Blooming in the Atacama Desert After Historic Rainfall
The Atacama, the driest non-polar desert in the world, has been covered with millions of wildflowers following record rainfall brought by a super El Niño effect.
The Atacama Desert in Chile has been covered with a massive blanket of brightly colored flowers after millions of seeds and bulbs, dormant for decades, sprouted following record rainfall triggered by a super El Niño weather event.
Spring in the Driest Desert on Earth
With the arrival of spring in the Southern Hemisphere in Chile, a vast section of the Atacama Desert, the driest non-polar desert in the world, has become covered with flowers. An unprecedented level of activity is taking place in the region.
The Impact of Super El Niño
Between July and August, various regions of Chile received the highest precipitation amounts recorded since measurements began in the 1950s, a situation triggered by a super El Niño.
Seeds Dormant for Years Come to Life
The heavy rainfall caused seeds, bulbs, and tubers that had remained dormant underground for decades to activate, allowing more than 200 plant species to emerge back to the surface.
Attracting Crowds of Tourists
Many domestic and foreign visitors are coming to the remote and inhospitable regions of the Atacama to admire this extraordinary natural landscape stretching from the coast to the horizon.