Misplaced Pages

#204795

83-596: The complex has a total area of about 10,000 square metres, and was built mostly using stone from the Andes , under the direction of architects Ángel Guido and Alejandro Bustillo, and the sculptors José Fioravanti , Alfredo Bigatti and Eduardo Barnes . The Monumento has three parts: the Tower ( Torre ) or mast, 70 metres high, which commemorates the Revolution of May 1810 and houses Manuel Belgrano's crypt in its base;

166-555: A higher potential for larger, high-magnitude earthquakes in the future. The mountain range is also a source of shallow intraplate earthquakes within the South American Plate. The largest such earthquake (as of 2024) struck Peru in 1947 and measured M s   7.5. In the Peruvian Andes, these earthquakes display normal ( 1946 ), strike-slip (1976), and reverse ( 1969 , 1983) mechanisms. The Amazonian Craton

249-566: A joint ice stream network. The Andes' dendritic glacier arms, components of valley glaciers, were up to 112.5 km (69.9 mi) long and over 1,250 m (4,101 ft) thick, and spanned a vertical distance of 5,150 m (16,896 ft). The climatic glacier snowline (ELA) was lowered from 4,600 m (15,092 ft) to 3,200 m (10,499 ft) at glacial times. The Andean region cuts across several natural and floristic regions, due to its extension, from Caribbean Venezuela to cold, windy, and wet Cape Horn passing through

332-594: A north–south axis of cultural influences. A long series of cultural development culminated in the expansion of the Inca civilization and Inca Empire in the central Andes during the 15th century. The Incas formed this civilization through imperialistic militarism as well as careful and meticulous governmental management. The government sponsored the construction of aqueducts and roads in addition to pre-existing installations. Some of these constructions still exist today. Devastated by European diseases and by civil war ,

415-564: A payment before using these toilets. Some large organisers will charge up to US$  100 , while smaller ones may charge US$   5 per day or US$  10 for the entire stay; thus, many independent mountaineers choose to defecate on the mountainside. For the Incas , Aconcagua was a sacred mountain. As on other mountains (e.g. Ampato ), places of worship were built here and sacrifices, including human sacrifices , were made. The sites discovered in 1985 at an elevation of 5167 m are among

498-711: A series of bends or oroclines . The Bolivian Orocline is a seaward-concave bending in the coast of South America and the Andes Mountains at about 18° S. At this point, the orientation of the Andes turns from northwest in Peru to south in Chile and Argentina . The Andean segments north and south of the Orocline have been rotated 15° counter-clockwise to 20° clockwise respectively. The Bolivian Orocline area overlaps with

581-426: A time of 11 hours 52 minutes, nearly an hour faster than Kilian Jornet. In 2016, Fernanda Maciel  [ fr ] set the first women record for climbing and descending Aconcagua from Horcones in 22 hours, 52 minutes. The current women's record is held by Ecuadorean Daniela Sandoval at 20 hours, 17 minutes. On 25 September 2019, an Airbus Helicopters H145 landed on the very peak of Mount Aconcagua. This

664-634: A typical location for calc-alkalic and subduction volcanism, the Andean Volcanic Belt has a large range of volcano-tectonic settings, such as rift systems, extensional zones, transpressional faults , subduction of mid-ocean ridges , and seamount chains apart from a large range of crustal thicknesses and magma ascent paths, and different amount of crustal assimilations. The Andes Mountains host large ore and salt deposits, and some of their eastern fold and thrust belts act as traps for commercially exploitable amounts of hydrocarbons . In

747-559: A volcano. However, volcanism has been present in this region for as long as this basin was around and volcanic deposits interfinger with marine deposits throughout the sequence. The colorful greenish, bluish and grey deposits seen in the Horcones Valley and south of Puente Del Inca, are carbonates, limestones, turbidites and evaporates that filled this basin. The red-colored rocks are intrusions, cinder deposits and conglomerates of volcanic origin. In mountaineering terms, Aconcagua

830-536: A whole glacier in the ablation area or in the accumulation area . In the high Andes of Central Chile and Mendoza Province , rock glaciers are larger and more common than glaciers; this is due to the high exposure to solar radiation . In these regions, glaciers occur typically at higher altitudes than rock glaciers. The lowest active rock glaciers occur at 900 m a.s.l. in Aconcagua . Though precipitation increases with height, there are semiarid conditions in

