Portal:Antarctica/Selected article/3
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The climate of Antarctica is the coldest climate on Earth. It is colder than that of the Arctic regions because of the elevation, continental influence, and the fact that the Antarctic winter currently occurs when the Earth is just past its aphelion. The Antarctic climate is also extremely dry, with an average of only 166 mm (42.2 in.) of precipitation per year; however, on most parts of the continent, the snow never melts and is eventually compressed to become the glacial ice that makes up the ice sheet. The lowest natural temperature recorded on the continent (and consequently on Earth) was −89.2°C (−128.6°F), recorded on Thursday, July 21, 1983, at Vostok Station. The highest recorded natural temperature on the continent was 14.6°C (58.3°F) in two places, Hope Bay and Vanda Station, on January 5, 1974. The mean annual temperature of the continental interior is −57°C (−70°F), but the coast is warmer on average. In fact, McMurdo Station on Ross Island experiences a summer daytime average temperature of −3°C (26.6°F). The continent's unique location and its ice sheet are of ongoing interest to science that is engaged in climatology and global warming studies.
