Glaciers of Chile
Encyclopedia
The glaciers of Chile cover 2.7% (20,188 km2http://www.conama.cl/portal/1301/articles-43721_recurso_1.pdf) of the land area of the country, excluding Antártica Chilena, and have a considerable impact on its landscape and water supply. By surface 80% of South America's glaciers lie in Chile. Glaciers develop in the Andes
of Chile from 27˚S southwards: further north they are confined to the Argentinian side because of extreme aridity, though rock glacier
s formed from permafrost
are common. The largest glaciers of Chile are the Northern
and Southern Patagonian Ice Field
s. From a latitude of 47° S and south some glaciers reach sea level.
Apart from height and latitude, the settings of Chilean glaciers depend on precipitation patterns; in this sense two different regions exist: the Dry Andes
and the Wet Andes
.
s of Chile.
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of Chile from 27˚S southwards: further north they are confined to the Argentinian side because of extreme aridity, though rock glacier
Rock glacier
Rock glaciers are distinctive geomorphological landforms of angular rock debris frozen in interstitial ice which may extend outward and downslope from talus cones, glaciers or terminal moraines of glaciers. There are two types of rock glaciers: periglacial glaciers, or talus-derived glaciers, and...
s formed from permafrost
Permafrost
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of...
are common. The largest glaciers of Chile are the Northern
Northern Patagonian Ice Field
The Northern Patagonian Ice Field, located in southern Chile, is the smaller of two remnant parts in which the Patagonian Ice Sheet in the Andes Mountains of lower South America can be divided. It is completely contained within the boundaries of Laguna San Rafael National Park...
and Southern Patagonian Ice Field
Southern Patagonian Ice Field
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field , located at the Southern Patagonic Andes between Argentina and Chile, is the second largest contiguous extrapolar extent of ice in the world...
s. From a latitude of 47° S and south some glaciers reach sea level.
Apart from height and latitude, the settings of Chilean glaciers depend on precipitation patterns; in this sense two different regions exist: the Dry Andes
Dry Andes
The Dry Andes is a climatic and glaciological subregion of the Andes. Together with the Wet Andes it is one of the two subregions of the Argentine and Chilean Andes. The Dry Andes runs from the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and Argentina south to a latitude of 35°S in Chile. In Argentina the Dry...
and the Wet Andes
Wet Andes
The Wet Andes is a climatic and glaciological subregion of the Andes. Together with the Dry Andes it is one of the two subregions of the Argentine and Chilean Andes. The Wet Andes runs from a latitude of 35°S to Cape Horn at 56°S. According to Luis Lliboutry the Wet Andes can be classified after...
.
List of ice fields
This is a list of the ice fieldIce field
An ice field is an area less than 50,000 km² of ice often found in the colder climates and higher altitudes of the world where there is sufficient precipitation. It is an extensive area of interconnected valley glaciers from which the higher peaks rise as nunataks...
s of Chile.
| Name | Area(km²) | Regions of Chile 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... |
Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Patagonian Ice Field Northern Patagonian Ice Field The Northern Patagonian Ice Field, located in southern Chile, is the smaller of two remnant parts in which the Patagonian Ice Sheet in the Andes Mountains of lower South America can be divided. It is completely contained within the boundaries of Laguna San Rafael National Park... |
4,200 | Aisén | 47°00′S 73°30′W |
| Southern Patagonian Ice Field Southern Patagonian Ice Field The Southern Patagonian Ice Field , located at the Southern Patagonic Andes between Argentina and Chile, is the second largest contiguous extrapolar extent of ice in the world... |
14,200 (of 16,800) | Aisén Region Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity... and Magallanes |
|
| 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... |
2,300 | Magallanes | |
| Gran Campo Nevado Gran Campo Nevado The Gran Campo Nevado is a small ice field located in the southern portion of the Muñoz Gamero Peninsula, in Chile. It is about in area and feeds 19 outlet glaciers, of which the largest one is long.-References:... |
200 | Magallanes | 52°50′S 73°10′W |
| Grandes Ventisqueros | Magallanes |
List of glaciers
- Alemania Glacier
- Amalia GlacierAmalia GlacierAmalia Glacier, also known as Skua Glacier, is a tidewater glacier located in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. It originates in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and from 1945 to 1986 its terminus retreated , being, along with the receded of O'Higgins Glacier, the most drastic retreat of the...
- Balmaceda Glacier
- Bernardo GlacierBernardo GlacierBernardo Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It is located northeast of Témpano Glacier, within Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. The glacier flows westward Bernardo Fjord....
