The world’s biggest desert has zero sand and it is not where you think - FOX Weather

What the report says

Fox Weather reported that Earth’s largest desert is not a hot, sandy landscape such as the Sahara, Death Valley or the U.S. Southwest, but Antarctica. The outlet used the example to explain that deserts are defined by dryness rather than heat, noting that the frozen continent fits the scientific definition because it receives very little precipitation.

Citing NASA, Fox Weather said deserts are generally classified by extremely limited moisture, often around 10 inches or less of annual precipitation. The report also cited the United States Antarctic Program as saying Antarctica gets about 2 inches of precipitation per year, making it one of the driest places on the planet despite being covered by thick ice.

The article said Antarctica spans about 5.4 million square miles, making it roughly one and a half times larger than the Sahara Desert. Fox Weather also noted that the continent contains about 90% of the world’s ice and about 70% of its fresh water, underscoring the contrast between its frozen surface and its desert classification.

The report added that Antarctica’s severe cold, powerful winds and lack of moisture make it useful for scientific comparisons to other extreme environments. Fox Weather cited NASA’s observation that Antarctic desert conditions resemble aspects of Mars, where the agency has tested robots before planetary missions. The broader point is that the term “desert” refers primarily to precipitation, not temperature or sand.