Statement I : The Atacama is the driest among the deserts of the World. Statement I : The aridity of the Atacama is explained by its location between two mountain chains of suffi- cient height to prevent moisture advection from either the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean.

Statement I is correct as the Atacama Desert is widely recognized as the driest non-polar desert on Earth, with some areas receiving less than 2 cm of annual rainfall [3]. Statement II correctly explains this hyperaridity through the 'double rain shadow' effect. The desert is situated between the high Andes Mountains to the east and the Chilean Coastal Range to the west [1]. The Andes block moist, warm air and trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean, creating a massive rain shadow [1]. Simultaneously, the Coastal Range prevents moisture advection from the Pacific Ocean [5]. This topographic isolation, combined with the desiccating influence of the cold Humboldt Current which creates a temperature inversion, prevents cloud formation and precipitation, making the geographical location between two mountain chains the primary driver of its extreme dryness [1].

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Hot Desert Climate (BWh: B – Dry, W – Desert, h – low latitude) > p. 441
2. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 3: MAJOR BIOMES > Hot Desert Biome > p. 15
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 24: Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle) > Orographic Rainfall > p. 339
4. [5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921818119305193