Debunked Myths

Our mental image of deserts almost always features scorching sun and endless sand dunes, but this confuses the scenery with the scientific definition. A desert is classified by extreme aridity—receiving very little precipitation—not by temperature or landscape. By this measure, Antarctica is the largest desert on Earth, receiving less than 2 inches of precipitation annually.

The continent's interior is a 'polar desert' where the little snow that falls compacts into ice over millennia. It's actually drier than the Sahara Desert. The myth persists because we associate deserts with heat and camels rather than understanding the fundamental characteristic: lack of available moisture.

This redefinition challenges our categories and expands our understanding of planetary extremes. It reminds us that the harshest, most lifeless places on Earth aren't just hot—they can be unimaginably cold. The desert definition isn't about what's on the surface, but about what falls from the sky, or more accurately, what doesn't.