Fermi question · Geography
About how many square kilometers does the Antarctic Ice Sheet cover?
Make a fast, defensible estimate before you reveal the reference answer. Think in factors, not exact recall.
What is your estimate?
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Reference answer
Reveal the reference answer
≈ 14 million square kilometers
Fermi estimates are judged by scale, so a reasonable approximation can still earn a strong score.
One way to estimate it
Compare Antarctica with the area of the United States.
- U.S. total area≈ 9.8M km²
- Antarctica comparison≈ 1.4 times the U.S.
- Estimate9.8M × 1.4 ≈ 14M km²
Keep practicing
Try another question, or return to the daily challenge to build your personal sense of scale.