Desert Area?

Guest

I thought the Arctic was considered a desert because it only has a small amount of precipitation. It sounds like you get a lot of rain. Is the Arctic a desert, or not?

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 64

Hello Shawn,

I can see why there might be some confusion! Especially since we keep talking about all the wet weather we are experiencing this July and August in Svalbard!

An area is considered to be a polar desert if the annual precipitation is low and the average temperature during its warmest month is less than 10° C.

Svalbard is situated between Greenland and Scandinavia. at 78° North. The mean temperature at Isfjord Radio, during the coldest months is
-12° C. The summer mean at Isfjord Radio is 5° C, with summer lows below freezing not unusual. The winds can be very strong, especially in the winter. There can be very foggy conditions because the mild air from the south meets the polar air from the north right at this location.

In coastal areas of Svalbard, there is more precipitation as rain than in the central areas. Svalbard is considered to have a low precipitation, in general, because the air is too cold to be able to retain much water vapor.

Thinking of this area as Arctic Tundra will better help you understand it as a biome. We have been told that the end of July and beginning of August brought weather conditions to Svalbard this year that were particularly harsh. Also, if you notice, most of my pictures are taken during drier and clearer weather because that way I could protect my camera and my hands while taking pictures. On bad days I take fewer pictures and they tend not to be as interesting!