9,755
edits
Difference between revisions of "Climate of Antarctica"
no edit summary
Westarctica (talk | contribs) |
Westarctica (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
The total precipitation on Antarctica, averaged over the entire continent, is about 166 millimeters (6.5 inches) per year. The actual rates vary widely, from high values over the Peninsula (15 to 25 inches a year) to very low values (as little as 50 millimeters (2.0 inches) in the high interior. Areas that receive less than 250 millimeters (9.8 inches) of precipitation per year are classified as deserts. | The total precipitation on Antarctica, averaged over the entire continent, is about 166 millimeters (6.5 inches) per year. The actual rates vary widely, from high values over the Peninsula (15 to 25 inches a year) to very low values (as little as 50 millimeters (2.0 inches) in the high interior. Areas that receive less than 250 millimeters (9.8 inches) of precipitation per year are classified as deserts. | ||
Almost all Antarctic precipitation falls as snow. Rainfall is rare and mainly occurs during the summer in coastal areas and surrounding islands. Note that the quoted precipitation is a measure of its equivalence to water, rather than being the actual depth of snow. The air in Antarctica is also very dry. The low temperatures result in a very low absolute humidity, which means that dry skin and cracked lips are a continual problem for scientists and | Almost all Antarctic precipitation falls as snow. Rainfall is rare and mainly occurs during the summer in coastal areas and surrounding islands. Note that the quoted precipitation is a measure of its equivalence to water, rather than being the actual depth of snow. The air in Antarctica is also very dry. The low temperatures result in a very low absolute humidity, which means that dry skin and cracked lips are a continual problem for scientists and explorers working in the continent. | ||
==Ice cover== | ==Ice cover== | ||