A Stunning Display of Wildflowers Just Bloomed in One of the Driest Places on Earth [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

An "intense and unexpected rain" transformed Chile's Atacama Desert.




by LYNDSEY MATTHEWS
AUG 30, 2017
 
Beyond the North and South Poles, Chile's Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. In any given year, this plateau in northern Chile only gets about 0.6 inches of rain, while some areas get as little as 0.04 inches.

Most of the time it looks like this—dry and arid.



But after an "intense and unexpected rain," the desert floor erupted with a massive wildflower bloom that's drawing visitors from all over Chile and even farther away to come see the phenomenon that's known as "desierto florido" (flowering desert), the BBC reports.

More:
http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/travel-guide/a12141685/atacama-desert-wildflower-bloom/