TL;DR
The driest place on Earth is the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, which are characterized by extremely low precipitation and unique environmental conditions [2].
McMurdo Dry Valleys
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are located in Antarctica and are considered the driest place on Earth. These valleys receive very little precipitation due to their location and the surrounding Transantarctic Mountains, which block glaciers from flowing into them. The high-pressure winds that sweep through the valleys further remove moisture, making it an incredibly arid environment [2]. Despite being one of the coldest deserts, its dry conditions are unparalleled.
Antarctica as a Desert
Antarctica itself is classified as the largest desert in the world due to its minimal precipitation levels [5]. Many people mistakenly associate deserts with hot climates, but the defining characteristic of a desert is its low precipitation, which applies to Antarctica. This classification often surprises people, as highlighted by anecdotes from trivia games where participants incorrectly assume that only hot, sandy regions can be deserts
[5:1].
Comparison with Other Deserts
While other deserts like the Atacama Desert in northern Chile are also known for their dryness, they do not match the extreme conditions found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys [4:4]. The Atacama is often cited as one of the driest places outside of Antarctica but still experiences more precipitation than the Dry Valleys. The unique combination of geographical features and climatic conditions makes the McMurdo Dry Valleys the driest spot on the planet.
Windiest, sure. But coldiest? I’ve seen coldier.
My balls are colder and windier
More like smallier.
There are also extremely saline lakes in some of the valleys.
Dang that is super cool
Bucket list destination. Sadly, I'm too poor, and not a scientist so I'll very likely never see the valleys with my own eyes.
The darkest place in the UAE. 40 miles to the nearest lightpost. The "Empty Quarter", or Rub' Al Khali desert spans across four countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, and Yemen. Magical 🌠
Great shots! Is this Al qua? can you share this location?
Amazing! Thanks!
Great photos!
Splendidly beautiful
Wow, this is awesome. Nothing like seeing the stars like that, it's crazy how dark it must be there. I wish I was there right now.
That’s amazing. I love this planet
Our little blue marble in the middle of nowhere.
What plant is that?
wow..
2nd dryest behind Ben Shapiros wife.
How does it compare to other deserts in terms of camel population?
How do other deserts compare to it in terms of penguin population?
The comic book definition of desert. The camel, the palm, the oasis and of course the sand dune.
We keep shipping camels there but so far a breeding population has yet to be established.
While it is a desert due to lack of precipitation, I think more precipitation would actually make Antarctica even less hospitable to plant and animal life than it is as a desert.
Could possibly make the surrounding waters better for life though.
I'm still salty that I got this question marked wrong in a bar trivia game
"What's the largest desert". I put down Antarctica. The host collects the answers and says the correct answer is the Sahara. He then mocked me publicly on the mic for putting down Antarctica, 'reminding me' that Antarctica is the frozen place which is the opposite of a desert.
No I'm not still bitter.
Same.
Though I'm less bitter as Pete's quizzes are more about getting the answer Pete has as the answer than about the answer being correct.
To be fair to him, he's 92, still drives, and puts on a quiz every Monday.
But….”tundra” exists.
I know it’s “tortoise/turtle” but…the word is right there.
Thats cool
I love its colours. Too bad the Dead Sea has been drying out.
I kinda like that.
The Dead Sea is the one place on Earth that feels like it's meant to fade away. Feels like we get to see something we either expect in the future, or have evidence of in the past, on a geological timescale.
It's like being alive in the middle of Doggerland being flooded, or Antarctica freezing over. A massive transition as something slowly dies.
I was there before and tbh, I found the view from the uphills more amazing (like from Ein Gedi or especially Massada). The Judean Desert is such an odd place to observe.
It looks hot and cold at the same time, like bad camera quality
It also looks like the air is scorchingly dry and incredibly humid at the same time. And that the water looks like it would be incredibly refreshing, and drain you dry of moisture when you leave.
Yeah, maybe look down and you'll find some water there?
A human could melt it for drinking but that's about it. It doesn't contribute to precipitation and is generally not available for other life to make use of it. It's a bit like conflating a diamond with a stick of charcoal. They're both carbon but the fact they're in different states is important. They are not interchangable. Same thing here between ice and water.
I mean ice and liquid water are just two different states of H2O and they’re reversible. They’re the same molecule.
Charcoal and diamonds have completely different atomic structures and you cannot reverse it. It’s an allotrope difference I believe.
Yeah, but that water isn't original to the location, it's moved over centuries as the ice flows creep towards the oceans. The snowfall however might be less than in inch per year.
Alright legends, let’s cut to it. You’ve been hauling down the A-roads, bladder full, radio on, and suddenly—there it is. The chosen one. The lay-by you whisper about to new drivers like it’s sacred ground. Maybe it’s got the perfect tree cover, maybe it doesn’t reek of chip grease and sadness, maybe it’s just yours.
Where is it? What makes it the GOAT? Bonus points if it’s got space for a curtain call… if you know what I mean.
Let’s hear your weird, wild, oddly comforting favourite lay-bys.
I tend to come off the A roads, the deeper into the countryside, the better. One of my favourites is difficult to find because you have to drive through a 7.5t limit to get to it, so there's no other lorries there. It has a number of nature trails converging on it and beautiful views, the worst thing is the dodgy 4g signal. I'm also blessed with night shifts, so I often get my pick of the lay-bys as everyone else has woken up and fucked off.
Basically, peace and greenery are what I'm after. I don't need amenities as I'm very self sufficient.
Peace and greenery?
This is a nice one, if you're ever in Wales: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RnPoyU9h39WqvEiw9
My favourite used to be the one at blubberhouses near the early warning station, the police would patrol the layby on a night time with it being in a sensitive area and there was the black bull pub that did excellent food, shame it's closed now
I've got a few. And I'm telling no one about any of them. Well maybe one. Heading into Silloth from Abbeytown, opposite the entrance to the airfield is a little layby near a field. Been parked there many times times over night, nice and quiet, and usually with a chippy from down in the town.
I used to have one right where they're building the new theme park in Bedfordshire. Drivers have been parking there since the brickworks opened. Universal have put security on the gates now, we're not allowed to park there anymore.
Shame, there's a great pub there, the landlord used to let drivers use the showers in the back of the pub
I haven’t been to many, tend to try and stick to services but I do love the copper kettle on the A5
Were you the one bangin my ex?
Has my wife found out about my GF?
what is the driest place on earth?
Key Considerations:
Location: The driest place on Earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Precipitation Levels: Some weather stations in the Atacama have recorded no significant rainfall for years, with an average annual precipitation of about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) in certain areas.
Climate Conditions: The desert's extreme aridity is due to its location between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, which creates a rain shadow effect. Additionally, cold ocean currents contribute to low humidity levels.
Comparison: Other arid regions, like the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, also experience very low precipitation, but the Atacama is often cited as the driest due to its consistently low rainfall over extended periods.
Takeaway: The Atacama Desert's unique geographical and climatic conditions make it the driest place on Earth, showcasing extreme aridity and fascinating adaptations in its ecosystem.
Get more comprehensive results summarized by our most cutting edge AI model. Plus deep Youtube search.