Douglas Easton,, age 10, of San Diego, CA

'What keeps the North Pole in place?

Douglas has noticed that the South pole is on land and the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean. He can see how the South Pole can be safely anchored on the solid land, The North Pole, however, has nothing to which to cling and, perhaps, it drifts around in the restless sea.

The poles, however, are not like posts driven into the ground. They are there because the earth spins like a top on its axis. A top spins around a tiny point at the center, which does not turn. The earth spins around a line clear through the center, which is called the axis, The earths poles are the two ends of this axis and they do not turn. It makes no difference whether the pole is on land or under water, It still will be the end of the earths axis and it needs nothing to hold it in place.