Atacama Desert

Atacama Desert, a coastal desert in northern Chile, is known for its extreme dryness and high UV radiation levels, with recent discoveries of extreme microbes aiding in the search for life on Mars.

Location of Atacama Desert:

• The Atacama Desert is a coastal desert located in northern Chile.
• It extends nearly 1,000 km along the narrow coast.
• The desert is positioned between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and lies on the Tropic of Capricorn.
• Known as one of the driest places on Earth, its aridity is due not to a rain shadow from mountains but because the ocean’s cold waters, brought by the Humboldt Current from Antarctica, limit precipitation.
• The Atacama features a unique combination of environmental extremes:
  • Extreme dryness
  • The highest UV radiation levels on Earth
  • Highly saline and oxidizing soils
• It is frequently used as an analogue for studying the harsh conditions of Mars due to these extreme conditions.

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