Earth Is Changing! World's Driest Desert Is Covered By Flowers

in #phenomenon7 years ago

One of the driest deserts in the world is the Atacama desert in Chile. However, after what has been said to be rainfall that is unprecedented, the Atacama is now covered in flowers. Unprecedented Rainfall In Chile Sees Atacama Desert Covered With Flowers While the Atacama Desert is generally the driest of all deserts, the region has suffered from what has been a wet winter that has been unprecedented and which has seen plenty of rain.

Experts have been predicting that the flowering in 2017 is going to be one of the most spectacular in many decades after there was plenty of rainfall to the north. The desert is also known as the flowering desert as when the rainfall has been unusually high, between September and November, there is a phenomenon of around 200 different blossoming floral species.

Usually this phenomenon would occur between 5 and 7 years, however, more lately it has occurred almost every year. The change has been said to be down to the El Nino weather phenomena that have had a stronger presence. Experts have said that the flowering, which is very unusual, should reach a peak about the second week in August and the first two weeks of September 2017. The blooms of more than 200 species of flowers just go to show that even in the most barren places Mother Nature never ceases to amaze and beauty can be found everywhere.

The Atacama Desert is spread over 1,000 kilometers and to the west of the Andes Mountains. The majority of the desert is comprised of terrain that is stony, sandy, salt lakes and felsic lava. The average rainfall in the desert is only about 1mm each year, and some weather stations never see rain according to a study by NASA.

The desert is also said to be home to the biggest supply of sodium nitrate in the world and it was mined during the 1940s and there are numerous mining towns that have been abandoned in the desert. This desert is the one that has been chosen as the filming location for many Mars scenes, including Space Odyssey and Voyage to the Planets. The Atacama Desert is the choice for astronomers as there is a great moon for around 10 nights each month and it is the perfect place for stargazing.

For now, at least, the Atacama Desert is also known for being abundant with more than 200 flowering blooms, but do not hang around if you want to see them, they will not last, and the desert will go back to being the driest barren wilderness it has always been known as.

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wow! it is amazing how many effects climate change is having on the world... thank you for highlighting an area I had never heard of! now I can use Atacama Desert in my next conversation about climate change!

cool. c",?

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