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That an area is a desert does not mean that it is hot, just that there is very little precipitation. Antarctica gets very little snow, but it is cold enough that what little snow falls never melts. It has been like this for millions of years, allowing the snow to pile up and compress into ice sheets several miles thick.

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How much area does ice occupy on earth?

Roughly 10% of Earth's land area is covered by ice in the form of glaciers and ice caps. In addition, about 7% of the Earth's surface is covered by ice in the form of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland.


What is Thick sheets of ice that can cover large areas of a continent are called ice caps or?

Thick sheets of ice that can cover large areas of a continent are called continental glaciers or ice caps. Examples of continental glaciers are in Antarctica and Greenland The ice sheets that form in these two locations are up to 3500 meters thick. thank you a lot


At the poles water is in the state all year?

At the poles, water is typically in the form of ice or snow throughout the year due to the extremely cold temperatures. This ice contributes to the formation of polar ice caps that cover the land masses in Antarctica and the Arctic region.


How is water in Antarctica as solid liquid and gas?

In Antarctica, water exists as a solid in the form of ice, a liquid in the form of meltwater from glaciers and snow, and a gas in the form of water vapor in the atmosphere. The extreme cold temperatures in Antarctica keep water predominantly in its solid state, but during the summer months, some ice melts to form liquid water.


Layers of ice form at the north and south polar regions are called what?

The layers of ice that form at the north and south polar regions are called ice caps. These ice caps are composed of ice sheets, which are massive layers of ice that cover vast areas of land.

Related Questions

What is the largest desert and where is it located at?

The biggest desert is in North Africa and is called the Sahara Desert! Correction: Whilst the Sahara Deserts is indeed the largest hot desert, the world's biggest desert is Antarctica.


Where are the polar ice caps?

Polar ice caps are high latitude regions that are covered in ice. Since for ice to form there has to be specific temperature ranges polar ice caps form only in very cold environments such as the North Pole (over water only), Greenland and Antarctica.


Where does 2 percent of all of the earths water exists in solid form?

2 percent of all Earth's water exists in the form of ice caps and glaciers, primarily located in Antarctica and Greenland.


Why is antarctica a frozen desert and not a tundra?

Antarctica is classified as a frozen desert because it receives very low amounts of precipitation, mostly in the form of snow, which does not support much plant life. Tundra, on the other hand, receives more precipitation and can support a variety of plants, including grasses, mosses, and shrubs.


How could icecaps form in Antarctica if it is a desert?

A desert is defined as a region that receives less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation on average per year. Antarctica receives very little snow but the snow it does receive never melts. It continues to pile up and compress into ice. Over millions of year the depth of the accumulated ice is quite deep.


Is Antarctica a desert or a tundra?

Antarctica is classified as a desert because it receives very little precipitation, primarily in the form of snow. It is the driest and windiest continent on Earth. While it may have tundra-like characteristics, such as cold temperatures and low-growing vegetation, its classification as a desert is based on its extreme aridity.


What makes the Antarctic a desert?

Yes. Antarctica is a dry polar region with about five percent humidity, no liquid lakes or rivers, it is the driest continent on earth. The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air. Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5 cm of rain.


What is most fresh water locked up in the form of?

Most fresh water is locked up in the form of ice caps and glaciers, primarily in Antarctica and Greenland. These ice formations hold a large portion of the Earth's fresh water, with Antarctica alone containing about 70% of the world's fresh water resources.


Which of the seven continents has lowest average annual precipitation?

The continent with the lowest average annual precipitation is Antarctica.


Could you find an iceberg on a desert?

No, icebergs are found at sea, not in a desert. However, some icebergs form from glaciers and ice sheets in the Antarctic Desert.


What part of the earth is composed of glaciers and frozen polar caps?

Glaciers and frozen polar caps are found in the polar regions of Earth, specifically in Greenland and Antarctica. These areas have extremely cold temperatures that allow ice to accumulate and form large ice sheets and glaciers.


What continent has the least rain?

probably Antarctica because it's so cold or Asia because there is known to be many droughts there.