Knowra Climate of Antarctica Climate of Antarctica The climate of Antarctica is exceptionally cold, dry, and windy, shaped by its polar location, high ice-covered elevations, and isolation by the Southern Ocean.
Antarctic katabatic winds : Cold, dense air flows downslope from Antarctica’s interior toward its coasts under gravity. These persistent drainage winds help make the continent’s coastal climate unusually windy.
East Antarctica : The larger, higher-elevation part of Antarctica lying east of the Transantarctic Mountains. Its vast high interior contains some of the coldest and driest conditions on Earth.
Vostok Station : A Russian research station in East Antarctica, near the South Pole of Cold. Its record includes one of Earth’s lowest directly measured air temperatures.
Arctic climate : The climate of the Arctic region, shaped by its ocean, surrounding continents, and high latitude. Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic is an ocean surrounded by land, producing different seasonal and temperature patterns.
Polar night : A period when the Sun remains below the horizon for at least 24 hours at high latitudes. Months without direct sunlight drive severe winter cooling across Antarctica.
West Antarctica : The part of Antarctica west of the Transantarctic Mountains, including the Antarctic Peninsula. Its lower elevations and maritime exposure produce milder conditions than the eastern interior.
Dome C : A high Antarctic plateau site hosting the Concordia research station. Its extreme cold and dryness make it valuable for atmospheric and ice-core research.
Polar climate : A climate regime of high latitudes with low solar energy, cold conditions, and strong seasonal contrasts. Antarctica is the most extreme continental example of this broader climate type.
Antarctic ozone hole : A seasonal springtime depletion of stratospheric ozone above Antarctica. The continent’s cold stratosphere enables ozone loss, linking its climate to atmospheric chemistry.
Antarctic Peninsula : A long mountain chain extending northward from West Antarctica toward South America. Its northerly, ocean-exposed position makes it warmer and wetter than most of the continent.
Show all 22