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The Atacama Desert is a cold desert, possibly the driest area on earth, located primarily in northern Chile. It was caused by a number of factors.
1.) The high Andes Mountains to the east that block moisture from the Amazon Basin and Atlantic Ocean from reaching the Atacama.
2.) The Chilean Coastal Mountain Ranges that prevent Pacific moisture from reaching the desert.
3.) The cold Humboldt Current in the Pacific brings cold water to the coastline that has little evaporation.
4.) A perpetual inversion layer hangs over the desert. The upper atmosphere is warmer than the surface air. This prevents convection that could form rain clouds.
5.) Even when there is evaporation from the Pacific, the prevailing winds are from the east and the moisture is blown in a westerly direction, away from the desert.
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What effect is responsible for forming the Atacama Desert?
Mountain building, caused by collision of tectonic plates, was the ultimate cause for the formation of the Atacama Desert.
Is the Peruvian coast very dry?
Due to the rain shadow caused by the Andes Mountains, the coast of Peru is mostly desert - the Atacama and Sechura.Due to the rain shadow caused by the Andes Mountains, the coast of Peru is mostly desert - the Atacama and Sechura.
Which deserts are located in Chile?
The large desert in northern Chile is the Atacama Desert. The Atacama is the driest non-polar desert in the world.
Is San Pedro De Atacama in the Atacama desert?
Yes it is located in the Atacama Desert.
What is the climate of the Atacama Desert?
The Atacama Desert is a cool, exceedingly dry desert.
What its the desert in northern Chile?
The Atacama Desert is located in northern Chile, southern Peru and small parts of Bolivia and Argentina.
What kind of desert is the Atacama?
The Atacama is a cold coastal desert.
What is the name of the desert in northern chille?
The Atacama Desert.the atacama desert
What cold current passes through the Atacama's desert?
No current passes through the Atacama Desert but the Humbolt, or Peruvian Current, passes just off shore and has a great influence on the climate of the Atacama.
Is the Atacama of Chile a desert or a rainforest?
The Atacama is a desert in northern Chile.
What is the name of the coldest and driest desert in Latin America?
The coldest desert is the Patagonian Desert and the driest is the Atacama Desert.
Is the Atacama Desert the driest on earth?
Both the Atacama Desert and the Antarctic Desert share the honor as the driest on earth. The Antarctic is a polar desert and the Atacama is a cool coastal desert - both classified as cold deserts.