913-780: A zone of volcanic activity that encompasses the Pacific rim of the Americas as well as the Asia-Pacific region. The Andes are the result of tectonic plate processes extending during the Mesozoic and Tertiary eras, caused by the subduction of oceanic crust beneath the South American Plate as the Nazca Plate and South American Plate converge. These processes were accelerated by the effects of climate. As

SECTION 10

#1732772635205

996-561: Is a result of the subduction of the Nazca Plate and Antarctic Plate underneath the South American Plate. The belt is subdivided into four main volcanic zones that are separated from each other by volcanic gaps. The volcanoes of the belt are diverse in terms of activity style, products, and morphology. While some differences can be explained by which volcanic zone a volcano belongs to, there are significant differences inside volcanic zones and even between neighboring volcanoes. Despite being

1079-551: Is actively underthrusted beneath the sub-Andes region of Peru, producing thrust faults. In Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, thrust faulting occurs along the sub-Andes due in response to compression brought on by subduction, while in the high Andes, normal faulting occurs in response to gravitational forces. In the extreme south, a major transform fault separates Tierra del Fuego from the small Scotia Plate . The Andes range has many active volcanoes distributed in four volcanic zones separated by areas of inactivity. The Andean volcanism

1162-506: Is delimited by Córdoba St. and Santa Fe St., which slope down towards the river at this point. The Propylaeum can be accessed from the pedestrian passage called Pasaje Juramento ("Oath Passage"), which starts at Buenos Aires St. between the municipal building ( Palacio de los Leones ) and the Cathedral , in front of Plaza 25 de Mayo ( May 25th Square). The passage is flanked by statues by famous sculptor Lola Mora . The Memorial and

1245-471: Is natural, or the result of clearing which began during the Incan period. Regardless, in modern times , the clearance has accelerated, and the trees are now considered highly endangered , with some believing that as little as 10% of the original woodland remains. The Andes are rich in fauna: With almost 1,000 species, of which roughly 2/3 are endemic to the region, the Andes are the most important region in

1328-678: Is now known as the Polish Glacier . A route over the Southwest Ridge was pioneered over seven days in January 1953 by the Swiss-Argentine team of Frederico and Dorly Marmillod, Francisco Ibanez and Fernando Grajales. The famously difficult South Face was conquered by a French team led by René Ferlet  [ fr ] . Pierre Lesueur, Adrien Dagory, Robert Paragot, Edmond Denis, Lucien Berardini and Guy Poulet reached

1411-703: Is one of the Seven Summits of the seven continents . Aconcagua is bounded by the Valle de las Vacas to the north and east and the Valle de los Horcones Inferior to the west and south. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park . The mountain has a number of glaciers . The largest glacier is the Ventisquero Horcones Inferior at about 10 km (6 mi) long, which descends from

1494-457: Is technically an easy mountain if approached from the north, via the normal route . Aconcagua is arguably the highest non-technical mountain in the world since the northern route does not absolutely require ropes, axes, and pins. Although the effects of altitude are severe (atmospheric pressure is 40% of sea level at the summit), the use of supplemental oxygen is not common. Altitude sickness will affect most climbers to some extent, depending on

1577-460: Is the first time in history a twin-engine helicopter has landed at this altitude. It took a total of 45 minutes for the entire trip, 30 minutes from Mendoza and another 15 from the base camp up to the peak. Temperatures were reported as low as −22 °C (−8 °F), with wind gusts up to 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph). This is not the highest a helicopter has landed before, as a single-engine Airbus Helicopters H125 landed on Mount Everest,

