Polar Deserts

Last Updated on Sat, 15 Apr 2023|Plate Tectonics

A final class of deserts is the polar desert, found principally inthe Dry Valleysand other parts of Antarctica, parts of Greenland, and northern Canada. Approximately 3 million square miles (7.8 million km2) on Earth consists of polardesert environments. in these places cold downwelling air lacks moisture, and the air is so dry that the evaporation potential is much greater than the precipitation. Temperatures do not exceed 50°F (10°C) in the warmest months, and precipitation is less than one inch (2.5 cm) per year. There are places in theDry Valleys of Antarcticathat have not beencovered in icefor thousands of years.

Polar deserts一般不covered insand dunesbut are marked by gravel plains or barren bedrock.The landformsof polar deserts are shaped by frost wedging, where alternating freeze-thaw cycles allow small amounts of water to seep into cracks and other openings in rocks. When the water freezes it expands, pushing large blocks of rock away from the main mountain mass. in polar deserts and other regions affected by frost wedging, large talus slopes may form adjacent to mountain fronts, and these are prone to frequent rock falls from frost wedging.

Continue reading here:Desert drainage systems

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Readers' Questions

  • GALILEO
    Is the south pole a desert?
    12 days ago
    • No, the south pole is not a desert. The south pole is located in Antarctica, a continent covered mostly in ice and snow.
    • Darren
      Which continent has the highest amount of desert?
      2 months ago
      • area Africa has the highest amount of desert area of any continent.
      • leilani
        Is antartica a dessert?
        2 months ago
        • No, Antarctica is not a dessert. Antarctica is the continent that lies at the South Pole of the Earth and is covered in mostly ice and snow.
        • prima
          Is antarctica the largest desert in the world?
          2 months ago
          • Antarctica is not a desert, but the world's largest desert is the Sahara Desert in North Africa, which covers over 3.6 million square miles (9.3 million sq km).
          • tove
            Is antarctica the biggest desert?
            2 months ago
            • in the world Antarctica is not a desert. The largest desert in the world is the Sahara Desert, which covers much of northern Africa.
            • JEMIMA
              Which of the following is biggest cold desert?
              3 months ago
              • The Coldest Desert is the Antarctic Desert. It is located in Antarctica and is the largest desert on Earth. It covers an area of 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square kilometers).
              • franziska
                Is greenland a desert?
                3 months ago
                • No, Greenland is not a desert. It is a large, icy island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
                • ute
                  Is antartica a desert?
                  3 months ago
                  • No, Antarctica is not a desert. It is a continent covered in ice and snow.
                  • Hiewan
                    Why is antarctica classified as a desert?
                    3 months ago
                    • 南极洲是机密s a desert because it receives very little rainfall, averages less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation each year. Additionally, its vast expanses of snow and ice prevent moisture from circulating and encourage dry air to stagnate. As a result, it has the lowest average precipitation of any continent.
                    • michela
                      Why are parts of antarctica considered to be deserts?
                      4 months ago
                      • Parts of Antarctica are considered to be deserts because they are extremely dry, with low amounts of precipitation and often with windy conditions that help to clear away any snow that does fall. The continent is also the highest, driest, and coldest on Earth, which contributes to its desert-like environment. Due to these extreme conditions, vegetation is very sparse in Antarctica, making it a largely barren landscape with landforms characteristic of deserts.
                      • ahmed
                        Does antarctica have deserts?
                        4 months ago
                        • No, Antarctica does not have deserts. Antarctica is a cold, dry, and desert-like continent, but it does not have any actual deserts.
                        • sesuna
                          What is a polar desert?
                          4 months ago
                          • A polar desert is an extremely dry and cold desert in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These deserts experience extremely little precipitation and freezing temperatures for most of the year, making them the coldest deserts in the world.