More Rain Is Happening
The most recent desierto florido event occurred in October, when these photos were taken. The flowers bring out all kinds of wildlife, from bugs to birds, while tourists also flock to the region to see the gorgeous carpet of color.
In recent years, the Atacama has experienced more bursts of sudden rainfall and increasing humidity. This has caused some additional desierto florido events, as well as other unintended side effects, including the rotting of some of the world’s oldest mummies and the triggering of a mass die-off of bacterial ecosystems. Attributing specific rainfall events to climate change is tricky, but climate change is expected to make storms across the world more intense.
