Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert found in Chile is a sparsely populated plateau that seldom receives any rainfall, thus the reputation as being one of the driest deserts. This particular desert runs from the Pacific Ocean to the Andes, with an average width of 100 miles although it stretches out 600 miles to the south of Peru. At the location where the mountains are the closest to the coastal range the elevation is around 2,500 feet.

Comprised of salt basins known as Salars, sand, and lava flow, the landscape in the Atacama Desert is so desolate that researchers and explorers often refer to it as being “moon like”. Because of the terrain and environment, Atacama Desert has actually been chosen as one of the best sites for testing the future lunar rover protocol. There are many fascinating aspects of this desert to consider. For example, while the Mojave and Sahara deserts are grueling hot, the Atacama Desert is relatively cold with temperatures during the day ranging from 32 to 77 degrees!


Another intriguing fact about the Atacama Desert is that although this part of Chile gets virtually no rainfall, you will find water there. As an example, the Salt Lakes were created when significant rain fell many years ago. So much water collected that lakes in the Andes were developed. However, with water evaporating and rainfalls rare, these lakes are beginning to dry up. With this, the mineral salts found in the water are so concentrated that the water is excessively salty.

In addition, remember that all around the globe and even with small amounts of rain, water can always be found underground. For the Atacama Desert, water is also underneath the earth but with the Andes being a volcanically active mountain, it is common for this underground water to be heated to the point where geysers erupt. However, even with the Salt Lakes, snow runoff from the Andes, and then underground water source, the Atacama Desert receives the majority of its water from two unlikely sources – fog and dew that blows in from the Pacific.

Although you would think no one lives in the Atacama Desert, the truth is that there is a town called Calama that features restaurants, hotels, shops, and everything you would expect to find in a town. The dessert also has small areas of plants that help support insect and animal life. Another interesting fact is that of all animals, flamingo live there, feeding off the red algae growing in the Salt Lake waters.

Finally, archeologists made yet another discovery about the Atacama Desert that was never expected. Because of the intense dryness of this region, mummies have been uncovered that are perfectly preserved. In fact, there have been some mummies identified as being 9,000 years old. The bodies along with cultural relics and artifacts have lent important insight into the Indians from this area. That coupled with all the remarkable facts and you can see why the Atacama Desert is so great.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

Captivating Chile
During pre-Columbian days, Chile was a mix of various people from different ancient cultures. The topography was directly responsible for the character of the various groups, even to the extent of them being subject to
... continue >>

Antofagasta
The city of Antofagasta in Chile is the largest of the Norte Grande region, brought on by the massive mining boom from the 19th century. Even in the 20th century, many foreign settlers have come to Antofagasta to stake
... continue >>

Chile's Dieciocho
While visiting the country of Chile, you will be intrigued by all there is to do and see. One of the things that this country is known for are the incredible festivals. One of these that are considered among the most
... continue >>