Why is the Interior the coldest place in Antarctica?

Question

Please Explain thoroughly.

Answer 1

It is farthest from the oceans which can cause warmer temperatures.

The interior of Antarctica is also mostly windswept desert with little if any snow, as there is little humidity there.

That and the fact that the temperatures rarely get above -5 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer keeps the humidity low enough to maintain lower temperatures.

The interior of Antarctica is situated so that the sun is always at a low angle even during the "summer" months there, so little effective heat radiation falls on the continent, and what does fall on the surface is radiated back into space by the snow pack.

Finally, there is a circular wind pattern called the Southern Gyre which keeps the dry cold winds pretty much in an orbital pattern around the continent, maintaining it's icy temperatures and low humidity.

Answer 2

The interior of Antarctica is colder because of its long distance from the moderating effects of liquid sea water. The ocean beyond the frozen ice shelves is in the low 30's temperature wise. By the time you get a thousand miles inland the surrounding area is cold soaked ice which may be below 0degrees.
Also the high albedo of ice reflects a lot of the heat energy that does reach the area even in mid summer.

Answer 3

All the above answers are correct, but the greatest factor is that the interior of Antarctica is a dome shaped elevated plateau of ice, and at the centre is over 3000 metres in elevation. Even the south pole is over 2000 metres in elevation.

Answer 4

The ocean water is not as cold as the ice in the interior. So the air is slightly warmer (if you can call that warm). Wind patterns around the south pole also do not bring moisture so it is actually a rather "dry" place which makes the cold seem even worse.

Answer 5

Because it is below the Earth... and some people can't survive there because it was so cold.

Answer 6

Because of POLKS are there.