.

John Waters / Phonemast disguised as palm tree, Palm Springs, California, USA, June 2012.

John Waters / Phonemast disguised as palm tree, Palm Springs, California, USA, June 2012.

Orsolya Haarberg / Old house and utility wires in falling snow. Veines, Varanger peninsula, Finnmark, Norway. February 2010

Cyril Ruoso / Road with mirage, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Matthias Breiter / Kadjuk Bird Pole carved by the Tlingit people, Totem Bight State Historical Park, Ketchikan, Alaska

Matthias Breiter / Man Wearing Bear Hat Totem carved by the Tlingit people acts as grave marker, Totem Bight State Historical Park, Ketchikan, Alaska

Matthias Breiter / Thunderbird and Whale Totem, a Haida mortuary pole, Totem Bight State Historical Park, Ketchikan, Alaska

Gavin Hellier / Looking up Totem Pole, Jasper National Park, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Gavin Hellier / Looking up Totem Pole, Jasper National Park, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Gavin Hellier / Looking up Totem Pole, Jasper National Park, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Gavin Hellier / Totem Pole, Jasper National Park, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

Sumio Harada / Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) chicks in nest on power pole, Montana

Jack Dykinga / The Totem Pole and the Yei Bi Chi formations of eroded sandstone, with rodent's trail in the foreground on sand dune, Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / 2020VISION team videographer, Raymond Besant, filming underwater with an improvised pole-cam, while 2020VISION team photographer Chris Gomersall looks on. Cairns of Coll, Island of Coll, Inner Hebride...

Doug Allan / Woman standing by bow and anchor of Russian nuclear icebreaker, "NS 50 Let Pobedy" 50 years of Victory, North Pole, July 2008

Onne van der Wal / Attending the spinnaker pole during the Acura Miami Grand Prix, Florida, USA. March 2008

Onne van der Wal / Miami Acura Grand Prix, Key West, Florida. 2009.

Onne van der Wal / Miami Acura Grand Prix, Key West, Florida. 2009.

Rick Tomlinson / Farr 40 leader "Nerone" during a race at the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix, day 2, 6th March.

Rick Tomlinson / TP52 "Synergy" during a race at the 2009 Acura Miami Grand Prix, day 4, 8th March.

Onne van der Wal / Preparing the spinnaker pole during the Acura Miami Grand Prix, Florida, USA. March 2008

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / The North Pole Hotel in Ny Alesund, the most northerly Hotel in the world. Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, June 2006.

Eric Baccega / Melting ice at Floe Edge, Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June 2011.

Eric Baccega / Melting ice at Floe Edge, Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Icepack, cliffs and melting icepack in spring. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Icepack, cliffs and melting icepack in spring. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Floe edge of melting icepack with eroding coastal mountains. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Floe edge of melting icepack with eroding coastal mountains. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Clouds in a ripple pattern over melting icepack. Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Canada, July 2011.

Eric Baccega / Light rays breaking through clouds above the melting icepack. Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Canada, July 2011.

Eric Baccega / Midnight sun light over icepack and cliffs in spring. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Midnight sun light over icepack and cliffs in spring. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Midnight sun light over icepack and cliffs in spring. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Midnight sun light over icepack and cliffs in spring. Arctic Bay, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Eric Baccega / Aerial view of land and icepack in spring. Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, June.

Shattil & Rozinski / Totem Pole depicting an animal spirit of a salmon, Totem Heritage Centre, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, September 2010

Gerrit Vyn / Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) on utility pole. Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Siskiyou County, California, USA, December.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Russian Nuclear Icebreaker "Sovetskiy Soyuz" cutting through sea ice. Arctic Ocean, 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Tourists dancing around the North Pole by Russian Nuclear Icebreaker "Sovetskiy Soyuz", 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Straight Line Leads in the Polar pack ice. Arctic Ocean, 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Fish eye photograph of the Polar Pack Ice, with ice floes, leads and meltpools. Arctic Ocean, 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Tourists and Russian crew from icebreaker "Sovetskiy Soyuz" taking part in the 'Polar Plunge' when they reach the North Pole, 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Russian Nuclear Icebreaker "Sovetskiy Soyuz" visiting North Pole with group of tourists. Arctic Ocean, 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / North Pole sign at the top of the World. The North Pole, Arctic Ocean, 1998. Digitally composed.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Sign at the North Pole and GPS (Global Positioning System). North Pole, Arctic Ocean, 1998. Digitally composed.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Sign at the North Pole, planted on summer sea ice by pressure ridge. North Pole, Arctic Ocean, 1998.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Turquoise meltpool beside pressure ridge in the polar pack ice, Arctic Ocean, 1998.

Sue Flood / Aerial view of broken ice on route to the North Pole, with ice breaker between ice, Russian Arctic, July 2008

Sue Flood / Aerial view of broken ice on route to the North Pole, Russian Arctic, July 2008

Sue Flood / Aerial view of the worlds largest nuclear icebreaker, "NS 50 Lyet Pobyedi" (50 years of Victory) on the way to the North Pole, Russian Arctic, July 2008

Sue Flood / Aerial view of the world's largest nuclear icebreaker, "NS 50 Lyet Pobyedi" (50 years of Victory) en route to the North Pole, Russian Arctic, July 2008

Sue Flood / Aerial view of the worlds largest nuclear icebreaker, "NS 50 Lyet Pobyedi" (50 years of Victory) on the way to the North Pole, Russian Arctic, July 2008