Q. Which of the following statements with regard to Polar Cold Deserts is/are correct?
1.They are characterized by absolute water scarcity due to the absence of hydrological deposits on the ground surface.
2.Antarctica and the Arctic are geographic classifications of cold deserts located at the extreme ends of Earth’s rotational axis.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer: B
Notes:
Detailed Explanation:
- Statement 1 is incorrect: Cold polar deserts actually contain plenty of water, but it is cryogenically locked in the form of permanent ice sheets. It is biologically and physically unavailable for immediate ecosystem use, rather than being completely absent.
- Statement 2 is correct: Both Antarctica (Antarctic Desert) and the Arctic region meet the structural definition of a desert due to receiving less than 250 mm of annual precipitation, and they are located at the Earth’s geographic poles.