1660-1647: Is the largest city of all Andean countries. It is the seat of the Andean Community of Nations . La Paz , Bolivia 's seat of government, is the highest capital city in the world, at an elevation of approximately 3,650 m (11,975 ft). Parts of the La Paz conurbation, including the city of El Alto , extend up to 4,200 m (13,780 ft). Other cities in or near the Andes include Bariloche , Catamarca , Jujuy , Mendoza , Salta , San Juan , Tucumán , and Ushuaia in Argentina; Calama and Rancagua in Chile; Cochabamba , Oruro , Potosí , Sucre , Tarija , and Yacuiba in Bolivia; Arequipa , Cajamarca , Cusco , Huancayo , Huánuco , Huaraz , Juliaca , and Puno in Peru; Ambato , Cuenca , Ibarra , Latacunga , Loja , Riobamba , and Tulcán in Ecuador; Armenia , Cúcuta , Bucaramanga , Duitama , Ibagué , Ipiales , Manizales , Palmira , Pasto , Pereira , Popayán , Sogamoso , Tunja , and Villavicencio in Colombia; and Barquisimeto , La Grita , Mérida , San Cristóbal , Tovar, Trujillo , and Valera in Venezuela. The cities of Caracas , Valencia , and Maracay are in

1743-404: The 2010 Maule earthquake (M8.8), the 2015 Illapel earthquake (M8.2), and the 1960 Valdivia earthquake (M9.5), which as of 2024 was the strongest ever recorded on seismometers. The amount, magnitude, and type of seismic activity varies greatly along the subduction zone. These differences are due to a wide range of factors, including friction between the plates, angle of subduction, buoyancy of

SECTION 20

#1732772635205

1826-769: The Aconcagua River and means "comes from the other side"; the Quechua Ackon Cahuak , meaning "Sentinel of Stone"; the Quechua Anco Cahuac , meaning "White Sentinel"; or the Aymara Janq'u Q'awa , meaning "White Ravine". The mountain was created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate . Aconcagua used to be an active stratovolcano (from the Late Cretaceous or Early Paleocene through

1909-682: The Americas and Antarctica . The etymology of the word Andes has been debated. The majority consensus is that it derives from the Quechua word anti "east" as in Antisuyu (Quechua for "east region"), one of the four regions of the Inca Empire . The term cordillera comes from the Spanish word cordel "rope" and is used as a descriptive name for several contiguous sections of

1992-456: The Andean cock-of-the-rock , while mixed-species flocks dominated by tanagers and furnariids are commonly seen—in contrast to several vocal but typically- cryptic species of wrens , tapaculos , and antpittas . A number of species such as the royal cinclodes and white-browed tit-spinetail are associated with Polylepis , and consequently also threatened . The Andes Mountains form

2075-592: The Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela, were formerly thought to represent the submerged peaks of the extreme northern edge of the Andes range, but ongoing geological studies indicate that such a simplification does not do justice to the complex tectonic boundary between the South American and Caribbean plates . The Andes are an orogenic belt of mountains along the Pacific Ring of Fire ,

2158-535: The Cenozoic . Tectonic forces above the subduction zone along the entire west coast of South America where the Nazca Plate and a part of the Antarctic Plate are sliding beneath the South American Plate continue to produce an ongoing orogenic event resulting in minor to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to this day. Many high-magnitude earthquakes have been recorded in the region, such as

2241-696: The Miocene ) and consisted of several volcanic complexes on the edge of a basin with a shallow sea. However, sometime in the Miocene, about 8 to 10 million years ago, the subduction angle started to decrease, resulting in a stop of the melting and more horizontal stresses between the oceanic plate and the continent, causing the thrust faults that lifted Aconcagua off its volcanic root. The rocks on Aconcagua's flanks are all volcanic and consist of lavas, breccias and pyroclastics . The shallow marine basin had already formed earlier (Triassic), even before Aconcagua arose as

2324-694: The Tropical Andes , the Dry Andes , and the Wet Andes . The Andes are the highest mountain range which is outside of Asia . The range's highest peak, Argentina's Aconcagua , rises to an elevation of about 6,961 m (22,838 ft) above sea level. The peak of Chimborazo in the Ecuadorian Andes is farther from the Earth's center than any other location on the Earth's surface, due to

2407-582: The Venezuelan Coastal Range , which is a debatable extension of the Andes at the northern extremity of South America. Cities and large towns are connected with asphalt -paved roads, while smaller towns are often connected by dirt roads, which may require a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The rough terrain has historically put the costs of building highways and railroads that cross the Andes out of reach of most neighboring countries, even with modern civil engineering practices. For example,

