Antarctica Spans 5.4 Million Square Miles as Earth’s Largest Desert
Updated
Updated · Fox Weather · Jul 26
Antarctica Spans 5.4 Million Square Miles as Earth’s Largest Desert
2 articles · Updated · Fox Weather · Jul 26
Summary
About 2 inches of annual precipitation qualifies Antarctica as the world’s largest desert, despite its ice-covered landscape and subzero climate.
NASA defines deserts by moisture, not heat, with roughly 10 inches or less of yearly precipitation; Antarctica is also the coldest and windiest continent.
At 5.4 million square miles, the continent is about 1.5 times the size of the Sahara, and much of its blowing snow is old ice recycled by fierce winds.
That ultra-dry frozen expanse still holds about 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of its fresh water, a contrast that upends common ideas of deserts.
NASA often compares Antarctic desert conditions to Mars and has tested robots there before deploying them on Mars missions.