Alberto de Agostini National Park
Encyclopedia
Alberto de Agostini National Park is a park located in the Chile
an part of Tierra del Fuego
. It covers 14600 sqkm and includes the Cordillera Darwin
mountain range. The park is named after Alberto Maria De Agostini
, who was an Italian missionary and explorer. Several tidewater glacier
s and steep fjord
s form part of this park. The park also comprises the islands Gordon
, Londonderry
and part of the Hoste Island
(excluding the Hardy Peninsula
and other portions).
. Picturesque areas such as Agostini Fjord
were discovered only in the past century.
The park, along with Cabo de Hornos National Park
, was designated a World Biosphere Reserve
by UNESCO
in 2005, which is called Cabo de Hornos.
, whose slopes drop precipitously to the sea. The Darwin range is dominated by Monte Darwin and Monte Sarmiento
. The valleys not filled by the sea are covered by glaciers, which also occupy small high plateaus.
Much of the landscape of the park has been sculpted by glaciers. The largest glacier is the Marinelli
, which is in a state of retreat as of 2008. One of the most stunning portions of the park is the Seno Pía, an embayment of the Beagle Channel
. The glaciers and mountains in this area form an amazing scenery, which also comprises the majestic Mount Darwin. Another glacier-related highlight of the park is the Avenue of the Glaciers, where the word avenue is used in a figurative sense describing a zone of the north-west arm of the Beagle Channel from which is possible to appreciate several beautiful glaciers when sailing along the north shore of it. These glaciers are: España, Romanche, Alemania (also known as Roncagli), Italia, Francia and Holanda.
ecoregion. This pristine coastal ecosystem is home to various species of trees such as the Coihue of Magallanes
(Nothofagus betuloides) and the Canelo
(Drimys winteri).
s, South American Sea Lion
s and Southern Elephant Seal
s.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an part of Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. It covers 14600 sqkm and includes the Cordillera Darwin
Cordillera Darwin
The Cordillera Darwin is an extensive mountain range mantled by an ice field. It is located in the southwestern portion of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, entirely within the Chilean territory. It is part of the longest Andes range and includes the highest mountains in Tierra del Fuego, with...
mountain range. The park is named after Alberto Maria De Agostini
Alberto María de Agostini
Father Alberto Maria De Agostini born in Pollone, Piedmont was an Italian missionary of the Salesians of Don Bosco order as well as a passionate mountaineer, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, photographer and cinematographer.-Life:De Agostini lived as a missionary in Tierra del Fuego and...
, who was an Italian missionary and explorer. Several tidewater glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s and steep fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s form part of this park. The park also comprises the islands Gordon
Gordon Island
Gordon Island is an island in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Politically, the island is located in the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, which belongs to the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile. It has an area of 591 km²....
, Londonderry
Londonderry Island
Londonderry is an island in Tierra del Fuego in Chile at the western end of the Beagle Channel and Darwin Sound; the captain of HMS Beagle, Robert FitzRoy, was a descendant of the Marquis of Londonderry. Politically, the island is located in the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, which belongs to the...
and part of the Hoste Island
Hoste (island)
Hoste is one of the southernmost islands in Chile, lying south, across the Beagle Channel, from Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego and west of Navarino Island, from which it is separated by the Murray Channel. With an area of , Hoste is the second largest island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago,...
(excluding the Hardy Peninsula
Hardy Peninsula
Peninsula Hardy is a peninsula at one of the most southerly extremes of South America. It is the southern landform which extends into the Drake Passage to make the Bahia Nassau. It is part of a large island called Hoste, next to Isla Navarino and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego...
and other portions).
History
The area was visited by Charles DarwinCharles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
. Picturesque areas such as Agostini Fjord
Agostini Fjord
Agostini Fjord, also known as Agostini Sound, is a fjord in Tierra del Fuego that separates two branches of the Cordillera Darwin, the Cordón Navarro in the southwest and the mountain range that includes Monte Buckland in the northeast...
were discovered only in the past century.
