On the East Antarctic Plateau, temperatures can drop so low that carbon dioxide freezes directly into dry ice.

In 2013, researchers using NASA's Landsat 8 and other satellites identified record-breaking temperatures on the East Antarctic Plateau. Between 2004 and 2016, data showed that temperatures in small hollows near Dome Argus and Dome Fuji frequently dropped to -94°C (-137°F). This exceeds the previous record of -89.2°C (-128.6°F) set at Vostok Station in 1983.The freezing point of carbon dioxide at sea level is -78.5°C (-109.3°F). When temperatures fall below this threshold, CO2 undergoes deposition, turning from a gas directly into a solid known as dry ice. This phenomenon is common on the poles of Mars but is rarely achievable naturally on Earth outside of these specific Antarctic locations.These extreme conditions occur during the polar night when the sky is clear and the air is extremely dry for several days. The lack of water vapor allows heat to radiate away from the snow surface into space more efficiently. Scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) noted that the air in these pockets is so cold it can cause immediate physical damage to human lungs upon inhalation.