Ice cap climate

An ice cap climate is a polar climate where the temperature never or almost never exceeds 0 °C (32 °F). The climate covers areas in or near the polar regions, such as Antarctica and Greenland, as well as the highest mountaintops. Such areas are covered by a permanent layer of ice and have no vegetation, but they may have animal life, that usually feeds from the oceans. Ice cap climates are inhospitable to human life, and relatively warmer regions, such as Denmark, are only sparsely populated. Antarctica, the coldest continent on Earth, sustains no permanent human residents.

Description

Under the Köppen climate classification, the ice cap climate is denoted as EF. Ice caps are defined as a climate with no months above 0 °C (32 °F). Such areas are found around the north and south pole, and on the top of the highest mountains. Since the temperature never exceeds the melting point of water, any snow or ice that accumulates remains there permanently, over time forming a large ice sheet.