While most deserts only cover part of a continent, the Antarctic Polar Desert spans the whole of Antarctica. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world. This has an area of about 14,000,000 km 2 (5,400,000 sq mi). The largest deserts on Earth are polar—the Antarctic and Arctic. Antarctic Polar Desert: 14 million km² (5.4 million square miles). Thus, the polar landscapes are also classified as deserts. On the Antarctic Peninsula, which travellers can visit in the summer months, it’s quite possible to see snow, rain and sunshine in one day. The Australian Desert is the fourth largest desert in the world. Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Antarctica is the largest desert in the world."...1. True: Please let us know as comment, if the answer is not correct! Examples of such deserts are the Sahara Desert stretching across large parts of the continent of Africa, the Thar Desert in India, the Arabian Desert in the Middle East, the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia, and others. Since then she has spent time in far northern Canada, the Himalayas, the Alps and deserts in America and Australia, always seeking out quiet, wild corners to explore. East Antarctica makes up two-thir… It is the world’s largest desert. Tundra and desert biomes share some features. Deserts are not defined by hot temperatures and sand dunes. Antarctica is bigger than the Arctic, and significantly bigger than the world’s largest hot desert, the Sahara Desert in Africa. Area: Covers 14,244,935km² (5,500,000 square miles) OK, so the Antarctic is not what most people think of when someone says the word ‘desert’, but it is classed as such because the region receives as little as 50mm of rain per year (more rain actually falls in the Sahara!) By this definition, technically the largest desert must be Antarctica (14 million km²; 5.4 million square miles), which receives around 50 mm (2 in) of precipitation per year. Antarctica is the Earth's southernmost continent.It is on the South Pole.It is almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle.Around Antarctica is the Southern Ocean.It is the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. The classification by Meigs is still widely accepted for classifications of land on the basis of precipitation. Though he was …, At the southernmost point on Earth, you’ll find Antarctica. It's the coldest, largest desert of the world, but in growing numbers, tourists are making their way to Antarctica. And if you’d like to keep learning about Antarctica, this article with 10 fun Antarctic facts is a good place to continue reading. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. By contrast, the coast has a maritime climate influenced by the ocean and it’s quite common to see low clouds and mist clinging to the craggy mountains. Some of Earth 's … This has an area of about 14,000,000 km 2 (5,400,000 sq mi). Some northern parts of the Antarctic Peninsula receive 500 mm (19.7 in) between October and March, and on nearby subantarctic islands this can double, with 1000 mm (39.4 in) each year! Deserts aren’t only in hot and dry places. That’s a lot of ice. 2. When one thinks of Antarctica, the word “desert” probably does not come immediately to mind. The continent Antarctica, the largest desert in the world, has a total land area of about 14 million square kilometers. Invertebrates like microscopic mites, lice, rotifers, krills, springtails, etc., are found. When it snows here, the snow doesn’t melt and builds up over many years to make large, thick sheets of ice, called ice sheets. more It's the coldest, largest desert of the world, but in growing numbers, tourists are making their way to Antarctica. By definition a desert is a place that receives precipitation less than 250 millimetres annually. Antarctica is a Desert. False Step 2 : Answer to the question "Antarctica is the largest desert in the world." Antarctica is the largest desert in the world. The largest desert in the world is the interior of Antarctica. However, the common feature of all deserts is the complete lack of precipitation or very low precipitation. The Antarctic desert reaches 14 million sq km. The 5 largest deserts on earth. Some parts of the interior receive as low as 20 mm precipitation annually. What makes it a desert, then? The interior is very dry and rarely sees clouds. These jackets are water and wind-resistant, so you’ll be protected from the elements whatever the weather. It Has Active Volcanoes The Antarctic coastline can receive more than 200 mm (7.8 in) of precipitation each year. Barren land with little or no precipitation is referred to as a desert. Deserts can be hot or cold. This is partially because it is so cold that all liquid water quickly freezes solid and joins the ice pack. Antarctica is the Largest Desert in the World – 5.5 million square miles. The Antarctic Desert is a desert because there has been no rainfall or snow there for over 100 years, this makes the Antarctic Desert the driest desert in the world.Antarctica is only 98% covered in ice the other 2 percent is rock. In comparison