The driest desert on the planet is blooming

The Atacama Desert is called Disierto Florida (flower desert) because every few years it is covered with flowers when the right amount of rain and temperature awakens the dormant desert seeds.

Desert flowers usually bloom in spring, but this year's heavier than normal rainfall has caused the flowers to bloom early. Photo: Reuters

This usually happens in spring. However, the current bloom is occurring unusually early – in the middle of winter in the Southern Hemisphere – thanks to rainfall brought by El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that affects weather patterns around the world.

The blooms often coincide with El Niño events, when warmer temperatures in the region cause more evaporation and increased rainfall.

According to a 2022 analysis by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, there have been about 15 major flower blooms in the Atacama Desert over the past 40 years.

The desert blooms every few years when rainfall and temperatures are just right to awaken dormant seeds. Photo: Reuters

The blooms are not yet widespread enough to be officially considered part of a "flower desert," said Cesar Pizarro, head of biodiversity conservation at the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), an organization run by the Chilean government .

However, he added that more rain was expected, meaning the flowers could spread over a larger area.

In 2022, the Chilean government announced the creation of a new national park in the Atacama Desert to protect these rare flowers along with the wildlife that coexists with them, including reptiles, birds and insects.

Ngoc Anh (according to CNN, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/sa-mac-kho-can-nhat-hanh-tinh-dang-no-hoa-post302896.html