There is actually a Mars-like area on Earth. Where is it?

Apart from Earth, which planet is most familiar to humans?

Maybe you will think of the moon. After all, it is the closest to us and it is the planet that humans have set foot on. However, it is not. The extraterrestrial planet that humans are most familiar with is actually Mars. Since humans have the ability to get rid of the gravity of the earth, they have begun to explore and study Mars. Since the 1960s, humans have carried out a total of 51 exploration missions on Mars. In 2021, my country's Tianwen-1 also left the earth and headed straight for Mars. Why are humans so interested in Mars? On the one hand, because Mars is a neighbor of the earth, on the other hand, it is because humans suspect that this neighbor once had life a long time ago. Of course, it is only a suspicion at present, and there is no evidence. However, human suspicion is not groundless. Judging from the location of Mars and its own conditions, this possibility does exist.

Mars is definitely not a habitable planet today, but all this is due to the inexplicable disappearance of Mars' magnetic field.

The magnetic field disappeared, and the atmosphere lost its protection, so it was blown away by the solar wind. As a result, the current Martian atmosphere is very thin, and the atmosphere's protection is insufficient. The liquid water on Mars escaped into space, and Mars became what it is today. Interestingly, this kind of surface feature on Mars can also be found on Earth. We usually call such areas "Mars-like areas", and the most famous of them is the Atacama Desert. The Atacama Desert is located in northern Chile in South America. It is extremely dry, and its topography and the color of the sand are extremely similar to those of Mars.

Humans have a strong interest in Mars, so documentaries about Mars and science fiction films with Mars as the background are naturally indispensable. For these crews, the Atacama Desert is simply a holy place. Many of the Mars science fiction films we are familiar with were shot here.

If you think the Atacama Desert is just a superficial beauty, you are wrong. Its similarity to Mars is not just superficial, but also in spirit. According to our speculation, Mars was not as dry as it is now from the beginning, and the Atacama Desert is the same. A long time ago, the Atacama Desert was also a humid area, after all, it is not far from the Pacific Ocean. Yes, how could the Atacama Desert, which is right next to the Pacific Ocean, become so dry? Because the movement of the plates has changed the terrain here.

To the west of the Atacama Desert is the extremely high coastal mountain range, while to the east it is blocked by the Andes Mountains, so water vapor cannot reach here at all, resulting in the current scene.

The evolution of the Atacama Desert from humid to dry is quite similar to the evolution of Mars from humid to dry, so scientists often study the geological conditions of the Atacama Desert to understand the evolution of Mars' geology. Don't think that the Atacama Desert is similar to Mars only in its drought. The radiation here is much stronger than other areas. Why is this so? The reason lies in the two mountains that sandwich the Atacama Desert. Water vapor cannot climb up the mountains and enter the Atacama Desert, so the sky here is always cloudless.

No clouds means no obstruction, so the intensity of UV radiation is naturally very high.

Scientists have conducted tests and found that the intensity of ultraviolet radiation in the Atacama Desert is 1.4 times higher than that in the northern deserts of Africa. Strong ultraviolet radiation covers the surface of the Atacama Desert with a coat, which has become a feature of the Atacama Desert. What kind of coat? A coat composed of nitrates and perchlorates. Strong ultraviolet radiation causes ozone, nitrogen and chlorides in the atmosphere to react, thereby generating nitrates and perchlorates. Over the long years, nitrates and perchlorates have accumulated thicker and thicker on the surface, gradually forming a scale, so the northern part of the Atacama Desert can basically be called a restricted area for life, and few lives can survive here.

Although the Atacama Desert is a forbidden zone for life, it is a rare treasure land for astronomers.

The Atacama Desert is extremely dry, with almost no clouds blocking the sky. Since there are no humans living there and there are mountains blocking the way, light pollution and radio interference are avoided, making it one of the rare and excellent astronomical observation areas on Earth. Every night, the Atacama Desert becomes extremely romantic. Many of the beautiful night sky photos we have seen were taken here. Such a good place must not be missed by astronomical observation agencies, so many countries such as the United States, Germany, Britain, and Japan have built astronomical observatories in the high-altitude areas of the Atacama Desert. At the same time, many of NASA's Mars exploration plans will also conduct preliminary tests here.

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