Is Antarctica a Desert

Did you know that if you’re planning a trip to Antarctica, you’re actually preparing to venture out into a desert? Antarctica is the coldest, driest and most inhospitable place on Earth. It may not look like it to the untrained eye, but Antarctica is the largest desert on the planet, even though it holds 90 percent of the world’s surface freshwater locked in its permanent ice sheet. If Antarctica’s ice and glaciers would melt, the rising sea levels would flood all coastal cities on the planet. Read on to learn more about the incredible Antarctic polar desert.

What is a Desert?

Liquid water is scarce, plant and animal life is limited – desert regions on Earth are only suitable for the toughest species and well-prepared explorers. Any place that receives less than 25cm (10 inches) of precipitation annually qualifies as a desert. When thinking of deserts, you may picture hot and sandy deserts, with the sun burning relentlessly on picturesque dunes, but not all of them are hot and sandy. There are five types of deserts:

• Subtropical desert:

Featuring extremely hot summers and large temperature differences between day and night, these deserts are located in the subtropical latitudes of the planet. Examples include the Sahara, Iranian, Thar, Kalahari and Simpson deserts.

• Interior desert:

Located in a continent’s interior, these deserts experience very hot summers and very cold winters. An example is the Gobi desert.

• Coastal desert:

Cold ocean currents condense upon reaching the warmer continents and create intertropical coastal desert climates. Such deserts are relatively cool. Examples include the Atacama and Namib deserts.

• Rain shadow desert:

These places are sheltered by high mountain ranges, which block off moist air coming to these regions. Example: Patagonian desert.

• Polar desert:

Extreme cold and dryness dominate these parts of the planet. The two polar deserts on Earth are the Antarctic and Arctic desert.

What Makes Antarctica a Desert?

With only around 16.6cm (6.5 inches) of annual average precipitation, Antarctica qualifies as true desert. Visiting the Antarctic Peninsula (where you may experience snow) or the subantarctic islands (which feature a tundra climate), you’ll get to enjoy the moderate and hospitable parts of the continent. Travel to the interior and you’ll experience the harsh cold and dryness of the largest desert on Earth. The McMurdo Dry Valleys in East Antarctica are famous for their extreme dryness (making them the driest place on Earth). Scientists estimate that some parts of interior Antarctica have not seen rain in over 14 million years.

How Much Precipitation Does Antarctica Receive Annually?

As fifth largest continent in the world, Antarctica features different climates. The interior experiences extreme conditions and has the world’s lowest temperature record of -82.2C (-128.6F), measured in July 1983 at the Vostok weather station. Interior regions get only around 5cm (1.9 inches) of annual precipitation, while coastal areas feature a maritime climate with around 20cm (7.8 inches) of precipitation. If you find yourself on the Antarctic Peninsula, you’ll be surprised by the warmer summer temperatures and you may experience snow and rain.

Given the harsh climate of its interior, most of life in Antarctica is found in coastal areas and on the peninsula. That’s why expedition cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula are a highlight for explorers and wildlife enthusiasts. You can see penguins, seals, rare seabirds and whales while you discover Antarctica from aboard a small ship. See our expeditions for the upcoming Antarctic season and choose your adventure now!

Tundra or Desert: What's the Difference?

Limited vegetation and very little rain are key features of both tundra and deserts. While the tundra is limited to alpine, subarctic and subantarctic regions, deserts are found across all latitudes. During the colder months, you may mistake tundra conditions with those of polar deserts. With the onset of summer in tundra regions, a thin layer of the permafrost soil thaws, allowing many plants to start their short life cycle. True polar deserts are barren, and while they mostly feature a permanent ice cover, there are places such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica that are covered by rocky debris. Fun fact: while Antarctica is a true polar desert, nearby islands such as South Georgia and the Falklands are considered tundra zones.

How Much of Antarctica is Covered in Ice?

Around 98 percent of the continent is covered by ice. Formed around 35 million years ago, Antarctica’s enormous ice sheet stretches over roughly 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles) and is 2,160 meters (7,000 feet) thick on average. At its thickest point, the ice-cover reaches a depth of 4,776 meters (15,700 feet)! This makes Antarctica’s ice-cover thicker than the height of the continent’s highest peak, Mount Erebus, which stands at 3,794 meters (12,450 feet). If the entire ice sheet would melt, global sea levels would rise by 58 meters (190 feet). Such an event would mean that all coastal cities worldwide would be covered by the ocean.

Is Antarctica a Desert or a Polar Desert?

In order to classify as a desert, annual precipitation at the given place cannot exceed 25cm (10 inches). And in order to be a polar desert, the average temperature during the warmest period cannot exceed 10C (50F). With an average annual precipitation of only 16.6cm (6.5. inches) and cold temperatures even during the austral summer, Antarctica fulfils both requirements. While the Antarctic Peninsula features warmer temperatures and higher amounts of precipitation, other places on the icy continent feature a harsher climate. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are considered the driest places on Earth and even summer temperatures around the South Pole do not exceed -25C (-13F).

Largest Deserts on Earth

Hot or cold, but definitely dry! Get to know the five largest deserts on the planet

• Antarctic Polar Desert: 14.2 million km2/5.5 million square miles (cold, polar desert)
• Arctic Polar Desert: 13.7 million km2/5.3 million square miles (cold, polar desert)
• Sahara Desert: 9.2 million km2/3.5 million square miles (hot, subtropical in the north and tropical in the south)
• Arabian Desert: 2.3 million km2/800,000 square miles (hot, subtropical)
• Gobi Desert : 1.3 million km2/500,000 square miles (even though it can get quite hot during the summer, it’s considered a cold desert)

FAQs

Is the Antarctic considered a desert?

Yes, Antarctica is classified as a polar desert, receiving very little precipitation annually. On average, Antarctica gets only around 16.6 cm (around 6.5 inches) of rain each year.

What is the largest desert on Earth?

Covering 14.2 million square kilometers (5.5 million square miles), the Antarctic continent is the largest of all deserts in the world.

Is Antarctica the driest place on Earth?

Antarctica is the driest continent in the world. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (located around 97km/60miles from the McMurdo Station), as well as the Atacama Desert in Chile, are the driest places on the planet.

Does Antarctica have sand?

Yes, you can find sand on the White Continent! You can even find sand dunes in the Victoria Valley (part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys).