GLACIERS: ORIGIN AND FUNCTION Our Park A glaciation is a period of long-term reduction in the Water factory temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, Glaciers have two important roles: resulting in the expansion of continental and polar Los Glaciares National Park is situated • They are a climate regulator: they keep our planet ice sheets and glaciers. The largest ice sheet in the southwest of Santa Cruz province, cool by reflecting back 45 to 85 per cent of the sunlight. expansion took place one million years ago covering, Argentina. It covers an area of 726.927 • They are an important freshwater reservoir: only in these latitudes, the south of Santa Cruz from the 3% of all water on our planet is fresh. hectares (2,807 sq. mi.) and was Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. Nevertheless, despite established to preserve a significant portion their impressiveness, ice sheets and glaciers of southern Andes, glaciers, forests (Bosque nowadays are just the remains of past ice ages. Andino Patagónico) and steppe. It is the Salt largest park in Argentina's Protected Glaciations in Patagonia Fresh water Areas System. Glaciers change the Earth’s topography with their water 97% erosive power. They reshape valleys and transport 3% rocky materials. When they retreat, big depressions It was declared a UNESCO’S world heritage are carved by the weight of the ice and filled with Superficial site in 1981. water melting water, thus forming large glacial lakes. 1% Massive glaciers of incredible beauty such as Some of the glaciers in LGNP are easily accessible Liquid Perito Moreno, Upsala, Viedma and Spegazzini and are located in an area where the climate is more Ice water Ground template than other areas with glaciers in our planet. 77% 23% water are located inside LGNP. 22% Ice field Did you know? After Antarctica, the southern LGNP also has many Andes lodge the largest area glaciers which are not Perito Moreno covered by ice in this connected to the Southern glacier’s Patagonian Ice Field. These snout is as tall hemisphere. Within this vast are called «Peripheral as the obelisk in area, an ice field of 12,500 sq. glaciers». They are formed Buenos Aires from the accumulation of (67.5 m/221 ft.) km (4,826 sq. m) shared by snow on mountain tops. Argentina and Chile stands out: the Southern Patagonian Ice Perito Moreno Glacier The emissary glaciers Field, starting point for many of (254 km2/98 sq. mi.) flow into the Ice Field the glaciers in the National is a bit larger than like magnificent ice Buenos Aires City sheets. Park. Buenos (203 km2/78 sq. mi.) Aires Length: 370 km / 230 mi. city Average width: 35 km / 21.75 mi. Viedma Glacier The Southern 48 major glaciers Viedma Upsala Moreno (975 km2/376 sq. mi.) Patagonian Ice field More than 100 minor glaciers is the largest in is the third-largest ice 1 2 3 Argentina Field in our planet after and the second largest Antarctica and IANIGLA (Argentine Institute of Snow, Glaciology in South America. Greenland. and Environmental Sciences) Nasa ISS038 E 047324 The elevation above sea level for Argentino Lake and Perito Moreno Glacier is only 177 meters/580 Ft. © Cover: Florian von der Fecht © Gerardo Cerón Hippocamelus Recommendations bisulcus No pets allowed Fishing Use latrines Avoid permit required or toilets loud noises (toilet paper is garbage) The Huemul Administración de Parques Nacionales The huemul is a native deer that lives exclusively in the Andean-Patagonian forests of Argentina and Be careful, Do not use wood Camp only Do not damage Chile. In recent years its population has been falling trees from forests in authorized cultural resources and branches as flamewood places reduced and isolated. It is, therefore, considered an endangered species. To guarantee its protection, it has been declared «Natural monument» by the Argentine Parliament. Our National Park protects the southernmost population of huemuls in Argentina. In order to preserve them, a protection and monitoring plan is carried out every year. Make fire Put the fire out Do not pollute If you smoke, © Gpque. Mariano Herrador only in completely the water do it in authorized authorized before leaving places. Keep the 3405 places the place cigarette ends