Born in Sri Lanka, which has no desert features by birth and is like a paradise filled with blue fields, we have no practical knowledge to describe a desert beyond this. If possible, he or she should have gone to the Middle East or some other desert country. So we think that all the deserts of the world show the same type of characteristics corresponding to the two aforementioned sets. But in fact, despite being similar in several basic aspects, each desert has unique characteristics.
Among all these deserts, the "Atacama" desert in the South American continent is one of the most unique, not only because it is the driest place in the world, except for the dry valley in Antarctica. Because it has a number of unique characteristics that are more unique than other deserts in the world. Although the Atacama Desert is small compared to the Sahara desert, this is why scientists give it a special place when talking about the world's deserts. Some call it Atacama, but the correct pronunciation is Atacama.
Location of the Atacama Desert
The Atacama Islands are located in Latin America. This border is bordered by a narrow strip of land about 1000 km long between the Andes mountain range located to the west of Latin America and the west coast where the Pacific Ocean meets the land. The area of the Atacama Desert is about 105,000 square kilometers, and if we consider the barren western slopes of the Andes mountain range, the same amount is 128,000 square kilometers. Because of this, even though it is a small desert, it is actually twice the size of Sri Lanka!
Most of this desert consists of various rocky mountains and salty lakes. Administratively, it belongs to Chile and has spread to countries like Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Reasons why the Atacama Desert is the driest place in the world
There are several reasons for the extreme dryness of the Atacama desert, and there are three main reasons. Some of the meteorological data collection stations located here have not received a single rain since their establishment. This situation is more powerful towards the right side of the desert.
The first reason for its dryness is its location, which is sheltered by the Andes mountain range. This part of the world receives moist winds from the southeast. These are blocked by the Andes mountain range and bring heavy rains to its eastern slopes. The Atacama desert on the western slope is exposed to the winds.
The second factor is the air pressure in the area. The reason for this is that the small percentage of wind currents that escape to the west without being blocked by the Andes mountain range have to climb a steep slope. Due to this, the air heats up quickly and the remaining moisture also turns into steam.
Finally, rain from the Pacific Ocean is likely due to the fact that the Humboldt Stream in the nearby ocean is a cold stream. Due to this, sea water does not evaporate into the sky. The combination of these facts has made the Atacama desert the driest place in the world.
Climate of the Atacama
The average daytime temperature in the Atacama desert is around 40 degrees Celsius. Nights here are bitterly cold and the temperature drops to 5 degrees Celsius or sometimes even more. The Atacama Desert is 50 times drier than California's Death Valley. The average annual rainfall here is only 1 mm. Many parts of Sri Lanka receive more rainfall even in an hour.
The flora and fauna of the Atacama
Due to the extreme dryness of the Atacama desert, there is very little flora and fauna. A small number of reptiles such as insects and lizards live here that are accustomed to the dry and harsh climate.
Mammals are a rare sight here. Animals such as rats and foxes, which are well adapted to the desert climate, are occasionally found in areas with some humidity. Carnivorous birds like hawks and owls, mammals like llamas, pumas, Viscacha, Vicugna, and reptiles like talagons are found in the more humid areas to the north of the desert and in the semi-arid zone. Animals like ducks and flamingos can be seen in the small pools of water in the semi-arid zone bordering the desert.
The plant community in the Atacama desert shows well-adapted characteristics to an arid environment. Small shrubs with thin leaves, small trees, and cactus-like plants can be seen here from time to time. Some flowers adapted to the desert are also rarely seen here.
In some cases of El Niño, rain falls in the Atacama Desert. There the whole desert is covered with beautiful flowers showing its hidden charm to the world.
Soil and Mars probes
The soil of the Atacama desert is considered to be the most barren soil on earth. AD In 1976, during the study of the soil structure of Mars by the Viking spacecraft sent to Mars, scientists did not find organic compounds as expected, but the presence of evaporated chloro-hydrocarbons was identified, but they were ignored as residual material collected during the journey.
In 2008, the Phoenix probe, which was sent to test soil samples on the Martian surface, found that the Martian soil contains perchlorate, a very strong oxidizer. Because this oxidizes the organic matter to the point of combustion, it was assumed that the samples taken in 1976 contained very little or no organic matter. To confirm this, soil samples were taken from the driest parts of the Atacama Desert, which has been identified as having the closest soil texture to Mars on Earth. It contained very small amounts of organic matter and when it was reacted with perchlorate and subjected to oxidation, the results were compared to the results obtained from the 1976 Viking spacecraft. Because of this, the soil of Mars was declared to have little or no organic matter.
Later, in 2012, the Curiosity rover, which was sent to Mars with modern technology, definitely found that it has organic materials.
Natural resources
The Atacama Desert is home to the world's largest sodium nitrate reserves. Sodium nitrate is a major ingredient used in the manufacture of fertilizers and pesticides. Sodium nitrite is found here as a polymorphic structure called “Chile saltpeter” by the associated industrialists and the industry became successful around the 1940s.
More special facts
The Atacama Desert has many other unique features. Mummies older than Egyptian mummies have been found in the Atacama Desert. These are more than 7000 years old and have been preserved naturally due to the very dry climate.
Although the Atacama is the second driest place in the world, high altitude areas can be seen with frozen snow. Due to the high altitude, the temperature does not rise that much in these areas.
The Atacama Desert is considered the best place in the world for whale watching. This is due to clear skies for more than 300 days of the year, high altitude and unobstructed by electric lights. ALMA, the world's largest ground-based telescope, is also installed here.
