Two million years without a drop of rain

This area of land that has not seen rain for 2 million years is called the McMurdo Valleys. This valley is also known as the driest place on Earth. It is located in Antarctica and scientists say that this land has natural conditions very similar to Mars. Even the terrain of the Dry Valleys makes people think that they are walking on another planet besides Earth.

McMurdo Valley is known as the driest on Earth because it has not rained for 2 million years. (Photo: Nat Geo)

The Dry Valleys cover an area of 4,800 km2 with three main valleys: Taylor, Victoria and Wright. Although the valley is located in Antarctica, there is no ice in this place. Surprisingly, the temperature of the Dry Valleys is very low, not as high as the desert. The reason is that cold air holds 20 times less water vapor than hot air.

The average annual rainfall is around 100mm, but most of it is in the form of snow. Katabatic winds blow down here at speeds of up to 322km/h, which can “blow away” the ice and snow of Antarctica, leaving the area with low humidity and no ice for 8 million years.

The only ice that exists here is in the glaciers, along the valleys and reservoirs. This ice layer is 3-5m thick and exists in the form of glaciers, a permanent layer of ice covering the surface of rivers and lakes.

Because the conditions in McMurdo Valley are so harsh, there is no life here. Scientists have found no plants, mollusks, or rodents in this valley.

The only ice that exists here is in the form of a glacier. (Photo: Nat Geo)

This strange land is also the first place on Earth where only one type of bacteria, angelito, can survive. In fact, this type of bacteria lives right in outer space. Because the terrain and nature in McMurdo Valley are similar to the surface of Mars, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has conducted many experiments in this area.

Quoc Thai (Source: Nat Geo)

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