Grammar’s Desert of Wonders

Affect or Effect?

Affect is mostly used as a verb meaning “to influence or change something.” Effect is mostly used as a noun meaning “a result.”

There are other uses of affect and effect, but you will not encounter them in this activity.    

The Atacama Desert seems like something out of a science fiction movie. Located in Chile, a country in South America, the Atacama is a place of swirling orange dust, rocky canyons, and rainbow-striped mountains. It is also one of the driest places on Earth. Scientists believe that parts of this desert may not have seen a drop of rain for 40 million years. To top things off, the Atacama receives a massive amount of ultraviolet radiation—the sunlight that causes sunburns.

One affect/effect of the Atacama’s extreme environment is that few plants and animals can survive there. But amazingly, some can, including cactuses, butterflies, toads, and foxes.

Guess what other place is dry and dusty and gets a lot of ultraviolet radiation? Mars!

That’s why NASA and other space agencies are studying the Atacama. Understanding the affects/effects of the Atacama’s environment on everything from the human body to tiny organisms gives scientists clues about conditions on Mars. Most recently, NASA tested its Mars rovers in the Atacama to see how the Martian landscape will affect/effect the rovers’ performance. The rovers will be launched into space this summer and will land on Mars in February 2021.

When you think of mummies, you probably think of Egypt. But the Egyptians weren’t the only ones to mummify their dead. The Chinchorro people, the earliest settlers in the Atacama, practiced mummification at least 2,000 years before the Egyptians did.

The oldest mummy found in the region is 7,000 years old. The mummy stayed intact because of the Atacama’s dry climate, which has a preserving affect/effect.

Curious about how the Atacama’s climate would affect/effect you? Consider entering the annual Atacama Crossing race. Competitors. run or walk 155 miles high up in the desert’s mountains, where temperatures can reach a whopping 115 degrees during the day and drop below freezing at night.

These harsh conditions affect/effect the human body in all sorts of unpleasant ways. Vomiting, nosebleeds, dehydration, and hallucinations are just a few of the many challenges that racers face. (We’re going to sit this one out, thank you.)