How much snow does Antarctica get annually?
The Antarctic interior is a cold, windy and dry desert whose snowfall is equivalent to less than 2 inches (50 millimeters) of rain per year. Antarctica is the driest desert on earth – drier than the Sahara, and just as big.
How much does it snow in Antarctica?
Snow doesn’t fall fresh very often – the continent only gets an average of 2 inches of precipitation each year. Antarctica is technically a desert, and a particularly dry one at that.
Is there heavy snowfall in Antarctica?
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.
What is the highest temperature ever recorded on Antarctica?
18.3C
The hottest-ever temperature recorded in Antarctica has been confirmed by leading climate scientists with the United Nations. The temperature of 18.3C in the southern polar region, one of the fastest-warming places on the planet, was announced by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
How long can you survive in Antarctica?
The majority of scientists and support staff living in Antarctica stay for short term contracts of 3-6 months, although some stay for as long as 15 months (two summers and one winter).
Can a person live in Antarctica?
Although there are no native Antarcticans and no permanent residents or citizens of Antarctica, many people do live in Antarctica each year.
What is the coldest Antarctica has ever been?
-89.6°C
The coldest temperature recorded in Antarctica was -89.6°C at Vostok station in 1983. The average winter temperature at the South Pole is about -49°C. Your home freezer is only about -15°C.
How much snow falls in Antarctica each year?
In the interior of the ice sheet, where we are headed, the snow falls each year and creates layers like a stack of pancakes — one pancake per year. The best way to measure snowfall, or accumulation, is by using ice cores that drill into the snow.
What is the average precipitation in the Antarctic?
The total precipitation on Antarctica, averaged over the entire continent, is about 166 millimetres (6.5 inches) per year (Vaughan et al., J Climate, 1999).
How much of Antarctica is covered with ice?
This region is considered as the coldest, windiest and highest continent across the globe. Ninety eight per cent of Antarctica’s, which is 14.3 million square kilometers, is covered by an enduring sheet of ice. This approximately covers 90% of the world’s ice and nearly 70% of the Earth’s fresh water.
How many students do you instruct in Antarctica?
On an annual basis I instruct nearly 1,000 students, most in basic geology 101 classes. In Antarctica I will be involved in helping to obtain ice cores and digging snow pits. The ice cores will penetrate down to a depth of 20 meters. We will drill 10 of these cores while making our traverse of several hundred kilometers in western Antarctica.