- Brüggen GlacierBrüggen GlacierBrüggen Glacier, also known as Pío XI Glacier, is in southern Chile and is the largest western outflow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Now about in length, it is the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica...
or Pío XI Glacier - Chico Glacier
- Colonia GlacierColonia GlacierColonia Glacier is a valley glacier located in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Chile. The glacier spills out to the southeast from an ice plateau north of Cerro Arenales and has its terminus about from Colonia Lake. Colonia Glacier dams three lakes; Cachet I, Cachet II and Arco Lake....
- Darwin Glacier
- Dickson GlacierDickson GlacierDickson Glacier is located in Torres del Paine National Park of southern Chile. Geologically it is in the southeastern outflow from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.-External links:*...
- Francia Glacier
- Garibaldi Glacier
- Grandes Ventisqueros
- Gran Campo NevadoGran Campo NevadoThe Gran Campo Nevado is a small ice field located in the southern portion of the Muñoz Gamero Peninsula, in Chile. It is about in area and feeds 19 outlet glaciers, of which the largest one is long.-References:...
- Grey GlacierGrey GlacierGrey Glacier is a glacier in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, just west of the Cordillera del Paine. It flows southward into the lake of the same name.-Surroundings:...
- Holanda Glacier
- Italia Glacier
- Jorge Montt GlacierJorge Montt GlacierJorge Montt Glacier is a tidewater glacier located in the Aisén Region of Chile, south of the town of Caleta Tortel. It lies at the north end of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, within Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. The mouth of Pascua River is located in the vicinity of the glacier calving...
- Juncal Norte GlacierJuncal Norte GlacierJuncal Norte Glacier is a glacier located in Nevado Juncal of the Valparaíso Region. More precisely it is placed in the heading of the watershed of Aconcagua River, Central Chile....
- La Paloma GlacierLa Paloma GlacierLa Paloma Glacier is a glacier located some northeast of Santiago. It one of the largest glaciers of central Chile. It originates at AMSL and ends at ....
- Leones Glacier
- Los Perros Glacier
- Marinelli GlacierMarinelli GlacierMarinelli 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...
- Nef GlacierNef GlacierNef Glacier is a glacier located in Laguna San Rafael National Park, in the Aisén Region of Chile. It trends southeast from Cerro Largo to its terminus in the lake that shared its name....
- Mocho-Choshuenco
- Northern Patagonian Ice FieldNorthern Patagonian Ice FieldThe Northern Patagonian Ice Field, located in southern Chile, is the smaller of two remnant parts in which the Patagonian Ice Sheet in the Andes Mountains of lower South America can be divided. It is completely contained within the boundaries of Laguna San Rafael National Park...
- O'Higgins GlacierO'Higgins GlacierO'Higgins Glacier is a glacier located in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, Chile. It is one of the principal glaciers of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The summit of the active Lautaro volcano is the top of the accumulation zone of the glacier. The bulk of the glacier is part of the icefield...
- Patagonian Ice SheetPatagonian Ice Sheet350px|thumb|right|Map showing the extent of the Patagonian Ice Sheet in the [[Strait of Magellan]] area during the [[last glacial period]]. Selected modern settlements are shown with yellow dots...
† - Pingo Glacier
- Queulat Glacier
- Romanche Glacier
- San Francisco GlacierSan Francisco GlacierThe San Francisco Glacier is a glacier in Monumento Natural El Morado Natural Park a hundred kilometers away from Santiago, Chile. It is a tourist attraction.-References:...
- San Quintín GlacierSan Quintín GlacierThe San Quintín Glacier is the largest outflow glacier of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field in southern Chile. Its terminus is a piedmont lobe just short of the Gulf of Penas on the Pacific Ocean and just north of 47°S.-Recent retreat:...
- San Rafael GlacierSan Rafael GlacierThe San Rafael Glacier is one of the major outlet glaciers of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field in southern Chile and is the tidewater glacier nearest the equator. It calves into the Laguna San Rafael and is contained within Laguna San Rafael National Park....
- Serrano Glacier
- Soler Glacier
- Southern Patagonian Ice FieldSouthern Patagonian Ice FieldThe Southern Patagonian Ice Field , located at the Southern Patagonic Andes between Argentina and Chile, is the second largest contiguous extrapolar extent of ice in the world...
- Chile/Argentina - Steffen GlacierSteffen GlacierSteffen Glacier is a major outlet glacier of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field in Aysén Region of Chile. It is the southernmost outlet glacier of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and ends up in a lagoon from where Huemules River is born...
- Stoppani GlacierStoppani GlacierStoppani Glacier is a valley 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 ends about from Yendegaia Bay giving origin to Yendegaia River....
- Tyndall GlacierTyndall Glacier (Chile)Tyndall Glacier or Geike Glacier is one of the largest glaciers in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It is located in the Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. The glacier has its main calving front in Geikie Lake and like its neighbor, Grey Glacier, it has been significantly retreating for the...
or Geike Glacier - Universidad Glacier
- Yelcho Glacier