2490-674: The War of the Pacific between Chile and the allied Bolivia and Peru, in a diplomatic deal to keep Peru out of the war. The Chilean Army and Chilean Navy defeated the combined forces of Bolivia and Peru, and Chile took over Bolivia's only province on the Pacific Coast, some land from Peru that was returned to Peru decades later. Bolivia has been completely landlocked ever since. It mostly uses seaports in eastern Argentina and Uruguay for international trade because its diplomatic relations with Chile have been suspended since 1978. Because of

2573-602: The equatorial bulge resulting from the Earth's rotation . The world's highest volcanoes are in the Andes, including Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border, which rises to 6,893 m (22,615 ft). The Andes are also part of the American Cordillera , a chain of mountain ranges ( cordillera ) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of

National Flag Memorial (Argentina) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-483: The rodent order, inhabit the Andes' alpine regions. The Andean condor , the largest bird of its kind in the Western Hemisphere , occurs throughout much of the Andes but generally in very low densities. Other animals found in the relatively open habitats of the high Andes include the huemul , cougar , foxes in the genus Pseudalopex , and, for birds, certain species of tinamous (notably members of

2739-703: The 1,000-kilometer-wide (620 mi) Drake Passage lie the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula south of the Scotia Plate , which appear to be a continuation of the Andes chain. The far east regions of the Andes experience a series of changes resulting from the Andean orogeny. Parts of the Sunsás Orogen in Amazonian craton disappeared from the surface of the earth, being overridden by

2822-875: The 25 places of interest to visit in South America. Andes The Andes ( / ˈ æ n d iː z / AN -deez ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range ( Spanish : Cordillera de los Andes ; Quechua : Anti ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America . The range is 8,900 km (5,530 mi) long and 200 to 700 km (124 to 435 mi) wide (widest between 18°S and 20°S latitude ) and has an average height of about 4,000 m (13,123 ft). The Andes extend from South to North through seven South American countries: Argentina , Chile , Bolivia , Peru , Ecuador , Colombia , and Venezuela . Along their length,

2905-469: The Andean peoples are those of the Quechua and Aymara language families. Woodbine Parish and Joseph Barclay Pentland surveyed a large part of the Bolivian Andes from 1826 to 1827. In modern times, the largest cities in the Andes are Bogotá , with a metropolitan population of over ten million, and Santiago , Medellín , Cali , and Quito . Lima is a coastal city adjacent to the Andes and

2988-405: The Andes are tobacco and potatoes . The high-altitude Polylepis forests and woodlands are found in the Andean areas of Colombia , Ecuador , Peru , Bolivia , and Chile . These trees, by locals referred to as Queñua, Yagual, and other names, can be found at altitudes of 4,500 m (14,760 ft) above sea level. It remains unclear if the patchy distribution of these forests and woodlands

3071-510: The Andes are split into several ranges, separated by intermediate depressions . The Andes are the location of several high plateaus —some of which host major cities such as Quito , Bogotá , Cali , Arequipa , Medellín , Bucaramanga , Sucre , Mérida , El Alto , and La Paz . The Altiplano Plateau is the world's second highest after the Tibetan Plateau . These ranges are in turn grouped into three major divisions based on climate:

3154-521: The Andes end at the Pacific Ocean , although the Peru-Chile trench can be considered their ultimate western limit. From a geographical approach, the Andes are considered to have their western boundaries marked by the appearance of coastal lowlands and less-rugged topography. The Andes also contain large quantities of iron ore located in many mountains within the range. The Andean orogen has

3237-462: The Andes such as the Incas have practiced irrigation techniques for over 6,000 years. Because of the mountain slopes, terracing has been a common practice. Terracing, however, was only extensively employed after Incan imperial expansions to fuel their expanding realm. The potato holds a very important role as an internally-consumed staple crop. Maize was also an important crop for these people, and

3320-526: The Andes varies greatly depending on latitude, altitude, and proximity to the sea. Temperature, atmospheric pressure, and humidity decrease in higher elevations. The southern section is rainy and cool, while the central section is dry. The northern Andes are typically rainy and warm, with an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) in Colombia . The climate is known to change drastically in rather short distances. Rainforests exist just kilometers away from

