Antarctica

:For the Kim Stanley Robinson novel see Antarctica (novel)

Antarctic climate

Main article: Climate of Antarctica.

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Antarctica is the coldest place on earth. Weather fronts rarely penetrate far into the continent, leaving the center cold and dry. There is little precipitation over the continent, but ice there can last for extended time periods. Nearly all of Antarctica is covered by an ice sheet that is, on average, 2.5 kilometers thick.

Related Topics:
Weather front - Precipitation - Ice - Ice sheet

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At the edge of the continent, strong katabatic winds off the polar plateau often blow at storm force. In the interior, however, windspeeds are often moderate.

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Depending on the longitude, long periods of constant darkness, or constant sunlight, mean that climates familiar to humans are not generally available on the continent. This adds another descriptor to Antarctica, that of also being the darkest continent on earth.

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