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What do we know of the geographical objects that contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert?

The state of Chile in its form, perhaps the most amazing in the world. It is narrow and long, stretching from the North to the South for thousands of kilometers. At this narrow strip, which is located along the Pacific Ocean, has the most unusual landscapes in the world. It is here that the world's driest desert, Atacama, is located. This miracle of nature appeared here millions of years ago. But the main mystery for all researchers is the reason why this devastated terrain has been formed between the mountains and the ocean. Below we will consider the main geographical objects that contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert, and also trace its history and features.

Description of the area

Atacama is considered the greatest desert on the continent of South America. In addition, in comparison with other similar natural areas of the world, this has the driest climate, as well as the oldest history of origin. If the wastelands in Antarctica originated about 10 million years ago, then in this area the earth has been blown by winds for 40 million years already. However, the landscapes that we meet in this region of Chile can not be compared with Namibia or the Sahara. There is not so much sand here, the soil is represented in the form of hardened rocks of various types, stones and clay. In Akatama you can find small rocks that divide this area into valleys. The most arid among them is the Moon. Here the land is generally sterile, and precipitation did not fall out for 400 years. On the shores of the Pacific Ocean, there are ports and small towns, home to a total of about 5 million people.

Prehistoric Times for America

It is impossible to know exactly which geographical objects contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert, as there are no written reports on this. It is likely that until the onset of global catastrophes, which entailed a shift in the lithospheric plates, there was quite a flourishing terrain and a beautiful shore, which was beaten by waves of the ocean. However, we know that even after the west coast of modern Chile almost completely emptied, the Indians settled there. This is evidenced by the remains of their bodies, which, under conditions of constant dryness and winds, turned into mummies and practically did not rot.

What conclusion did scientists come to

As scientists of our time believe, the geographical objects that contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert are the mountains themselves and the ocean that surround this locality. Paradoxically, so wet in its climate, natural areas surround the most arid territory of our planet. In fact, there are understandable reasons for this, which we will discuss in detail below. But first it should be noted that scientists have come to this conclusion only recently. Previously, this territory remained untouched, and no one even thought about it. Well, the geographical objects that contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert are the tops of the Andes and the cold current of the Pacific Ocean.

Mountain ranges

In the east, the desert zone is protected from the whole continent by the mountains of the Andes. Their height is very high, because many cyclones and even simple clouds do not pass through these peaks. All precipitation, which form over the main part of the continent, falls in the form of rain in Brazil and in adjacent countries. In the Andes they turn into snow, and to the west the coasts simply do not fall. Many scientists believe that it contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert precisely the appearance of this mountain range, which, in turn, is already tens of millions of years old. By the way, all those precipitations that form over the continent and have time to irrigate the land before crossing with the Andes fill the Amazon riverbed. That is why it is the most full-flowing river in the world.

Oceanic waters

The formation of the Atacama Desert is also facilitated by the Pacific Ocean itself, on the shore of which it is located. It is along the coasts of Chile and Peru that there passes the cold current of Humboldt, which follows from Antarctica. For these latitudes, such water temperatures can be said to be unacceptable. For this reason, any wind that blows from the ocean, even the warmest, passing through this zone, cools and already becomes unable to form any precipitation. This phenomenon is often called a rain shadow, when there is a chance of rain, but at the same time it does not happen and never will happen.

Conclusion

Paradoxically, the geographical objects that contributed to the formation of the Atacama Desert are mountains and the ocean. They are sources of moisture for any region, but in this case, we can say, there was a natural anomaly. The mountains became an obstacle to the clouds, carrying rain and snow in this area. And the cold current of the ocean, which has a very low temperature due to Antarctica glaciers, does not allow the evaporating drops of moisture to turn into clouds and become a source of rain in Atacama. This vicious circle in these territories began about 40 million years ago, and so far the climate and weather conditions in the desert have not changed at all.

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