A statistical analysis of the polarization pattern of low-frequency geomagnetic field fluctuations (0.8--3.6 mHz) covering the entire 24-hour interval has been performed at an Antarctic station (Terra Nova Bay) and a low-latitude station (L'Aquila, Italy) during the entire 1995. The results show a complex pattern in which, in agreement with predictions, four polarization reversals occur at high latitude during the local day. A comparison with another Antarctic station, McMurdo, during a shorter interval in 1994 confirms these results. At low latitude the polarization sense in the afternoon reverses with respect to the morning, but the reversal is delayed by a few hours after the expected local noon. In Antarctica the polarization pattern does not show any dependence on frequency and season, while at L'Aquila it is better defined for frequencies below ≈2 mHz and during local summer. ¿ 1999 American Geophysical Union