The Atacama desert in Chile is the driest non-polar desert on Earth, but even this seemingly barren wasteland can burst with life under the right conditions. If the desert experiences heavy rainfall during the Southern Hemisphere’s spring (October, November), the beautiful flowers ‘hibernating’ beneath its surface suddenly bloom with an explosion of color, eager to take advantage of the rain.
This year’s super bloom was brought on by the same weather patterns that spawned Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful hurricane to make landfall on record. “The intensity of colorful flowers in bloom this year has no precedent,” Daniel Diaz, the National Tourism Service director in the Atacama, told the EFE news agency. “And the fact that the bloom of these desert plants has happened twice in the same year has never been recorded in the country’s history. We are surprised.”
Though Diaz attributes the extraordinary phenomenon to climate change, locals have been thankful for the tourism boost the beautiful views has brought to the region. More than 20,000 tourists are expected to visit the desert to see the extraordinary bloom. This isn’t the only place in the world that gets desert blooms, however – these deserts in Utah experience a similar phenomenon.
Now scroll down below and check the stunning pictures of beautiful nature in full bloom for yourself!
More info: EFE
Image credits: Mario Ruiz / EFE
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Here is a list of ten species that grow in the Atacama desert. It's in Spanish, but you can also find their scientific names in Latin. http://www.chlorischile.cl/desiertomunioz/descripciones.htm
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Beautiful Living desert! They are there all the time, almost invisible, it´s just needed "little" water and the nature´ll explode in a blooming fireworks!
The article is somewhat misleading: I was hoping to see pictures of the blooming Atacama desert, and I got Utah instead, not ten species of flowers but just one, and most of the pictures taken from the same spot...
The Anza Borrego Desert in California also impresses observers with gorgeousness after a rain.
The same thing happens here along the southern west coast of South Africa at around the same time of the year. Google Namaqualand National Park.
Alstroemeria crispata are those, but this is little misleading. This part of the desert is not the dry dune like place far in the north. There is vegetation and fauna all year long on this area. Pretty though but not the driest place on Earth. That place gets no water at all in millions of years.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. I have been in deserts several times when they were blooming. It can be a very uplifting experience.
WTF is the truck with pallets doing there? not such a sudden phenomenon ?
That's near the highway (there are also roads among the hills).
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I'm speechless! This is only a bus ride away for me (well, a 20-hour bus ride), but I have never visited that place! Thanks for posting this, and thanks Mario for the pics.
So pretty that came from the bottom of my heart because I'm a tomboy.
Don't know why but I'd love a small vile filled with some of those flower pedals.. :)
Here is a list of ten species that grow in the Atacama desert. It's in Spanish, but you can also find their scientific names in Latin. http://www.chlorischile.cl/desiertomunioz/descripciones.htm
Load More Replies... Beautiful Living desert! They are there all the time, almost invisible, it´s just needed "little" water and the nature´ll explode in a blooming fireworks!
The article is somewhat misleading: I was hoping to see pictures of the blooming Atacama desert, and I got Utah instead, not ten species of flowers but just one, and most of the pictures taken from the same spot...
The Anza Borrego Desert in California also impresses observers with gorgeousness after a rain.
The same thing happens here along the southern west coast of South Africa at around the same time of the year. Google Namaqualand National Park.
Alstroemeria crispata are those, but this is little misleading. This part of the desert is not the dry dune like place far in the north. There is vegetation and fauna all year long on this area. Pretty though but not the driest place on Earth. That place gets no water at all in millions of years.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. I have been in deserts several times when they were blooming. It can be a very uplifting experience.
WTF is the truck with pallets doing there? not such a sudden phenomenon ?
That's near the highway (there are also roads among the hills).
Load More Replies... I'm speechless! This is only a bus ride away for me (well, a 20-hour bus ride), but I have never visited that place! Thanks for posting this, and thanks Mario for the pics.
So pretty that came from the bottom of my heart because I'm a tomboy.
Don't know why but I'd love a small vile filled with some of those flower pedals.. :)
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