Characteristics of the polar climate

We begin by giving an answer to what the polar climate is. The polar climate is one that is characterized by intense cold and the absence of summer . The landscape is predominantly white due to ice and snow .

For the polar climate, according to the Köppen climate classification, the average temperature of the warmest month is always less than 10 ºC. This temperature coincides with the limit of growth of the trees, therefore, in the polar climate we will never find arboreal vegetation.

Where is the polar climate found? It occurs in high latitudes , that is, in the polar regions or polar circles. In the Northern hemisphere it is more common and is located above the parallel of 70º of latitude; on the other hand, in the southern hemisphere it begins to occur from the parallel of 55º. Thus, the climate in the Arctic is polar and the climate in Antarctica is also polar .

We can also find this climate in high altitude areas that give rise to similar conditions, such as in the Himalayas or in the Andes. We recommend you read this other article on How the relief influences the climate .

Are there several types of polar climate ? Yes, there are two types of polar climates. When the average temperature of the warmest month is above 0 ºC (but less than 10 ºC as we said before) we have the tundra climate and when it is below 0 ºC we have the climate of perpetual ice or also called glacial climate , which is, therefore, more extreme than the previous one. Here you can learn more about perpetual ice: climate, flora, fauna and images

The tundra climate occurs in the Arctic and Antarctic coastal strips. The influence of the sea is what makes a month exceed 0 ºC and there may be a thaw on the surface , but not at greater depth, where the ground remains frozen ( permanfrost ).

The tundra climate is a transitional climate towards other types of cold climates (although not as much as the polar climates) such as the subpolar, boreal or sub-arctic climate , where the typical vegetation is the taiga forest (with conifers).

In addition to the already commented thermal characteristics that are used for the classification of polar climates, there are some others. These are:

• The temperature contrasts are strong between the time with the highest received solar radiation and the time with the least solar radiation.
• The polar climate has the lowest annual average temperatures in the world.
• Specifically, in glacial or perpetual ice climates, extraordinary temperatures of up to -88 ºC have been recorded (Vostok Observatory in Antarctica).
• In the glacial climate the coldest months are usually always below -50 ºC.

We now continue talking about the characteristics of rainfall in the polar areas . The most notable are:

• The precipitations of the polar climate are scarce. High pressures reign in the atmosphere, which prevents clouds from forming very often.
• In the case of the tundra climate, rainfall is less than 250 mm, while in the glacial climate it does not exceed 8 mm.
• Rainfall throughout the year decreases as we move away from the coastal areas, and can reach 0 mm.
• The precipitations of the polar climate are mostly solid, since the low temperatures almost never allow the water to fall in a liquid state to the ground.

In a polar climagram we can see these characteristics of precipitation, as well as those of temperatures. Here is an example of a polar climate chart from the Vostok Observatory in Antarctica.

Another typical characteristic of the polar climate is the strong winds . They are sometimes hurricane-force, very cold and dense winds that flow by gravity from the highest areas to the lowest areas.

Sometimes these winds can come loaded with snow, either because it is snowing at that moment or because the wind is lifting the snow that has fallen moments before. Blizzards can reduce visibility to just a few meters.

Why are the poles so cold? On the one hand, the main cause is low insolation or solar radiation , since, due to the inclination of the Earth’s axis , there are long 6-month nights at the poles. On the other hand, since the Sun hardly rises from the horizon during the day, the effectiveness of the sun’s rays to raise the temperature is very limited.

Another cause is the high albedo of snow and ice . The albedo is the amount of light that is reflected into space and the white color reflects a lot of light, preventing the rise in temperatures. In colder areas there is the added bonus of high elevation. This is the case in the interior of Greenland (3,000 m) and in Antarctica (even higher).

We are going to see now what type of vegetation there is in the polar climate . The flora of the polar climate will be different depending on the subtype of climate, that is, if it is a tundra climate or it is a glacial climate:

• Flora of the glacial climate: the terrain is inhospitable and only during the less cold months can you find some lichens , mosses and algae .
• Flora of the tundra climate: the typical vegetation has the same name. In the areas closest to the glacial climate we have the tundra with padded vegetation, followed by the herbaceous and shrubby tundra. A tree may appear at the limits of the subpolar climate. In this other post you can learn much more about the Tundra: characteristics, flora and fauna .

What are the animals that live in the polar climate? Like the vegetation, the fauna of the polar climate is not very abundant. Thus, we have:

• Terrestrial mammals: almost all with white hair to be able to camouflage themselves in this environment. We have the arctic hare, arctic fox, polar bear, arctic wolf, reindeer, etc. Here we talk about Is the polar bear in danger of extinction?
• Birds: most migrate in the colder months to milder climates.
• Aquatic animals: there is more variety than in the previous groups. Some examples are: seals, penguins, fish, whales, and narwhals.

To further expand this information on the characteristics of the polar climate zone , we recommend you read this other article on the Polar Ecosystem: characteristics, fauna and flora and watch this video on the animals of the North and South Poles.