Atacama Desert Blooms in Winter for the First Time in a Decade
For the first time in ten years, the Atacama Desert, the driest desert on Earth, has experienced a rare winter bloom. Ecologist María Fernanda Pérez describes the arid soil as housing a “treasure,” referring to the resilient seed bank that has sprung to life. This bloom resulted from rain in northern Chile during the Southern Hemisphere’s fall, with about 0.4 inches (11 millimeters) of rainfall in mid-April, combined with morning fog known locally as “camanchaca.”
Two early bloomers this year are the bright fuchsia “pata de guanaco” (Cistanthe grandiflora) and the white “sighs of the field” (Nolana baccata). The flowering occurred over an area of 115 to 155 square miles (300 to 400 square kilometers). Typically, a full desert bloom, which happens in spring due to winter rains, can cover up to 5,800 square miles (15,000 square kilometers) with over 200 species.
The unusual winter bloom is attributed to a strong El Niño in April. However, NOAA forecasts suggest that ENSO-neutral conditions will persist before transitioning to La Niña, potentially returning the desert to drought. If further precipitation occurs, a spring bloom might still be possible, but this is not currently forecasted.
One challenge of the winter bloom is the lack of pollinators due to low temperatures. Without pollinators, seeds may not germinate effectively, affecting the desert’s long-term vegetation. Herbaceous plants in the Atacama have a self-pollination mechanism, but it activates late in the flowering period.
Climate change could make such anomalous events more frequent, potentially reducing the diversity of the desert’s flora or allowing invasive species to thrive.
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