The Atacama Desert, located in the north of Chile, is not an ordinary arid region. Stretching 600 miles (965 km) along the Pacific Coast of South America, it is one of the most extreme landscapes on the planet. Thanks to certain ocean conditions, there are areas that have experienced no precipitation throughout recorded history, making the Atacama Desert the largest desert in the world. The driest place on earth.
Let’s take a closer look at the geography and climate of the Atacama to better understand why the Chilean desert is so dry and what else makes it unique.
Geography of the Chilean Desert
The Atacama Desert, also known as Desierto de Atacama in Spanish, is located between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east. Its northern border touches southern Peru, while its southern side extends into Chile, reaching as far as the country’s port city of Antofagasta.
This expanse has many distinctive features, including the Atacama Salt Flats, the Pampa del Tamarugal (Tamarugal Plateau), and two famous dry valleys near the town of San Pedro de Atacama: Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) and Valle de Marte (Valley of Mars).
People compare Atacama to Mars because the red planet’s surface has a similar climate and terrain. Another common name for the Valley of Mars is Valle de la Muerte or Death Valley.
The desert floor of the Atacama is marked by vast expanses of sand and rock, barren, otherworldly landscapes. Unlike other deserts, which may have occasional oases or scattered vegetation, the Atacama Desert is primarily characterized by how stark and desolate it is.
Elevation varies throughout the region. For example, San Pedro de Atacama is approximately 8,000 feet (2,438 m) above sea level, but some highlands exceed 16,000 feet (4,877 m).
Climate of the Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is defined by its extreme drought. The combination of cold air from the Peru Current (also known as the Humboldt Current) in the Pacific Ocean and warm desert air creates a unique weather pattern. Cold ocean currents cool the air, causing it to lose moisture. This dry air then spreads along the coastal areas and from the interior into the desert.
The Atacama receives almost no water from rainfall; Parts of the region have not received rain for centuries, making it the driest place on Earth.
This lack of precipitation is due to the high altitude of the Andes, which prevents ice flowing towards the sea from reaching the desert, as well as katabatic winds (high-density air pulled downwards by gravity) coming down from the mountains and further drying out the deserts. weather.
You might think that the Atacama Desert would be extremely hot due to its extreme dryness, but this assumption would be incorrect. In Antofagasta, a major port city in northern Chile, the average summer temperature is around a relatively moderate 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius).
Although the Atacama Desert is famous for its extreme drought Entirely devoid of moisture.
A phenomenon known as camanchaca occurs along the coast: a dense sea fog that comes in from the Pacific and covers the desert. Although Camanchaca does not produce any rain, it does provide a minimal source of moisture for some plants and animals.
Wildlife and Vegetation in the Atacama
Despite its harsh conditions, the Atacama Desert is home to a surprising variety of wildlife and plant species.
Along the coast and in the valleys you can find hardy cacti, succulents, flowers and plants adapted to the arid environment. These plants; It plays a crucial role in providing habitat and food for desert-dwelling animals, including foxes, birds, rodents and reptiles.
The prominent salt flat of the desert, Salar de Atacama, is located in the southern part, where unique microorganisms develop in salty waters. These microorganisms serve as a food source for flamingos, which flock to the country’s largest salt deposit in the summer months and add color to the barren landscape.
Human Impact in the Atacama Desert
No matter how inhospitable the Atacama Desert may seem to some, it is home to more than 1 million people. Throughout history, the region has witnessed the exploitation of its natural resources, including rich nitrate deposits (also called saltpetre deposits), which businesses mined intensively in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The mining industry brought wealth and development to the region, but it also left scars on the landscape and led to conflicts between Chile and Bolivia, both of which compete for the region’s natural resources.
Today, the Atacama Desert continues to be the focus of attention of scientists and researchers from around the world. Its unique conditions make it an ideal place to study life in harsh environments, while the lack of light pollution or precipitation makes it the perfect place to observe the night sky.
Atacama is currently home to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array as well as the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), and numerous astronomy projects have been carried out in the area in the past.
5 More Incredibly Dry Places on Earth
The Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth, but there are other places that are similarly (but not as) dry. It may come as no surprise that the driest regions on the planet are often deserts, where rainfall is extremely low.
1. McMurdo Dry Valleys
Although Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys feature a landscape covered in ice and permafrost, this polar desert also has extremely low humidity and almost no precipitation. Located west of McMurdo Sound, the area has an average annual temperature of minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius) and total annual precipitation of just under 2.5 inches (6 cm).
McMurdo Sound is famous for being the base of British explorer Ernest Shackleton, who spent the winter there between 1907 and 1909 while trying to reach the South Pole. His hut still stands there.
2. Sahara Desert
Located in North Africa, the Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert, with high temperatures regularly reaching 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) during the hottest months. It extends from the Atlantic in the west to the Mediterranean in the north and the Red Sea in the east.
The desert receives an average of 7.6 cm of precipitation per year, most of which occurs between December and March. Despite its extreme climate, approximately 2.5 million people live in the Sahara.
3. Sonoran Desert
Located in southwestern North America, the Sonoran extends into parts of the United States and Mexico. In the area near the lower Colorado River, summer temperatures can reach as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius) and average precipitation does not exceed 3 inches (7.6 cm).
Common vegetation here includes a variety of cactus plants, including saguaros, as well as mesquite trees and creosote bushes.
4. Arabian Desert
Spanning much of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East, this tropical desert is a land of extremes. The region experiences extremely high temperatures, sometimes as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius).
Although annual precipitation varies between zero and 51 cm, on average it receives less than 10.2 cm of precipitation per year. Dust storms and torrential floods occur periodically, adding to the harshness of the environment.
5. Namib Desert
Considered one of the world’s oldest deserts, the Namib in South Africa has faced extremely dry conditions for millions of years. Located along the west coast of Africa, the region receives very little rainfall; Inland areas receive about 2 inches (5 cm) of precipitation per year, while areas along the coast receive an average of half an inch (1.3 cm) of precipitation per year.
Very few people live here, but you can also find elephants, rhinos, lions and other mammals inland.
This article was created with AI technology, then fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
Original article: The Driest Place on Earth: Chile’s Atacama Desert
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