Atacama Desert: The Driest Place On Earth

By: EjazUlHaqBhat

Image: Pexels

The Atacama Desert in Chile is widely recognised as the driest nonpolar desert in the world

Image: Pexels

It receives less than 1 mm of rainfall annually, and some areas haven't seen rain in centuries

Image: Pexels

Located in northern Chile, it's a high-altitude plateau between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean

Image: Pexels

The Andes Mountains and the Chilean Coastal Range create a rain shadow effect, preventing moisture from reaching the desert

Image: Pexels

Despite its extreme dryness, the desert is known as world's largest fog desert, with fog providing some moisture, particularly in coastal areas

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The desert supports a unique ecosystem with plants and animals adapted to the arid environment

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Its extreme aridity and similarities to the Martian environment have made it a popular site for Mars expedition simulations

Image: Pexels

The high elevation and dry air make the desert an ideal location for astronomical observatories

Image: Pexels

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