3403-542: The Andes, as well as the entire Andean range, and the combined mountain chain along the western part of the North and South American continents. The Andes can be divided into three sections: At the northern end of the Andes, the separate Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta range is often, but not always, treated as part of the Northern Andes. The Leeward Antilles islands Aruba , Bonaire , and Curaçao , which lie in

National Flag Memorial (Argentina) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-524: The Andes. The Sierras de Córdoba , where the effects of the ancient Pampean orogeny can be observed, owe their modern uplift and relief to the Andean orogeny in the Tertiary . Further south in southern Patagonia , the onset of the Andean orogeny caused the Magallanes Basin to evolve from being an extensional back-arc basin in the Mesozoic to being a compressional foreland basin in

3569-857: The Civic Courtyard ( Patio Cívico ), which symbolizes the effort of the organization of the state (the Courtyard is used for massive open-air shows), and the Triumphal Propylaeum ( Propileo Triunfal ), representing the Nation as organized after the 1853 Constitution . Under the Propylaeum there is the Honour Room for the Flags of America (where the flags of all American nations are displayed). The complex faces Belgrano Avenue, and

3652-491: The Incas were defeated in 1532 by an alliance composed of tens of thousands of allies from nations they had subjugated (e.g. Huancas , Chachapoyas , Cañaris ) and a small army of 180 Spaniards led by Francisco Pizarro . One of the few Inca sites the Spanish never found in their conquest was Machu Picchu , which lay hidden on a peak on the eastern edge of the Andes where they descend to the Amazon. The main surviving languages of

3735-702: The National Flag Park located in front of it are the seat of the main celebrations of Flag Day on June 20. The 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the complex, in 2007, was marked by a special celebration and by the unveiling of a new lighting system. According to the Travelers Choice Awards 2013, granted by the Tripavisor site based on the votes of the people, the National Monument to La Bandera ranks number 20 among

3818-407: The Patagonian Orocline. The western rim of the South American Plate has been the place of several pre-Andean orogenies since at least the late Proterozoic and early Paleozoic , when several terranes and microcontinents collided and amalgamated with the ancient cratons of eastern South America, by then the South American part of Gondwana . The formation of the modern Andes began with

3901-441: The Polish Glacier Traverse Route, and the remaining 3% on other routes. The campsites on the normal route are listed below (elevations are approximate). Summit attempts are usually made from a high camp at either Berlín or Colera, or from the lower camp at Nido de Cóndores. The first attempt to summit Aconcagua by Europeans was made in 1883 by a party led by the German geologist and explorer Paul Güssfeldt . Bribing porters with

3984-402: The area of the maximum width of the Altiplano Plateau , and according to Isacks (1988) the Orocline is related to crustal shortening . The specific point at 18° S where the coastline bends is known as the Arica Elbow. Further south lies the Maipo Orocline, a more subtle orocline between 30° S and 38°S with a seaward-concave break in the trend at 33° S. Near the southern tip of the Andes lies

4067-419: The degree of acclimatization . Although the normal climb is technically easy, multiple casualties occur every year on this mountain (in January 2009 alone, five climbers died). This is due to the large numbers of climbers who attempt and because many climbers underestimate the objective risks of the elevation and of cold weather, which is the real challenge on this mountain. Given the weather conditions close to

4150-399: The dry climate that reduced the disturbing actions of meteoric water . The dry climate in the central western Andes has also led to the creation of extensive saltpeter deposits which were extensively mined until the invention of synthetic nitrates . Yet another result of the dry climate are the salars of Atacama and Uyuni , the former being the largest source of lithium and the latter

4233-478: The dry season (winter) possible and allows the cultivation of frost-resistant vegetable crops like onion and carrot . The Andes rose to fame for their mineral wealth during the Spanish conquest of South America . Although Andean Amerindian peoples crafted ceremonial jewelry of gold and other metals, the mineralizations of the Andes were first mined on a large scale after the Spanish arrival. Potosí in present-day Bolivia and Cerro de Pasco in Peru were among

SECTION 50

#1732772635205

4316-501: The establishment of the century-long Inca Empire . This all changed in the 16th century, when the Spanish conquistadors colonized the mountains in advance of the mining economy. In the tide of anti-imperialist nationalism, the Andes became the scene of a series of independence wars in the 19th century, when rebel forces swept through the region to overthrow Spanish colonial rule. Since then, many former Spanish territories have become five independent Andean states. The climate in

