An ice cap climate is a type of polar climate found in the polar regions, like Antarctica and the Arctic, and at high altitudes, like the Himalayas. In this climate, the temperature never goes above 0°C (32°F), even in summer. Because of this, snow and ice stay on the ground all year.
In the Köppen climate classification, the ice cap climate is called EF. It is found in places where the temperature is never above 0°C (32°F) in any month of the year. The 3 major areas where ice cap climate is found on Antarctica, inner Greenland, and the summits of many high mountains, particularly the 10 highest mountains of the world. The tundra climate (called ET) is different from the ice cap climate: Tundras have a short summer, where temperatures go above freezing, and this melts some ice and allows plants to grow. Ice cap areas are too cold for any plants to grow. The ice cap climate is the coldest climate in the world. The coldest place on Earth is Vostok Station in Antarctica. Its average temperature is −55.2°C (−67.4°F), and the lowest temperature ever recorded there was −89.2°C (−128.6°F) at July 21, 1983.
The ice cap climate is found in:
The weather in ice cap climates is the coldest of all. The description of an ice cap climate is:
Since the temperature never melts the snow, it builds up over thousands of years. This creates:
Very few plants or animals live in ice cap climates. There are:
Because it is so cold and isolated, no people live permanently in ice cap climates. However: