Driest Place on Earth

The question about driest place on earth can be answered with two options i.e. Antarctica and Atacama Desert. It is our general perception that deserts are driest areas in the world. In this case, along with the Atacama Desert, some areas of the South Pole too are included in the category of driest places on earth. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are known for strong winds that sweep away the moisture. These areas are therefore, known to have very little/sparse moisture. Let us understand more about the topography, climatic conditions and overall geography of the driest place through information presented below.

Where is the Driest Place on Our Planet?

One of the Spanish soldier, Alonso de Ercilla had described the Atacama Desert as follows: "Towards Atacama, near the deserted coast, you will see a land without men, where there is not a bird, nor a beast, nor a tree, nor any vegetation." It gives us a clear idea about how difficult it is for life to flourish in this region. When we think about deserts on our planet, the Sahara desert seems to be the largest and driest of all. However, the Sahara is not necessarily the driest of all. The Atacama desert, owing to its unique climatic conditions ranks first in terms of dryness. The Atacama Desert, located in Chile, along with Antarctic region is the driest place on the planet. This desert is located in the northern region of Chile and also extends a little bit, into the neighboring country of Peru.

The unique climatic conditions of this region render it as the driest place in the world; it therefore, also the driest desert in the world. Atacama Desert is situated in the vicinity of Pacific Ocean (largest water body in the world); in spite of being so near to the Pacific Ocean, this desert is still the driest place. The Atacama Desert spreads on an area of 960 km. on either sides of the Tropic of Capricorn. Pacific Ocean lies to the west, while Andes Mountains are present on its eastern side. A high pressure cell which forms over the Pacific Ocean is responsible for keeping off the moisture from entering this region. The Pacific Ocean facts should prove to be useful. Moisture from the Amazon basin doesn't enter the Atacama Desert since it is blocked by the Andes Mountain. Let us find few more facts about this dry area through information presented below.

Facts about Driest Place on Earth

Some of the useful and interesting facts about Atacama Desert are enlisted below. Information about rainfall, temperature and the overall desert ecosystem of Atacama is presented below.

• The average annual rainfall which occurs in the Atacama desert is 25 mm. Few of the spots in this desert are such that no rainfall has occurred. Fog is the main source of water.
• The average temperature of this region in summer season is 65 °F.
• Rainfall which is substantial enough to measure, occurs once in 20 years.
• Being the driest place, it is hard to find plants in the desert of Atacama. The question of animals (not even insects) living in this region doesn't arise at all.
• The Atacama Desert is so dry that even high mountain peaks do not form glaciers. This is applicable even to the mountains that are as high as 6,885 m; one can therefore, conclude that Atacama is driest desert in the world.
• As per records, it has been observed that very less rain has occurred in the Atacama Desert in years between 1570 and 1971.
• Some of the riverbeds in the Atacama Desert have been in a dry condition for about 120,000 years.
• Sparse population can be observed near places with oasis. Majority of the people in this region live in the vicinity of coastal areas.

The Atacama Desert facts and information about Antarctica that is enlisted in the paragraphs should help understand about these dry areas.