The scariest land on Earth: Two million years have never had a single drop of rain

The dry valley (Mc Murdo Valley) located in Antarctica is known as the driest place on Earth because there has been no rain for 2 million years. Scientists say that the natural conditions of this land are very similar to Mars. Even the topography of the dry valley makes people think of a planet rather than Earth.

The scariest land on Earth: Two million years have never had a single drop of rain Picture 1

The dry valley covers an area of 4,800 square kilometers, divided into three main valleys, including Taylor, Victoria and Wright. The valley is located in Antarctica, but there is no ice, the temperature is very low. Since cold air holds 20 times less water vapor than hot air, the place is drier.

It rains but is all in the form of snow with an average rainfall of about 100mm per year. Katabatic wind - wind blowing from above, blowing down here has a speed of up to about 322km per hour. This terrifying speed can "blow away" the ice and snow of Antarctica, making the humidity here very low and snow and ice not appearing for 8 million years.

The scariest land on Earth: Two million years have never had a single drop of rain Picture 2

The only ice mass that exists here is 3-5m thick and in the form of a glacier, a layer of permafrost that covers the surface of rivers and lakes. Because of the harsh conditions, Mc Murdo valley has no life, only an angelito bacteria - a bacterium that lives right in space, can survive. This land is the first place where this bacteria can survive.

Because the topography and nature in Mc Murdo Valley is similar to the surface of Mars, it was chosen as the site of many experiments by the United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Jessica Tanner

Update 27 June 2023

You should read it

May be interested

When it comes to rain, running or walking is the least wet?
the hypothesis is that the rain speed is constant, the distance of travel is fixed. we will only focus on analyzing the horizontal and vertical rainfall falling into people.
Do you know the rain that releases 800,000 trillion ground bacteria into the air
after the rain, you feel the air is more airy, even with a pleasant, light fragrance. but do you know, the rain releases 800,000 trillion ground bacteria into the air every year.
How will a meteorite be found to crash into NASA Earth?
according to nasa, the situation of meteorites crashing into and destroying the earth will be rare, in a million years a meteor with a diameter of 1 mile rushes to earth. even so, they are always ready to handle if the worst situation occurs.
New discovery: Iron snow rains are happening inside the Earth's core
the recently published report in jgr solid earth says that, at the deepest and most mysterious place of our planet, the earth's core is a permanent and intense rain of iron snow.
A terrifying object that made life on Earth evolve by leaps and bounds?
a catastrophic impact from space changed the course of life on earth 2.5 million years ago.
Mysterious town suffers from 'fish rain' every year, scientists are 'at a loss'
fish rain is one of the strange natural phenomena that occurs in some places on earth. however, only the honduran town of yoro is where a strange fish rain occurs every year, sometimes several times.
How bad is the Earth after 1 billion years?
after a billion years, the earth will have an average temperature of 47 degrees celsius, no more eclipses will appear, 99% of the trees will disappear, the oceans will completely evaporate, most organisms living will be exterminated.
The 6 largest meteorite blocks are detected on the surface of the Earth
most of the meteorites that have fallen on our planet have been going on for a long time. until it was found by humans, it dates back thousands of years. thankfully, most of them are small rocks except for giant meteorites that have caused great extinction on earth 63 million years ago.
Before 35 years old, still single, low salary: Don't forget to bring 25 things as luggage to 'live comfortably' with life
economic capacity is not equal to parents, the first three years old are still single, still living with parents, the dream of getting a job in a senior position is broken, constantly changing careers, or not finding a job , not to do the job i like, to leave my homeland, then to return home simply because i cannot find a job.
Earth changes color after being caught in a giant cosmic wave
a megastructure called the radcliffe wave may have been responsible for creating a 'white earth' 12-15 million years ago.

The scariest land on Earth: Two million years have never had a single drop of rain

You should read it

May be interested

Science