4399-519: The events of the Triassic , when Pangaea began the breakup that resulted in developing several rifts . The development continued through the Jurassic Period. It was during the Cretaceous Period that the Andes began to take their present form, by the uplifting , faulting , and folding of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks of the ancient cratons to the east. The rise of the Andes has not been constant, as different regions have had different degrees of tectonic stress, uplift, and erosion . Across

4482-423: The extreme in the slopes near the virtually-lifeless Atacama Desert. About 30,000 species of vascular plants live in the Andes, with roughly half being endemic to the region, surpassing the diversity of any other hotspot . The small tree Cinchona pubescens , a source of quinine which is used to treat malaria , is found widely in the Andes as far south as Bolivia. Other important crops that originated from

4565-401: The forelands of the Atacama Desert , some of the largest porphyry copper mineralizations occur, making Chile and Peru the first- and second-largest exporters of copper in the world. Porphyry copper in the western slopes of the Andes has been generated by hydrothermal fluids (mostly water) during the cooling of plutons or volcanic systems. The porphyry mineralization further benefited from

4648-555: The genus Nothoprocta ), Andean goose , giant coot , flamingos (mainly associated with hypersaline lakes), lesser rhea , Andean flicker , diademed sandpiper-plover , miners , sierra-finches and diuca-finches . Lake Titicaca hosts several endemics, among them the highly endangered Titicaca flightless grebe and Titicaca water frog . A few species of hummingbirds , notably some hillstars , can be seen at altitudes above 4,000 m (13,100 ft), but far higher diversities can be found at lower altitudes, especially in

4731-447: The glaciers were over ten times longer. On the east side of this section of the Mendozina Andes, they flowed down to 2,060 m (6,759 ft) and on the west side to about 1,220 m (4,003 ft) above sea level. The massifs of Aconcagua (6,961 m (22,838 ft)), Tupungato (6,550 m (21,490 ft)), and Nevado Juncal (6,110 m (20,046 ft)) are tens of kilometres away from each other and were connected by

4814-464: The highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere with a summit elevation of 6,961 metres (22,838 ft). Despite its impressive size and stature, it is only the 189th highest mountain in the world . It lies 112 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, the city of Mendoza , about five kilometres (three miles) from San Juan Province , and 15 km (9 mi) from Argentina's border with Chile . The mountain

4897-435: The highest mountain in the world. At nearly 7,000 m (23,000 ft), Aconcagua is the highest peak outside of Asia. It is believed to have the highest death rate of any mountain in South America   —   around three a year   —   which has earned it the nickname "Mountain of Death". More than 100 people have died on Aconcagua since records began. Due to the improper disposal of human waste in

4980-453: The humid Andean forests (" cloud forests ") growing on slopes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and far northwestern Argentina. These forest-types, which includes the Yungas and parts of the Chocó, are very rich in flora and fauna, although few large mammals exist, exceptions being the threatened mountain tapir , spectacled bear , and yellow-tailed woolly monkey . Birds of humid Andean forests include mountain toucans , quetzals , and

5063-467: The hyperarid Atacama Desert . Rainforests and tropical dry forests used to encircle much of the northern Andes but are now greatly diminished , especially in the Chocó and inter-Andean valleys of Colombia. Opposite the humid Andean slopes are the relatively dry Andean slopes in most of western Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Along with several Interandean Valles , they are typically dominated by deciduous woodland, shrub and xeric vegetation, reaching

SECTION 60

#1732772635205

5146-439: The larger glaciers descend to sea level. The Andes of Chile and Argentina can be divided into two climatic and glaciological zones: the Dry Andes and the Wet Andes . Since the Dry Andes extend from the latitudes of the Atacama Desert to the area of the Maule River , precipitation is more sporadic, and there are strong temperature oscillations. The line of equilibrium may shift drastically over short periods of time, leaving

5229-432: The main crossover of the Andes between Argentina and Chile is still accomplished through the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores . Only recently have the ends of some highways that came rather close to one another from the east and the west been connected. Much of the transportation of passengers is done via aircraft. However, there is one railroad that connects Chile with Peru via the Andes, and there are others that make

