[thechat] the driest spot in the world

[javier velasco]

Lachlan Cannon wrote:
>
> Syed Zeeshan Haider wrote:
> > From: "javier velasco"
> > To: <thechat at lists.evolt.org>
> > Sent: October 30, 2002, Wednesday 6:24 PM
> > Subject: [thechat] the driest spot in the world
> >
> >
> >
> >>since i was a kid, i was told that the desert of Atacama, high in the
> >>north of Chile, was the driest desert in the world.
> >
> >
> > I remember a book saying that the Sahara desert in Africa is the driest place in
> > the world. It was just that book. I never tried to confirm it, therefore, don't
> > know the real facts.
>
> I've always been told it's Antarctica...

hi Lach:

i was about to ask if you were joking, but then i did a bit of search,
and apparently you're right...

"Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is the world's second driest region
(icy Antarctica is first). Although the Tropic of Capricorn passes
through the region, the Atacama lies in the rain shadow of Chile's Coast
Range, which squeezes out the moisture from the atmosphere."

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa102698.htm

....I don't understand it though, since Antartica is all about ice and
snow, how can it be dry?