Arctic Desert (Polar Desert)

What Is the Arctic Desert?

The Arctic desert is not a single sandy basin but a set of polar desert landscapes spread across the High Arctic. These regions qualify as deserts because they receive very little precipitation – often less than many hot deserts – and yet the ground stays locked in ice for most of the year.

In plain terms, imagine a classic desert: dry air, clear skies, hard soils. Now replace warm sand with rock, snow and glacial ice. That contrast captures the essence of the Arctic desert – a place where dryness and cold join forces.

Related articles: Greenland (Polar Desert), Antarctic Desert (Polar Desert)

Key Facts at a Glance

Arctic Desert vs. “Normal” Desert

Many visitors ask a simple question: How can a land full of snow be a desert at all?

In climatology, a desert is defined mainly by low precipitation, not by temperature or the presence of sand. The Arctic desert fits this definition perfectly:

• Precipitation is usually below 250 mm per year, similar to or lower than classic hot deserts.
• Moisture that does fall remains locked as snow and ice, hardly available to plants.
• Cold air holds little water vapour, so clouds and rain are scarce.

The result is a high-latitude mirror of dry subtropical deserts: the same climatic dryness, but expressed through ice rather than dunes.

Countries & Regions Shaped by the Arctic Desert

Norway – Svalbard

The Svalbard archipelago is one of the best-known examples of an Arctic desert landscape. Glaciers cover much of the terrain, and Longyearbyen – the main settlement – sits between icy mountains and fjords. Tourism, science and coal-mining history all interact with the fragile enviroment here.

Russia – High Arctic Archipelagos

Franz Josef Land, Severny Island and Severnaya Zemlya form an almost continuous chain of remote polar islands. Much of the land lies inside large protected areas, including Russian Arctic National Park, which shelters important breeding grounds for polar bears, walruses and seabirds.

Greenland – Kalaallit Nunaat High Arctic

Northern Greenland’s coasts and inland plateaus host a classic polar desert climate: brutally cold winters, summer temperatures rarely above 5 °C, and very low precipitation. Sheltered slopes and wind-scoured ridges support reindeer, muskox and sparse tundra vegetation.

Canada – High Arctic Islands

Islands such as Ellesmere, Devon and Axel Heiberg in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories form one of the driest cold regions on Earth. Here, large areas receive the equivalent of less than 100 mm of water a year, and some of the landscape resembles a stony, frozen moonscape.

Life in a Polar Desert: How Plants and Animals Survive

Surviving in the Arctic desert means solving three problems at once: cold, dark and dry. Species that live here use some remarkable strategies.

Plants: Small, Tough and Close to the Ground

• Low stature: Plants hug the ground to avoid icy winds and take advantage of the slightly warmer air just above the surface.
• Dark pigments: Some flowers and leaves have darker colours that absorb more solar energy during the short summer.
• Quick growth: When snow melts, many species grow, flower and set seed in only a few weeks.
• Perennial life cycles: Energy is stored in roots and underground parts to survive many winters in a row.

Animals: Timing and Energy Efficiency

• Seasonal movements: Caribou, some birds and even marine mammals track the shifting edge of sea ice and fresh vegetation each year.
• Insulation: Double fur layers, thick fat and compact body shapes reduce heat loss.
• Colour change: Species like the Arctic fox and hare switch to white winter coats for camouflage and to reflect sunlight differently.
• Nocturnal or crepuscular behaviour in summer: Many animals feed in the “evening” hours when glare and evaporation are slightly lower, even under midnight sun.

Indigenous Peoples & Human Presence

While the core Arctic desert islands are almost uninhabited, the wider polar desert belt lies within the homelands of diverse Indigenous peoples, including Inuit, Inupiat, Yupik, Sámi and others. Around the Arctic as a whole, roughly hundreds of thousands of Indigenous residents live in coastal communities, small towns and seasonal hunting camps.

Key points about human life in and around the Arctic desert:

• Traditional knowledge: Detailed understanding of sea ice, animal migrations and weather patterns is essential for safe travel and hunting.
• Subsistence activities: Fishing, sealing and caribou or reindeer herding remain culturally and nutritionally important.
• Modern towns: Settlements such as Longyearbyen (Svalbard) and small communities in northern Canada and Greenland combine research, tourism, local livelihoods and administration.

This human presence is tightly linked to the health of the desert’s ecosystems; when sea ice patterns change, communities must adapt routes, timing and sometimes entire lifestyles.

Climate Change & Threats to the Arctic Desert

The Arctic is warming several times faster than the global average. For the Arctic desert, this means:

• Loss of sea ice: Less sea ice reduces hunting platforms for polar bears and alters marine food webs.
• Changing snow and rain patterns: Warmer air can hold more moisture, so some polar desert areas may become slightly wetter, shifting them toward more vegetated tundra.
• Vegetation “greening”: Satellite data show gradual expansion of shrubs and grasses in many Arctic regions, changing albedo and local climate feedbacks.
• Permafrost thaw: Thawing ground affects buildings, roads and natural slopes, and releases greenhouse gases stored in frozen soils.
• Industrial pressure: Interest in shipping, mining and fossil fuel extraction increases as sea ice retreats, adding pollution and disturbance risks.

Conservation organisations and Arctic states are working to expand protected areas, regulate shipping corridors and support Indigenous-led stewardship, because decisions taken here influence both local cultures and global climate.

Visiting the Arctic Desert Safely

The Arctic desert can be an extraordinary but demanding destination:

• Access: Most visitors travel by guided expedition ship or organised tours to Svalbard, Greenland or the Canadian High Arctic.
• Season: Short summer (roughly June–August) offers the safest conditions, midnight sun and the highest chance to see wildlife on land.
• Risks: Extreme cold, rapidly changing weather, sea ice, polar bears and remoteness all require professional guidance and strict safety protocols.
• Low-impact travel: Staying on marked paths, avoiding wildlife disturbance and following local rules help keep this fragile landscape intact.

For many visitors, the strongest memory is the silence: a vast, bright desert of ice where even a single bird call or crack of a glacier carries for kilometres.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Arctic Desert

Is the Arctic desert the same as the Arctic tundra?

Not exactly. The Arctic tundra includes extensive areas with more regular vegetation and slightly higher precipitation. The Arctic desert refers to the driest and coldest parts of this region, where ice, rock and sparse lichens dominate.

Does it snow a lot in the Arctic desert?

Surprisingly, no. Many polar deserts receive less total precipitation than some warm deserts. Strong winds can blow snow around, making it look like it snows more than it actually does.

What is the main difference between the Arctic desert and Antarctic desert?

Both are polar deserts with extreme cold and low precipitation. The Antarctic desert is much larger and mostly continental; the Arctic desert is more of a ring of islands and coastal zones surrounding an ocean, with more marine influence and closer ties to human communities.

Why does the Arctic desert matter for the rest of the world?

Sea ice, snow cover and permafrost in the Arctic desert reflect sunlight and store greenhouse gases. Changes here affect global sea level, ocean circulation and climate patterns far beyond the polar regions.