driest places in africa

[mollykins]

I think i was watching horizon or how earth made us and i think i remember something about the driest places in Africa being a bit above and below the equation because of something like convection currents. AM i correct and if so, can you re-explain it please?

[mollykins]

oops, too much maths revision, i meant equator not equation.

[Androcles]

Didn't they say the Atacama desert in South America is the driest place on earth - it is the Sahara in Africa which is driest in that continne.

See http://www.extremesci...dex.php/driest-desert it is so dry because it has had no rain in 400 years.

[mollykins]

Yeah but i thought that they had no rain, making it so dry, because of convection currents and the parts of the dessert that are the driest aren't actually on the equator, nearly said equation again

[mollykins]

I saw it on telle and i'm sure some professor explained it, i remember some of the graphics, showing that the equator isn't the driest part and can't remember how or why it works, but i think its to do with covection currents.

[Androcles]

Mollykins, there are four kinds of deserts - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert

[mollykins]

and don't forget dessert.

[rhinoinyork]

the Atacama desert in South America is the driest place on Earth, it hasnt had any rain since records began