Why is the Argentinian Patagonia a desert?

It's in the rain shadow of the Andes, which block Pacific storms that move from west to east at that latitude. Very similar to the Great Basin (Mojave, Sonoran, etc.) in North America. read more

The Patagonian Desert, also known as the Patagonia Desert, Patagonian Steppe, or Magellanic Steppe, is the largest desert in Argentina and is the 8th largest desert in the world by area, occupying 673,000 square kilometers (260,000 mi 2). read more

The Andes block the rains fromn the Pacific ocean and they blow dry over Patagonia. Before the Andes existed (some 50–60 milloin yrs ago) Patagonia was covered with woods of giant Araucaria trees that today can be seen, fosilized, in many different places. read more

Patagonian Desert The Patagonian Desert is a mix of desert and semidesert that covers the Patagonian tableland that extends from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. read more