5312-614: The mountain environment there are significant health hazards that pose a threat to both animals and human beings. Only boiled or chemically treated water is accepted for drinking. Additionally, ecofriendly toilets are available only to members of an organised expedition, meaning climbers have to "be contracted to a toilet service" at the base camp and similar camps along the route. As of 2015, from two base camps (Plaza de Mulas and Plaza Argentina), over 120 barrels of waste (approx. 22,500 kg (49,600 lb)) are flown out by helicopter each season. In addition, individual mountaineers must make

5395-445: The nearly-7,000-metre (22,966 ft) highest mountains of the Andes. This dry steppe climate is considered to be typical of the subtropical position at 32–34° S. The valley bottoms have no woods, just dwarf scrub. The largest glaciers, for example the Plomo Glacier and the Horcones Glaciers, do not even reach 10 km (6.2 mi) in length and have only insignificant ice thickness. At glacial times, however, c. 20,000 years ago,

5478-425: The principal mines of the Spanish Empire in the New World. Río de la Plata and Argentina derive their names from the silver of Potosí. Aconcagua Aconcagua ( Spanish pronunciation: [akoŋˈkaɣwa] ) is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range , in Mendoza Province , Argentina . It is the highest mountain in the Americas , the highest outside Asia , and

5561-402: The rainy season (summer), part of the rangeland is used for cropping (mainly potatoes, barley, broad beans, and wheat). Irrigation is helpful in advancing the sowing data of the summer crops, which guarantees an early yield in periods of food shortage. Also, by early sowing, maize can be cultivated higher up in the mountains (up to 3,800 m (12,500 ft)). In addition, it makes cropping in

5644-460: The same connection via southern Bolivia. There are multiple highways in Bolivia that cross the Andes. Some of these were built during a period of war between Bolivia and Paraguay , in order to transport Bolivian troops and their supplies to the war front in the lowlands of southeastern Bolivia and western Paraguay. For decades, Chile claimed ownership of land on the eastern side of the Andes. However, these claims were given up in about 1870 during

5727-669: The snow-covered peak of Cotopaxi . The mountains have a large effect on the temperatures of nearby areas. The snow line depends on the location. It is between 4,500 and 4,800 m (14,764 and 15,748 ft) in the tropical Ecuadorian, Colombian, Venezuelan, and northern Peruvian Andes, rising to 4,800–5,200 m (15,748–17,060 ft) in the drier mountains of southern Peru and northern Chile south to about 30°S before descending to 4,500 m (14,760 ft) on Aconcagua at 32°S , 2,000 m (6,600 ft) at 40°S , 500 m (1,640 ft) at 50°S , and only 300 m (980 ft) in Tierra del Fuego at 55°S ; from 50°S, several of

5810-438: The south face to about 3,600 m (11,800 ft) in elevation near the Confluencia camp. Two other large glacier systems are the Ventisquero de las Vacas Sur and Glaciar Este/Ventisquero Relinchos system at about 5 km (3 mi) long. The best known is the northeastern or Polish Glacier , as it is a common route of ascent. The origin of the name is uncertain. It may be from the Mapudungun Aconca-Hue , which refers to

5893-417: The story of treasure on the mountain, he approached the mountain via the Rio Volcan, making two attempts on the peak by the northwest ridge and reaching an elevation of 6,500 metres (21,300 ft). The route that he prospected is now the standard route up the mountain. The first recorded ascent was in 1897 by a European expedition led by the British mountaineer Edward FitzGerald . FitzGerald failed to reach

5976-526: The subducting plate, rate of subduction, and hydration value of the mantle material. The highest rate of seismic activity is observed in the central portion of the boundary, between 33°S and 35°S. In this area, the angle of subduction is very low, meaning the subducting plate is nearly horizontal. Studies of mantle hydration across the subduction zone have shown a correlation between increased material hydration and lower-magnitude, more-frequent seismic activity. Zones exhibiting dehydration instead are thought to have

