The Atacama Desert: Home to the Most Intense Sunlight on Earth

When it comes to intense sunlight, forget Arizona or Florida. The Atacama Desert in South America takes the crown. According to researchers, the sun’s rays are most intense in this region, surpassing even the conditions on Mount Everest and occasionally rivaling Venus. These findings were published on July 3rd in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Satellite data initially indicated that the Altiplano, a plateau in the Atacama, experiences the highest sunlight levels on Earth. However, to verify these estimates, physicist Raúl Cordero and his team set up an atmospheric observatory in the Chilean Altiplano. Using a pyranometer since 2016, they measured solar radiation levels and found that the average amount of solar power hitting each square meter was consistent with satellite observations and even higher than values recorded on Mount Everest.

In addition to the average levels, the researchers also observed bursts of extremely intense solar radiation. One event in January 2017 reached 2,177 watts per square meter, more than seven times the average. These bursts, which are comparable to solar radiation on Venus, are caused by thin clouds scattering light toward the ground.