Antarctica
McMurdo Dry Valleys
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Welcome to the McMurdo Dry Valleys — a strange desert in the middle of icy Antarctica where there's almost no snow at all! Scientists say it looks so much like Mars that they test space robots here.
Why is it famous?
It's the coldest, driest desert on the entire planet, even though it's surrounded by ice everywhere else.
Powerful winds blow so hard and fast that they evaporate any snow before it can pile up, leaving bare rock and dry ground behind.
How did it form?
Tall mountains block glaciers from flowing into the valleys, so unlike the rest of Antarctica, this area never got buried under thick ice.
Fierce, dry winds called katabatic winds race down from the mountains at speeds up to 200 km/h (124 mph), sucking any moisture straight out of the air.
Amazing facts
It looks so much like Mars that NASA scientists come here to test out Mars rovers before sending them into space!
There are over 6,000 lakes and ponds hidden across the valleys, even though the area looks bone-dry.
Quick facts
- It looks so much like Mars that NASA scientists come here to test out Mars rovers before sending them into space!
- There are over 6,000 lakes and ponds hidden across the valleys, even though the area looks bone-dry.
- The Onyx River flows through here — and it's actually Antarctica's longest river.
- Tiny bacteria have been found living inside cracks in rocks, sheltering from the harsh, dry wind outside.