Antarctic Desert

Top 10 Harshest Deserts on Earth

Antarctic Desert (Top 10 Harshest Deserts on Earth)

Antarctic Desert - Despite its icy appearance, Antarctica is actually the largest desert in the world, with very little precipitation falling over much of its surface. The dry valleys within this continent are considered to be the driest places on Earth, having seen no rain or snowfall for nearly 2 million years .

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Skylar - August 7, 2025TOP

The Antarctic Desert is Earth's most extreme desert, covering 14 million square kilometers with 98% ice and 2% barren rock. Despite holding 70% of the planet's freshwater, it receives less than 200mm annual precipitation—qualifying as a polar desert. Temperatures plummet to -89.2°C (-128.6°F), with katabatic winds reaching 320 km/h (200 mph). This uninhabited wilderness houses specialized extremophiles like tardigrades, while its Dry Valleys remain ice-free due to fierce winds. Crucial for climate research, Antarctica's pristine ice cores preserve 800,000 years of atmospheric data. The continent's otherworldly conditions make it the closest terrestrial equivalent to Mars, attracting scientists studying life's limits.

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