| Term: | Arctic desert |
| Definition: |
"Any area in the high latitudes dominated by bare rocks, ice, or snow, and having a sparse vegetation and a low annual precipitation." [from Glossary of Arctic and Subarctic Terms (1955)]. Thus stated, this includes portions of both ice cap and tundra regions of both hemispheres. The term barrens is sometimes used, but this has more general application. AMSglossary
GCW |