The largest desert in the world is the interior of Antarctica. This has an area of about 14,000,000 km2 (5,400,000 sq mi). Rainfall in the Antarctic interior is extremely low, down to 20 millimeters (0.8 in) per year. This is partially because it is so cold that all liquid water quickly freezes solid and joins the ice pack. The vast majority of liquid lakes in Antarctica are more than a mile below the surface. Some of these lakes are actually lower than freezing temperature, but remain liquid due to the great pressure above. Antarctica has only two major rivers, the Alph River and Onyx River. The latter is the longest in Antarctica, with a length of just 30 km (18 mi). By comparison, the Nile River is 6,650 km (4,135 mi) in length. Antarctica is not only the largest desert in the world, but also one of the oldest large deserts, forming 23 million years ago.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:47:53 +0000
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