6059-637: The subduction of the Nazca Plate and the Antarctic Plate . To the east, the Andes range is bounded by several sedimentary basins , such as the Orinoco Basin , the Amazon Basin , the Madre de Dios Basin, and the Gran Chaco , that separate the Andes from the ancient cratons in eastern South America. In the south, the Andes share a long boundary with the former Patagonia Terrane . To the west,

6142-400: The summit after a month of effort on 25 February 1954. As of 2020 the youngest person to reach the summit of Aconcagua is Tyler Armstrong of California. He was nine years old when he reached the summit on 24 December 2013. Kaamya Karthikeyan of India at an age of 12 became the youngest girl to reach the summit on 1 February 2020. The oldest person to climb it was Scott Lewis, who reached

6225-557: The summit himself over eight attempts between December 1896 and February 1897, but the (Swiss) guide of the expedition, Matthias Zurbriggen reached the summit on 14 January. On the final attempt a month later, two other expedition members, Stuart Vines and Nicola Lanti, reached the summit on 13 February. The east side of Aconcagua was first scaled by a Polish expedition , with Konstanty Narkiewicz-Jodko , Stefan Daszyński  [ pl ] , Wiktor Ostrowski  [ pl ] and Stefan Osiecki summiting on 8 March 1934, over what

6308-519: The summit on 26 November 2007, when he was 87 years old. In the base camp Plaza de Mulas (at 4,300 m (14,100 ft) above sea level) there is the highest contemporary art gallery tent called "Nautilus" of the Argentine painter Miguel Doura . In 2014, Kilian Jornet set a record for climbing and descending Aconcagua from Horcones in 12 hours and 49 minutes. The record was broken less than two months later by Ecuadorian-Swiss Karl Egloff , in

6391-531: The summit, cold weather injuries are very common. The routes to the peak from the south and south-west ridges are more demanding and the south face climb is considered quite difficult. The Polish Glacier Traverse route, also known as the "Falso de los Polacos" route, crosses through the Vacas valley, ascends to the base of the Polish Glacier, then traverses across to the normal route for the final ascent to

6474-582: The summit. The third most popular route is by the Polish Glacier itself. Provincial Park rangers do not maintain records of successful summits but estimates suggest a summit rate of 30–40%. About 75% of climbers are foreigners and 25% are Argentinean. Among foreigners, the United States leads in the number of climbers, followed by Germany and the UK. About 54% of climbers ascend the Normal Route, 43% up

6557-452: The tortuous terrain in places, villages and towns in the mountains—to which travel via motorized vehicles is of little use—are still located in the high Andes of Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador . Locally, the relatives of the camel , the llama , and the alpaca continue to carry out important uses as pack animals, but this use has generally diminished in modern times. Donkeys , mules , and horses are also useful. The ancient peoples of

6640-477: The uplift of the Andes created a rain shadow on the western fringes of Chile, ocean currents and prevailing winds carried moisture away from the Chilean coast. This caused some areas of the subduction zone to be sediment-starved, causing excess friction and an increased rate of compressed coastal uplift. The main cause of the rise of the Andes is the compression of the western rim of the South American Plate due to

6723-642: The world for amphibians . The diversity of animals in the Andes is high, with almost 600 species of mammals (13% endemic), more than 1,700 species of birds (about 1/3 endemic), more than 600 species of reptiles (about 45% endemic), and almost 400 species of fish (about 1/3 endemic). The vicuña and guanaco can be found living in the Altiplano , while the closely related domesticated llama and alpaca are widely kept by locals as pack animals and for their meat and wool . The crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk) chinchillas , two threatened members of

6806-470: The world's largest reserve of the element. Early Mesozoic and Neogene plutonism in Bolivia's Cordillera Central created the Bolivian tin belt as well as the famous, now-mostly-depleted, deposits of Cerro Rico de Potosí . The Andes Mountains, initially inhabited by hunter-gatherers , experienced the development of agriculture and the rise of politically centralized civilizations , which culminated in

6889-408: Was used for the production of chicha , important to Andean native people. Currently, tobacco , cotton , and coffee are the main export crops. Coca , despite eradication programs in some countries, remains an important crop for legal local use in a mildly stimulating herbal tea , and illegally for the production of cocaine . In unirrigated land, pasture is the most common type of land use. In

#204795