Dunes that meander like hills, long stretches of deserted land, dry, warm. That’s approximately how one would describe a desert. And plants? One or a few cactuses in that case. A summer meadow? No, maybe not. Or? It is certainly what the Atacama desert in northern Chile looks like this fall. The usual dry, desolate land has been submerged by a sea of pink flowers. Surrounded by gray mountains, the brilliant colour seems to be coming directly from a some intense Photoshopping. That is not the case, it is actually a natural phenomenon that has occurred.
In Spanish it is called ‘disierto florido’, which means flourishing desert. It occurs once every five to seven years, says Pedro León Lobos, a botanist at Chile’s Institute of Agriculture and Livestock Research for National Geographic. It is not a common occurrence, the Atacama Desert is one of the few places in the world where this takes place. What lies behind the blossoming? In ordinary cases, this desert gets four mm of rain every year, but in March this year it rained as much as it usually does in seven years overnight. There was disastrous flooding in Chile. As time has passed the water has contributed to plant growth accelerating and it has now resulted in the desert being filled with flowers.
Many Chileans now share their photos of the ‘disierto florido’ on Instagram. It is estimated that it will thrive until the middle of November, so if yo can’t get to Chile before then these pictures will have to do. Or plan a trip in five to seven years. Either way, on-site or just a picture, it is a must to see this phenomenon.
For more photos, click here.
Sources:
Michael Greshko, El Niño Paints the World’s Driest Place with Color, National Geographic
Brian Lada, Rare Flower Bloom Makes One of World’s Driest Deserts Come to Life, accuweather.com
