ATACAMA DESERT

ATACAMA DESERT:

"The region known as the ``North of Chile' occupies an area equivalent in size to two thirds of Italy. It stretches from the highlands of the Andean Altiplano over the golden sands of the Atacama Desert as far as the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Diverse, surprising, majestic and untouched... this is the place for those in search of adventure with its breathtaking salt flats, geysers and Andean volcanos, vast expanses of land and here and there, occasional signs of life... llamas, vicunas, flamingos and alpacas, all unperturbed by the presence of man. Here you can find museums which record ma~ns presence over the last 10,000 years, sea and long sandy beaches, relaxation and entertainment in casinos, restaurants and hotels, and above all the friendly hospitality of the Chilean people."

Driest Place - Atacama Desert

Driest Place - Atacama Desert:

"The Atacama desert is nestled along the coast of Chile, South America - right next to the Pacific Ocean - the biggest body of water in the world. Much of the desert extends up into the Andes mountains and is very high in elevation. Unlike more familiar deserts, like the Sahara desert in Africa and the Mojave in California, the Atacama is actually a pretty cold place, with average daily temperatures ranging between 0C and 25C. The annual rainfall (or lack of it) defines a desert, but that doesn't mean that it never rains in Atacama. Every so often a warming effect over the Pacific Ocean around the equator changes the weather the world over and even places like the driest desert in the world can become doused with drenching storms. Even though Atacama gets almost no rainfall, there is water in this arid place and you'll find it in the following places:"

Atacama Desert @ National Geographic Magazine

Atacama Desert @ National Geographic Magazine

Atacama Desert, Chile

Lonely Planet | Theme Guides | Deserts | Atacama Desert, Chile:

"The Atacama desert in Chile is as parched as a parson's Sunday sermon. In fact, it's the driest desert in the world. There are parts of it where rain has never been recorded and the precious little precipitation (1cm/0.3in per year) that does fall comes from fog. Flanked on one side by Pacific coastal ranges and on the other by the snowcapped peaks of the Andes, the desert is a series of salt basins that support virtually no vegetation. In other words, it's dry, it's barren and it's empty. Are you hanging out to get there yet?"

The Atacama Desert Trek

The Atacama Desert Trek

Atacama Desert Meteorites

Atacama Desert Meteorites

Atacama Info

Atacama Info:

"ATACAMA DESERT"

Atacama Desert in Chile For Final Mission in Three-Year Search for Life

Carnegie Mellon Rover Heads to Atacama Desert in Chile For Final Mission in Three-Year Search for Life

Atacama Desert

Atacama Desert:

"Atacama Desert , arid region, c.600 mi (970 km) long, N Chile, extending south from the border of Peru. The desert itself, c.2,000 ft (610 m) above sea level, is a series of dry salt basins flanked on the W by the Pacific coastal range, averaging c.2,500 ft (760 m) high, and on the E by the Andes. There is practically no vegetation; rain has virtually never been recorded in some localities. Of the streams descending from the Andes only the Loa River reaches the Pacific. Antofagasta and other regional ports are without protected anchorages and are subject to frequent and severe earthquakes. The Atacama has been a source of great nitrate and copper wealth."

THE ATACAMA DESERT OF CHILE

THE ATACAMA DESERT OF CHILE:

"EXPLORING THE ATACAMA"

THE ATACAMA DESERT OF CHILE

THE ATACAMA DESERT OF CHILE: "EXPLORING THE ATACAMA"