Air Masses are bodies of air in which the gradients of temperature and moisture are fairly uniform over a large area. Horizontally, an air mass may extend over a large portion of a continent. Vertically, the air mass may extend through the troposphere.
Air Masses are named primarily for the regions in which
they form, in Peru's case they are close to:
mT - Maritime Tropical
mE - Maritime Equatorial
mP - Maritime Polar
As you can see below, the coast of Peru is getting hit by two sets of trade winds. The North-east trade winds and the South-east trade winds. What is even more interesting, is how close Peru is to the Equatorial Low as well.
COASTAL DESERT
On the northern coast of Peru, lies a small uninhabited region is known as the Sechura Desert. Thanks to El Nino patterns the region is relatively wet and vegetated.
El Nino originates off the stretch of the coast every few years and affects weather patterns around the globe. Due to the intense weather, the Sechura Desert has become the home to the second largest body of water in Peru.
This ninety-mile long fresh water lake was formed in 1998 when heavy rains caused rivers bordering the desert to burst through the banks and flow into the lowlands. Large portions of the Sechura Desert, to this day, are still studded with shrubs and scrub grass.
Sounds Cool right? If you want to explore Peru’s deserts, then a good starting point would be the city of Trujillo. The city lies north-west of the country and is near many archaeological sites and the Andes.
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