The phrase "polar areas" refers to the regions near the Earth's North and South Poles. These areas are extremely cold and covered in ice and snow most of the time. Full definition
Global warming has a larger affect in polar areas, as the loss of snow and ice leads to more open water, which absorbs more sunlight and warmth. (giss.nasa.gov)
Extensive climate monitoring data for polar areas are generally sparse. (sciencemag.org)
From polar areas to equatorial waters, the whales ingested pollutants that may have been produced by humans thousands of miles away, the researchers said. (phys.org)