Habitat/Locations
Earth's Polar Regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica. Polar sea ice is currently diminishing, possibly as a result of anthropogenic global warming.
a. The regions around the poles of the earth that are permanently covered with ice.
b. A high-altitude icecap.
Countries
The ice cap climate is found over the frozen lands of the Arctic and Antarctic. In the Northern Hemisphere, the ice cap climate is found over the interior of Greenland and the permanently frozen portions of the Arctic Ocean and associated islands. In the Southern Hemisphere, the vast glacier covered continent of Antarctica is the largest expanse of ice cap climate.
Temperature
The annual temperature is a bone-chilling -17o C (1.4oF).
Estimated Amount of Sunlight
In midsummer, as the sun reaches its maximum elevation of about 23.5 degrees, high temperatures at the South Pole in January average at −25.9 °C (−15 °F). As the six-month "day" wears on and the sun gets lower, temperatures drop as well: they reach −45 °C (−49 °F) around sunset (late March) and sunrise (late September). In winter, the average temperature remains steady at around −58 °C (−72 °F).
On winter (January) the temperature at the North Pole can range from about −43 °C (−45 °F) to −26 °C (−15 °F), perhaps averaging around −34 °C (−30 °F). Meanwhile on summer, the temperature (June, July and August) average around the freezing point (0 °C, 32 °F).
Estimated amount of rainfall
The ice cap climate is often described as a "polar desert" because of the meager amount of precipitation it experiences over the course of a year. In a year, only 7.8 mm (0.4 in) of precipitation falls.
Interesting Facts
Did you know that there are ice caps on other planets? It's true! Mar's has polar ice caps but they are not composed of water ice. Instead they are a mixture of carbon dioxide and water ice.
