In the Atacama Desert of South America:
A) warm marine air encounters cool land, which absorbs moisture from the ground, creating a coastal desert.
B) cool marine air encounters warm land and heats up. The heated air then absorbs moisture from the ground, creating a coastal desert.
C) warm, moist air sinks, creating low pressure.
D) all of the moisture falls on the windward side of the range.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Atacama Desert is created due to the phenomenon where cool marine air from the Pacific Ocean encounters the warm land of the South American coast. As this cool air heats up over the land, it increases its capacity to hold moisture, thus not depositing it as rainfall and contributing to the creation of the desert conditions.