The park, along with Cabo de Hornos National Park
Cabo de Hornos National Park
Cabo de Hornos National Park is located in the Cape Horn Archipelago, which belongs to the Commune of Cabo de Hornos, in the Antártica Chilena Province of Magallanes y Antártica Chilena Region. It was created in 1945 and includes the Wollaston Archipelago and the Hermite Islands. The park covers...
, was designated a World Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2005, which is called Cabo de Hornos.
Geography
The park features a highly irregular coastline, which is deeply indent by fjords. The centerpiece of the park is the Cordillera DarwinCordillera Darwin
The Cordillera Darwin is an extensive mountain range mantled by an ice field. It is located in the southwestern portion of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, entirely within the Chilean territory. It is part of the longest Andes range and includes the highest mountains in Tierra del Fuego, with...
, whose slopes drop precipitously to the sea. The Darwin range is dominated by Monte Darwin and Monte Sarmiento
Monte Sarmiento
Monte Sarmiento is a pyramidal peak with a glaciated saddle-shaped summit located within Alberto de Agostini National Park, in the Chilean portion of Tierra del Fuego. It rises abruptly from the east shore of the Magdalena Channel and marks the western border of the Cordillera Darwin...
. The valleys not filled by the sea are covered by glaciers, which also occupy small high plateaus.
Geology
Marinelli Glacier
Marinelli Glacier is a tidewater glacier located in Alberto de Agostini National Park, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. The glacier spills out from the backbone of the Cordillera Darwin and calves into Ainsworth Bay, an embayment of the Almirantazgo Fjord...
, which is in a state of retreat as of 2008. One of the most stunning portions of the park is the Seno Pía, an embayment of the Beagle Channel
Beagle Channel
thumb|right|300px|Aereal view of Beagle Channel. The Chilean [[Navarino Island]] is seen in the top-right while the Argentine part of [[Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego]] is seen at the bottom-left....
. The glaciers and mountains in this area form an amazing scenery, which also comprises the majestic Mount Darwin. Another glacier-related highlight of the park is the Avenue of the Glaciers, where the word avenue is used in a figurative sense describing a zone of the north-west arm of the Beagle Channel from which is possible to appreciate several beautiful glaciers when sailing along the north shore of it. These glaciers are: España, Romanche, Alemania (also known as Roncagli), Italia, Francia and Holanda.
Ecoregion
The park is part of the Magellanic subpolar forestsMagellanic subpolar forests
The Magellanic subpolar forests are a terrestrial ecoregion of southernmost South America, covering parts of southern Chile and Argentina, and is part of the Neotropic ecozone...
ecoregion. This pristine coastal ecosystem is home to various species of trees such as the Coihue of Magallanes
Nothofagus betuloides
Nothofagus betuloides, the Magellan's beech and is sometimes known by the common name guindo, is native to southern Patagonia.In 1769 Sir Joseph Banks collected a specimen of the tree in Tierra del Fuego during Captain Cook's first voyage....
(Nothofagus betuloides) and the Canelo
Drimys winteri
Drimys winteri , or Canelo, is a slender tree, growing up to 20 m tall. It is native to the Magellanic and Valdivian temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina, where it is a dominant tree in the coastal evergreen forests. It is found below 1200 meters between latitude 32° south and Cape...
(Drimys winteri).
Wildlife
The wildlife is mainly marine and includes Marine OtterMarine Otter
The marine otter, Lontra felina, is a rare and poorly-known South American mammal of the weasel family . The scientific name means "otter cat", and in Spanish the marine otter is also often referred to as : "marine cat"...
s, South American Sea Lion
South American Sea Lion
The South American sea lion , also called the southern sea lion and the Patagonian sea lion, is a sea lion found on the Chilean, Peruvian, Uruguayan, Argentine and Southern Brazilian coasts. It is the only member of the genus Otaria...
s and Southern Elephant Seal
Southern Elephant Seal
The Southern Elephant Seal is one of the two extant species of elephant seal. It is both the most massive pinniped and member of the order Carnivora living today...
s.