Every year the Perito Moreno glacier generate expectations

Perito Moreno glacier, what you wish to know

Every year the Perito Moreno glacier generate expectations within the world relation to its breakup. Some information on its features and its history can facilitate us perceive this phenomenon.


Los Glaciares park was created in 1937 for the preservation of the glaciers and was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO to protect its flora and fauna at risk of extinction.



glaciarPart of the glacier image. picture courtesy of Jan Zkelj - Sec. of Tourism

Glaciers play a vital role in our day, occupy 100% of the land surface and account for ninetieth of the world's water. And with the air and water flow that make, contribute to balance the Earth's climate, that without them would be breathless.


There are several myths and comments on the Perito Moreno glacier and its behavior that each year surprise and invites tourists from all over the world. however to start to know, we should ask:



What is a glacier?

A glacier is commonly compared to a stream of ice as a result of it have tributaries, erosive capacity, and greater speed within the middle of the channel than at the sides. however the movement of ice, like all bodies, follow the laws of gravity and extremely specific behaviors that have very little in common with the water.

Parque-Nacional-Los-glaciaresLos Glaciares park. photo courtesy R. Garcia

The ice of glaciers is the results of compression of the snow impact of its own weight. For the formation of a glacier takes giant snow and the average annual temperature for holding snow. The snow accumulates and compressed  in layers that are compacted and by the weight it form the ice.

The time needed for the formation of ice from the snow differs exceedingly from one glacier to a different looking on 2 factors: the snow and temperature and might vary from a dozen years like within the alpine glaciers or glaciers from Patagonia or many hundreds of years like in Antarctica.

The vital thing to understand regarding the glacier is that's not solely a mass of ice, however particularly, a mass of moving ice. And as everyone in motion, the ice is influenced by gravity. thanks to this similarity with water the glaciers are compared to streams that, if it's not entirely false, in light of recent studies additionally doesn't' appear to be quite true.

A glacier is just a glacier if it moves and to begin to move the ice desires a particular thickness of regarding twenty meters. From here, 3 factors can condition the forward speed of a glacier: the thickness, slope and ice temperature.
Thanks for your comment