Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Biomes

Polar Desert

Also Known As Ice Cap

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Polar desert is the biome of the interior ice sheets and high-latitude barrens, where average annual temperature runs from about -10 C on the coast to -60 C in the highest interior and snowfall accumulates to the equivalent of only around 150 mm of water a year over the continent as a whole, rising above 1,000 mm on some coasts. The near-total absence of liquid water and warmth leaves the ground almost bare of plant life beyond hardy lichens, mosses and algae.

Facts
Climate
Annual Precipitation (mm)
150 1
Typical Low Temperature (C)
-60 1
Typical High Temperature (C)
-10 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Demonstrates

Polar regions are where auroral displays (Aurora Australis over Antarctica, Aurora Borealis over the Arctic) are seen.

Home To

Sources
1. Weather (Australian Antarctic Division)
Australian Antarctic Division
Quote
The average accumulation of snow over the whole continent is estimated to be equivalent to about 150 mm of water per year.
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Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Home To: Emperor PenguinView the Source
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