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Natural Phenomena

Superbloom

Biological and Seasonal Phenomena

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A rare, dramatic mass flowering event in which desert or semi-arid landscapes, especially in California and other parts of the American Southwest, erupt in carpets of wildflowers far more extensive and vivid than a typical spring bloom. Superblooms occur when an unusually wet winter follows a period of drought, allowing dormant wildflower seeds that had accumulated in the soil over several dry years to germinate all at once.

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Associated With

Drought, Natural Phenomena

A desert superbloom typically follows the end of an extended drought, when unusually heavy rains after dry years trigger mass germination of a dormant wildflower seed bank.

Demonstrated By

Sources
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Demonstrated By: Mojave DesertView the Source
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