Climate of Antarctica

Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.

It is also a very dry desert. Most of the land is covered in thick ice. This ice comes from snow that stays frozen.

The air is so dry it can crack your lips. Most of the snow falls as white flakes. Very little falls as rain. Antarctica holds most of the world's ice. It even holds most of the world's fresh water. It is a very special place.

Antarctica has the coldest climate on Earth.

It is also a very dry desert. Most of the land is covered by a thick ice sheet. This ice forms when snow stays frozen and gets squeezed over time.

Antarctica holds 90% of all the ice on our world. It also holds more than 70% of our fresh water.

The weather there can change very fast. The air is so dry that it can cause dry skin. Most of the water falls as snow. Rain is very rare. It mostly happens in the summer near the coast.

Much of the coast is covered by ice shelves. These are large parts of ice that float on the sea. They help hold back the ice on the land. If these shelves break up, the ice behind them might move faster. This could cause sea levels to rise. Scientists have seen some ice shelves break apart in recent years. For example, the Larsen A ice shelf fell apart in 1995. The Larsen B ice shelf also broke up in 2001.

Antarctica has the coldest climate on Earth. It is also a very dry desert. Most of the continent is covered by a massive ice sheet. This ice sheet is made of glacier ice. This happens when snow stays frozen and gets compressed over time.

This ice is very important for our planet. Antarctica holds 90% of the world's ice. It also holds more than 70% of the world's fresh water. If all this land ice melted, the seas would rise by over 60 meters.

The way the weather works in Antarctica is quite special. The air is extremely dry, which is called low absolute humidity. This dryness can cause dry skin and cracked lips for people working there. Most of the precipitation, which is any water falling from the sky, comes as snow. Rain is very rare and mostly happens in summer near the coast.

The weather can also change very fast. Katabatic winds can stop weather fronts from moving deep into the continent.

Scientists have spent a long time measuring these extreme temperatures. The lowest air temperature was measured at Vostok Station on 21 July 1983. It was even colder than dry ice at sea level.

Satellites have found even lower temperatures on the ground. In 2010, a very cold spot was found on the East Antarctic Plateau. This was a skin temperature measured by satellites like Landsat 8. Researchers revised these findings in June 2018.

Different parts of Antarctica have different weather patterns. The coast is much warmer than the middle of the continent. For example, the highest temperature ever recorded on the mainland was at Esperanza Base on 6 February 2020.

The South Pole is also very cold. At McMurdo Station, temperatures range from -34 in August to -14 in January. East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because it is higher up. The Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate of all.

Much of the coastline is covered by ice shelves. These are large pieces of ice that float on the ocean. They act like a dam to hold back the ice on land.

If these shelves break up, the ice behind them might flow faster into the sea. We have seen this happen with the Larsen A ice shelf in 1995. The Larsen B ice shelf also broke up in February 2001. Scientists study these changes to understand how our world is changing.

Antarctica possesses the coldest climate on Earth. It is also classified as a desert because it is extremely dry. Most of the continent is covered by a massive ice sheet. This ice sheet is composed of glacier ice. This occurs when snow rarely melts and becomes compressed over time.

Most of the continent has an ice-cap climate, known as the Köppen classification EF. This means the weather is both extremely cold and extremely dry.

Temperature variations across the continent are significant. The interior is much colder than the coastal regions. The mean annual temperature in the interior is -57°C. At the coast, average temperatures are around -10°C. In the elevated inland areas near Vostok, averages are about -55°C. At McMurdo Station, monthly means range from -34°C in August to -14°C in January. The Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate. Along this peninsula, temperatures can reach as high as 15°C.

Extreme temperature records show just how harsh this environment is. The lowest air temperature was recorded at Vostok Station on 21 July 1983. The temperature reached -89.2°C. This is colder than subliming dry ice at sea level pressure. Satellites have identified even lower ground temperatures. On 10 August 2010, a temperature of -93.2°C was observed on the East Antarctic Plateau. This was a skin temperature deduced from radiance measured by the Landsat 8 satellite. Researchers revised these findings in June 2018 during a review of data.

Precipitation in Antarctica is very low. The total precipitation averaged over the entire continent is about 166 mm per year. This value is a measure of liquid equivalent rather than snow depth. Rates vary widely depending on the location. The Peninsula receives about 660 mm per year. In contrast, the high interior receives as little as 50 mm per year. Areas receiving less than 250 mm per year are classified as deserts. Almost all precipitation falls as snow. Rainfall is rare and mostly occurs during the summer in coastal areas.

The air is also very dry due to low absolute humidity.

Ice covers nearly the entire continent. Antarctica contains 90% of the world's ice and more than 70% of its fresh water. The total volume of glacier ice is approximately 30,109,800 km³. The inland ice sheet covers 11,965,700 km² with a mean thickness of 1,859 meters. About 75% of the coastline consists of ice shelves. These are large masses of ice that float on the ocean. They can consist of floating ice or glaciers moving slowly from the land into the sea.

Ice shelves play a vital role in the stability of the continent. They provide a buttressing effect on the ice flow behind them. If ice shelves break up, the ice flow behind them may accelerate. This can increase the melt of the Antarctic ice sheet. We have seen many examples of this breakup. The Larsen A ice shelf disintegrated in January 1995. In February 2001, 42% of the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated. The George VI Ice Shelf may be on the brink of instability. It has likely existed for approximately 8,000 years.

Climate change is causing noticeable shifts in the Antarctic ice. Between January 1992 and January 2003, East Antarctica thickened by about 3.3 mm per year. However, West Antarctica showed an overall thinning of 7.6 mm per year. If all the land-ice covering Antarctica were to melt, sea levels would rise by over 60 meters. Interestingly, higher temperatures might lead to more snow precipitation. This could increase the ice amount, offsetting about one third of the sea level rise expected from thermal expansion of the oceans.