Why are the north and south pole classified as "deserts"?

Question

If the north and south pole are cold and snowy, why is it that they are, according to scientists/meteorologists, considered deserts? Best answer gets 10 points!!

Answer 1

I don't know about the North Pole, but the South Pole has very little precipitation---less than 4 inches of snow per year, and of course zero rain. There are extensive records, since there has been a NOAA weather station at the South Pole for over 40 years. It's hard to tell exactly how much precipitation there is, because most of the snow that accumulates on the surface drifts in from elsewhere on the Antarctic plateau. The data could be consistent with almost no precipitation at all.

I'd be surprised if the North Pole were quite as dry---it's much warmer, and is after all an ocean, unlike the high altitude glacier at the South Pole. Seems odd to classify an ocean as a desert.

Answer 2

The South and North Poles have a desert climate, almost never receiving any precipitation. However, high winds can cause the blowing of snowfall, which slowly buries the South Pole station over time.

Answer 3

The reason the north and south poles are classified as deserts is because little or no precipitation takes place. Because of the extreme temperatures there is no moisture in the air, therefore it cannot snow.

Answer 4

Deserts are defined to be areas with very little precipitation. So even though there is a lot of ice and 'snow,' very little of it comes from the sky. Most of the ice at the poles is drawn from the salty ocean. Even salty water can become ice with a low enough temperature!

I hope this answers your question!

Answer 5

Because if you attempt to fill out the list below,
you will have a hard time doing so:

Tree Species at North Pole:_____________

Flower Species at North Pole:____________

Fruit Tree, Fruit Bush, Fruit Vine Species
normally found at North Pole:_____________

Vegetable Plants common to North Pole: ____________

Warm Blooded Animals of the North Pole: ___________

Cold Blooded Animals of the North Pole: ____________

Insects Common to the North Pole: ________________

Birds Common to the North Pole: __________________

And
Make a similar list for the South Pole...

Regards,
Zah

Answer 6

A desert is any region that has below a certain amount of annual rainfall. We usually associate the term desert with dry hot sandy areas but the criteria is based only on rainfall.

Answer 7

a desert is a place which receives little precipitation and has very little vegetation. the poles are therefore referred to as cold deserts.