Figure 18.1

Factors responsible for Antofagasta’s aridity. The aridity of the Atacama Desert is a result of several factors. The desert is located in the subtropical high-pressure zone (see Section 4.3) as well as in the rain shadow created by the Andes (see Section 3.3). In addition, the cold Peru (Humboldt) Current is slow to evaporate, leaving little moisture in the air.
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