Why Is Antarctica Called a Desert?

[Campus reveiw]

This is an interesting geography question because many people associate deserts exclusively with heat and sand.

The scientific definition is different. A desert is characterized primarily by very low precipitation. That means Antarctica can be classified as a desert despite being covered largely by ice.



In fact, Antarctica is the world's largest desert, while the Arctic Desert is second. The Sahara ranks as the largest hot desert.

The Campus Review guide explores these distinctions and compares ten of the world's largest deserts.

It also explains how different desert environments develop, including polar, subtropical, rain-shadow, coastal and continental deserts.

For anyone interested in physical geography, the guide provides a useful introduction to one of Earth's most misunderstood environments.

Read the largest deserts guide
https://thecampusreview.com/geography/largest-deserts-in-the-world/


#GeographyDiscussion #Deserts #Antarctica #Sahara #WorldGeography