In the vast, arid expanse of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery: life thriving four meters beneath the surface. Covering 105,000 square kilometers, ...

“If you extract all the DNA, you have DNA from living organisms and also DNA that can represent organisms that just died or ...

The Atacama Desert harbors unique desert life with diverse microbes.New techniques separate genetic material in low-biomass ...

A new technique allows researchers to separate external and internal DNA to identify microbes colonizing the hostile environment of the Atacama Desert.

Piute Ponds is the largest freshwater marsh in L.A. County and, thanks to its location, attracts an estimated 300 bird ...

The Atacama Desert, which runs along the Pacific Coast in Chile, is the driest place on the planet and, largely because of ...

Researchers have found evidence of living microbes thriving in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth - the Atacama Desert of Chile.

Over a thousand years ago, the hundreds of giant geoglyphs carved into the desert in northern Chile were a bustling scene.

In some parts of the desert, weather stations have reported no measurable rain for several years. On average, rainfall in certain areas is as low as 1 millimeter per year. This extreme dryness makes ...

"This very arid soil houses a treasure," ecologist María Fernanda Pérez told Live Science after the Atacama Desert produced a rare winter bloom.

The Atacama is so dry because it’s blocked by mountains that stop moist air from reaching the area. Despite the lack of rain, the desert is home to plants and animals that have adapted to ...