After an unusually heavy rainstorm hit northern Chile, part of the arid Atacama Desert suddenly turned into an incredibly colorful and magical "carpet of flowers".
Located in the north of Chile, the Atacama Desert is classified by NASA as one of the driest places on Earth. Normally, each year, the measured rainfall in the highlands located in the desert is only about 15.24 mm, the remaining areas are not "better" with only 1 mm of rainfall per year. Most of the time of the year, the desert is only a yellow-brown color of sandy soil and dry as hell.
However, after a recent heavy and unusual downpour, part of the Atacama Desert suddenly turned into a colorful "flower carpet" thanks to wild flowers "racing" to bloom to catch the rare drops of water here.
The brilliant purple flowers bloomed after being bathed by heavy rain. According to scientists, the unusual phenomenon of flowers appearing in the Atacama is called "desierto florido". This phenomenon occurs when heavy rainfall seeps into the ground, reaching dormant seeds and causing them to germinate, grow well and bloom.
Normally, according to the rule, "flowering desert" only occurs once every 4-7 years around August or September. However, in the past few years, this special natural phenomenon has occurred more frequently, about once every 2-3 years. The last time this phenomenon occurred was in 2017. After information about this rare and interesting natural phenomenon appeared in the media, many domestic and foreign tourists flocked here to admire the brilliant flower fields.
It is known that there are more than 200 species of plants growing in this arid desert region. It is hard to imagine these beautiful flowers can grow brightly in such a dry place. Local officials said that the blooming in the Atacama Desert will last from September to November.
The Atacama Desert attracts tourists with its national reserves, pristine beaches and majestic mountain scenery. The regulations for nature conservation here are also very strict for tourists. Besides Chile, only two other countries in the world have recorded the phenomenon of blooming flowers in the desert: the United States and Australia.
