When air is heated over desert land and blows towards the cool water in the ocean, it condenses and fog is formed.
[5] Drastic changes in elevation such as mountain ranges allow for maritime winds to settle in specific geographic areas, which is a common characteristic in fog deserts.
[6] The Andes mountain range which runs along the Pacific coast of South America divides Chile and Peru into inland and coastal regions, and its proximity to the sea coupled with the steep change in elevation (and thus surface temperature) allow for fog to form along the Pacific coast and supply moisture to the otherwise arid desert.
The variation in humidity throughout the day and seasons within a fog desert region encourage the development of a comparable diversity of plant types and habits such as succulents, deciduous species, and woody shrub.
[3] The Stenocara beetle, which lives in the Namib desert, climbs sand dunes when the humid wind is blowing from the ocean to access the ambient water.