Does Antarctica have a desert

Answer 1

The definition of a desert is - no permanent surface water, no regular rainfall. Antarctica easily qualifies as a desert. The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air.

Answer 2

Almost all of the interior of Antarctica is considered a desert, because the quantity of annual precipitation is very low. The peninsula south of South America, and some regions south of Australia get considerable precipitation, but the average for the entire continent is just 6.5 inches per year; one figure used as a classification for deserts is less than 10 inches annually.

There are no warm weather systems to bring snow to the interior, so it took many thousands of years for the huge volume of snow and ice (the fresh water ice cap) to accumulate there. If the climate was warmer, more water would be lost to evaporation than is added.

Another desert feature is low humidity, but in Antarctica's case it is because the air is too cold to hold much water vapor. The absolute humidity is extremely low.

Answer 3

A desert is not defined by temperature. A desert is defined as a region that receives less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation per year on average. Antarctica meets that definition.

Answer 4

Antarctica is considered a desert because of low precipitation.

Answer 5

Nearly the entire continent of Antarctica is desert, the largest desert on earth.