Clarifying the "Arctic Desert": It's the Polar Desert

Terminology Correction

There is no distinct "Arctic Desert". The correct term is polar desert, which encompasses the high-latitude regions of Antarctica, Greenland, and the Arctic islands (e.g., Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land).

Defining Polar Deserts

Polar deserts are defined by extremely low precipitation (typically <250 mm/year), not temperature. Despite being ice-covered, they receive minimal snowfall, making them deserts in the climatic sense.

Size Variability

The exact area of the polar desert biome varies by definition (e.g., precipitation threshold, vegetation criteria). Estimates for the Arctic polar desert alone range from 2.6 to 5 million km², while the Antarctic polar desert covers ~14 million km².

Key Regions

• Antarctic Polar Desert – largest, covers most of the continent
• Greenland Ice Sheet margins and northern ice-free areas
• Canadian High Arctic (Ellesmere, Devon, Axel Heiberg islands)
• Russian Arctic islands (Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya)