Since it can't sink into the ground, water from melting permafrost and snow forms lakes and marshes each summer. During the short summers the top layer of soil may thaw just long enough to let plants grow and reproduce. Below the soil is the tundra's permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of earth. Only about 6 - 10 inches of precipitation (mostly snow) fall each year. Of the North American, Scandinavian and Russian tundra's, the Scandinavian tundra is the warmest, with winter temperatures averaging 18☏ (-8☌) The tundra is basically like a desert when it comes to precipitation. The Arctic tundra is also a windy place and winds can blow between 30 to 60 miles (48 to 97 kilometres) per hour. Average summer temperatures range from 37° to 60☏ (3° to 16☌). Temperatures can get up to 54° F (12° C), but it can get as cold as 37° F (3° C). During the summer the sun shines almost 24 hours a day, which is why the Arctic is also called the Land of the Midnight Sun. Nights can last for weeks when the sun barely rises during some months in the winter, and the temperature can drop to -94° F (-70° C). The average annual temperature is -18° F (-28° C). The tundra is the world's coldest and driest biomes. Spring and fall are only short periods between winter and summer. In the winter it is cold and dark and in the summer, when the snow and the top layer of permafrost melt, it is very soggy and the tundra is covered with marshes, lakes, bogs and streams that breed thousands of insects and attract many migrating birds. The bare and sometimes rocky ground can only support low growing plants like mosses, heaths, and lichen. The ground is permanently frozen 10 inches to 3 feet (25 to 100 cm) down so that trees can't grow there. Tundra comes from the Finnish word "tunturia", which means a barren land. Average annual temperatures are -70☏ (-56☌). Conditions are not right for a true tundra to form. Small tundra-like areas do exist in Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere, but because it is much colder than the Arctic, the ground is always covered with snow and ice. Almost all tundra's are located in the Northern Hemisphere. It is usually very cold, and the land is pretty stark. Located at latitudes 55° to 70° North, the tundra is a vast and treeless land which covers about 20% of the Earth's surface, circumnavigating the North pole. Did you know that the Arctic Tundra is the world's youngest biome? It was formed 10,000 years ago.
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