Perito Moreno Glacier

Tuesday March 3, 2020

There are three ice fields in South America.

AntarcticGlaciers.org

Two are in Patagonia which is one of the windiest and wettest regions on Earth. The Westerly winds gain moisture and momentum as they cross the Pacific Ocean. When they reach South America, they ride up and over the Andes, through fjords, and across two icefields - the Northern and Southern Patagonian ice fields (NPI & SPI  on image). The Southern Patagonian ice field (SPI) contains some of the the most famous glaciers in South America.

A low Andean pass let the Pacific weather system cross the cordillera and countless storms have deposited immutable meters of snow that, over millennia, have compressed into the Perito Moreno Glacier, located about 78 Km West of El Calafate. It is a rasping river of ice that's one of the continent's greatest sights and sounds.

(Wayne Bernhardson - Patagonia , Moon travel guide book)


En route we passed some large private and corporate owned sheep properties that constitute the major rural land use on the grassland of the region. Commercial sheep farming was introduced by European settlers in the 19th century; now Argotourism is a added component and tourist farm-stays are the key activity.

Sheep grazing along shore of Lago Argentino

We then travelled on the Peninsular Magallenes to the major southern arm of Lake Argentino called Brazo Rico. 

The Perito Moreno glacier came into view when we travelled further down the road. It is named after Francisco Moreno, a 19th century explorer who help protect and defend Argentina's territory in the border conflict with Chile. It was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site as part of the Los Glaciers National Park. It is one of 48 glaciers that comprise the Southern Patagonian Ice field, the 2nd largest in the world.

The southern side of the glacier and the waters of Brazo Rico 

Small ships travel on the Brazo Rico and provide good view of the glacier terminus.

 

15 times during the 20th century, the glacier advanced and blocked the small channel (Canal de los Tempanos, Iceberg channel) that drains north from Brazo Rico (Rico arm) into Lake Argentino and formed a rising body of water. in one cases up to 60 meters higher. Eventually an eruption of ice and water towards the lake's main glacial trough occurred when the force of the water level became too great for the natural dam.

 

Scientists calculate that the Glacier is about 18,000 years old

Trekking on the glacier is a popular excursion:

 

After the boat ride we went to visitor centre where modernised catwalks and verandahs line the hill opposite the glacier and one can view the glacier with safety from differing levels above the lake.

View from the visitors centre 

The impressive scale of the glacier can be appreciated; it stenches for 30 km and covers an area of 250 square km. the greatest depth is 700 m. The width is 5km and the height above the Lake Argentino is 74m, but it also reaches a depth of 170m below the water's surface.  It is the 3rd largest reserve of fresh water on the planet.  Frequently in the afternoon sun, massive icebergs carve of the face and loudly crash into the iceberg channel. 

The glacier is growing at an average rate of 2m per day but losses a proportional amount each day - hence is in equilibrium. 

Along with the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, these present day ice fields are remnants of the last Ice Age (18,000-17,500 years ago), when all of southern Chile and Argentina was covered in a thick sheet of ice (an area estimated to be about 480,000 km² ).

March 03, 2020 Tags : Brazo Rico , Perito Moreno Glacier. Patagonia

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