the second largest desert in the world, The Sahara Desert in northern Africa is 9,400,000 km. However, the technical definition is just a place that receives very little precipitation, less than 250 millimetres (10 inches) per year. A desert is defined by the amount of precipitation (rain, snow, mist and fog) in an area. The second-largest desert is the Arctic Polar Desert. Here, the annual precipitation averages around 50 mm (1.9 in), and most of this falls as snow or ice crystals. Much of Antarctica is a polar desert. The Largest Cold Desert in the World. How does Antarctica compare to other deserts on earth? The average annual precipitation of the continent of Antarctica is about 166 mm. Even though Antarctica is a desert, it contains 90% of the world’s fresh water in the form of the 2.15-kilometer-thick white ice covering its entire surface. Its size varies through the seasons, as expanding sea ice along the coast nearly doubles the continent's size in the winter. The Sahara stretches 8,600,00 sq. So how is it possible that a cold, ice-covered continent like Antarctica is a desert? Deserts Habitat is very harsh. Antarctica is a cold desert that covers an area of about 14,000,000 sq. km (5,400,000 sq. The annual precipitation received by inner parts of Antarctica is 50 millimeters or 2 inches. Rather, deserts are defined by a very low amount of rain and snow. The defining feature of tundra is permafrost, a thick layer of soil that stays frozen all year. A desert of ice, basically. That includes rain, fog, and in Antarctica’s case, snow. In terms of sheer size, the Antarctic Desert is the largest desert on Earth, measuring a total of 13.8 million square kilometers. Is Antarctica A Country? Some parts of the interior receive as low as 20 mm precipitation annually. Antarctica is popularly known for the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia and its perfect imagery is incomplete without Antarctic penguins and Antarctic whales. In fact, scientists believe that in some parts of the Dry Valleys it hasn’t snowed or rained for 14 million years! The Sahara Desert. Deserts are basically hottest and uncongenial places on Earth. She feels immensely privileged to travel to these places and shares her passions for the natural world, human stories and adventure with all the wonderful people she meets. It is, as you rightly say, larger than the Sahara (Antarctica is about 14.2 million square kilometres in size, and the Sahara is just over 9 million square kilometres). 2. Yep, Antarctica is a desert. Almost all of Antarctica is covered with ice; less than half a percent of the vast wilderness is ice-free. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The entire continent is, therefore, a vast cold desert. Due to the lack of water, one of the basic requirements for survival, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life in such environments. The Sahara is not the largest desert in the world. We wanna know you were here so let us know in the comments. Deserts can have a sand-covered, ice and snow covered, or rocky landscape. Antarctica receives on average 50 mm of precipitation per year, mainly in the form of snow and spans the near 14,000,000 kilometres of the continent, nearly as large as the USA. Sahara Desert: 9.2 million km² (3.5 million square miles). Deserts, on the other hand, can be found at any latitude, from sea level to high altitudes. Antarctica, the largest desert has an area of 13,829,430 square kilometers. The Sahara is aptly named after the Arabic word for “desert.” While the Sahara might not be quite as big as the polar deserts, it is still massive and spans an area of 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square miles). Words by Nina Gallo, Aurora Expeditions’ historian and certified PTGA polar guide. 1. When we speak of deserts, we tend to imagine vast stretches of sandy landscape, massive sand dunes, camels, nomads, and occasional oases. At its deepest, Antarctica’s ice is 4.5km (2.7 miles) thick. As you rightly point out, Antarctica is clearly the largest desert on Earth. The largest desert in the world is the interior of Antarctica. However, though all these are deserts, the largest deserts in the world are located far from the populated continents of the world, at the polar regions of our planet. These low amounts of precipitation lead to very little liquid water on the ground. About 99% of Antarctica is covered by ice. 007. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Tundra is often found in cool subarctic and subantarctic regions and alpine areas. It is the moisture received from the sky that is used to classify a place as a desert. Deserts are also coldest, inhospitable landscapes of Earth. Occasional cases of heavy snowfall and very little rainfall occur only in the coastal regions of the continent. True: Please let us know as comment, if the answer is not correct! Location: South Pole – and which is the largest desert in the world. 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is antarctica the largest desert

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