Parque Nacional Los Glaciares by junge1

Photography • Landscape • posted on Apr 01, 2010

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Description

A low gap in the Andes allows moisture-laden Pacific storms to drop their loads east of the divide, where they accumulate as snow and eventually form glaciers. Several of these glaciers are descending from the divide into this park. Although not the largest, the most spectacular and most easily accessible glacier of them all is Moreno Glacier. Moreno Glacier is one of only a few glaciers in the world that advances. The sights and sounds of the advancing glacier are spectacular. There are constant rifle shot-like sounds of the moving ice mass, and parts of the glacier are breaking of at frequent intervals. The 247 sq km glacier advances toward Lago Argentino and in the process blocks off a part of Lago Argentino, the Brazo Rico (Rico Arm) of the lake. The advancing front of the glacier is about 240-ft (74m) high and 3 miles (5km) long. Because of continuing inflow of several rivers into the blocked part of Lago Argentino (the largest single body of water in Argentina) the water level of the blocked part begins to rise. Eventually the water level rises about 40-ft above the lower lake level and the weight of the blocked water overcomes the force of the blocking glacier ice and the blockage will give and collapse. This collapse occurs anywhere between a little over a year to less than ten years, on average about every four years. From the vantage point of this picture (approx. location S50d 28m 55s, 72d 58m 49s) Glacier Moreno is visible in the middle distance, about 5km distant. The body of water in the lower part of the picture is the upper and blocked part (Brazo Rico) of Lago Argentino. This picture was taken on 19 December 2003 and despite the fact that it was only two days short of the beginning of summer, it was very windy and rainy with flowers near the end of the glacier at the viewing area and the snow line about a 1,000-ft above the viewing stands. Thank you for visiting, Sig...