Antarctica's Precipitation: 2 Inches, Not 20 Feet

No. Antarctica is the world's largest desert by precipitation, receiving an average of only 2 inches (5 cm) of water equivalent annually—almost entirely as snow.

Why the Misconception?

• Ice sheet thickness: 1.2 mi (1.9 km) average, up to 2.9 mi (4.7 km) — accumulated over millennia, not annually
• Wind redistribution: Blowing snow creates deep drifts, misleading visual impression
• Coastal vs. interior: Coast gets ~200 mm; interior plateau (South Pole) gets ~50 mm

Comparison

• Sahara Desert: ~3–4 inches/year
• Antarctica interior: ~2 inches/year
• Amazon rainforest: ~80–400 inches/year

Implications

Extreme aridity means: minimal weathering, meteorites preserved on surface, ancient ice cores (800,000+ year climate records), and massive ice sheets built by time, not annual volume.

The 20-foot figure likely confuses annual accumulation with total ice depth or drift depths in specific locations.