meters Do not feed Do not damage Forbidden Take rubbish the animals flora to use drones with you Cerro Fitz Roy or Chaltén* PARQUE NACIONAL LOS GLACIARES It is the Andes´ most prized peak for climbers. This Av. del Libertador Gral. San Martín 1302 mountain was a sacred place for the «Tehuelches», Tel: (02902) 491-005/545/788 - Email: [email protected] a group of indigenous peoples of Patagonia. Z9405AHG ı El Calafate, Santa Cruz. Argentina Raising awareness of its importance is vital for its EMERGENCIES: (02902) 497010 / VHF: RX:150.375 TX:155.395 preservation as well as for the strengthening of local La presente publicación se ajusta a la cartografía oficial establecida por el Poder Ejecutivo Nacional a través del IGN, General information identity. *(Tehuelche language) Ley 22.923, y fue aprobado por Expediente GG11 2797/5”. Información actualizada: Octubre 2017 Los Glaciares National Park DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS Apart from the areas covered by ice (almost half Co. the surface of the ), Climate Co. Torre Fitz Roy Los Glaciares National Park 3102 m 3405 m lakes (Lago Argentino y Viedma) or lagoons, there Co. F.P. El Chaltén Temperate Moreno Co. Murallón Secc. Lago Viedma are three environments: High Mountain, Forest 3393 m del Viedma and Steppe. 2319 m a El Calafate: 7,5º Puerto Bahía Túnel 213 km Glaciar Average annual Viedma temperature High Mountain Above the forest, at more than 1,000 meters, cliffs, LOS wind, cold temperatures and snow are the extreme Lago conditions that make this environment one of the GLACIARES Viedma most hostile places for any kind of life. Nonetheless NATIONAL resistant, tiny and fragrant plants can be found PARK there along with a multitude of pollinators. SANTA CRUZ Co. Mascarello © Gpque. Carlos Zoratti Glaciar Seno MoyanoSeccional Hostería Moyano Forest (Bosque andino patagónico) Moyano a La Leona: 70 km Helsingfors a El Calafate: 180 km Nothofagus forests prevail all over the area. These Co. Moyano forests are mainly made up of Ñire (Nothofagus Antarctica), Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) and Guindo (Nothofagus betuloides). The Lenga tree is the most CHILE Co. Murallón predominant one in the forest. They cover from the Glaciar Co. Planchón mountain sides down to the lakes. The Guindo tree, Glaciar Upsala the only evergreen in the area, dominates the more Cono Co. Cono humid and poorly drained sites. Finally, the Ñire 2382 m trees can bear extreme conditions from swamped © Gpque. Mariano Herrador Glaciar Lago places to areas with scarce precipitations. The Ñire Bertachi Guillermo and the Lenga trees lose their leaves in the fall. Seccional Río Guanaco Estancia Co. Agassiz a El Calafate: Patagonian Steppe 3180 m Cristina 154 km The National Park has a small portion of this Gl. Agassiz Gl. Bolados Brazo Cristina environment in which bushes and small plants Brazo Upsala stand out. Drought-tolerant bushes dominate this environment where solar radiation is intense and Co. Bolados B. winds are strong. One of the species is a hard 2544 m Onelli grass called Coiron. There are also thorny bushes Lago Onelli like the Calafate (Berberis microphylla) and the Brazo Norte Gl. Onelli Neneo (Mulinum spinosum). Colourful fragrant Co. Onelli flowers such as Oxalis, Verbenas and Adesmias © Flavia Raffo Central bloom after the scarce rains in springtime. 2620 m Brazo Spegazzini Lago Glaciar Península Spegazzini de Avellaneda Argentino Co. Spegazzini EMBLEMATIC SPECIES 2190 m Co. Avellaneda 1424 m Punta Brazo de Mayo Martin Bandera ana ez ari © Diego Punta Fernández M Seccional e. u Andean Condor q Lago Argentino p G Canal (Vulthur gryphus) Puma de los Península © Témpanos de Magallanes With its 3 meters of wingspan, this big soaring bird uses rising (Puma concolor) Glaciar de Mayo air currents to fly without flapping its wings. In this way, condor This mammal is the major Co. Glaciar Seis can fly up to 200 linear kilometers. predator in Patagonia. The 1905 m puma is the last link in the food Seccional Secc. Glaciar Glaciar Moreno Mitre chain in the area, so its protection Ameghino a El Calafate: is of a vital importance. If you happen to 80 km Giant woodpecker find a puma you should scream loud and (Campephilus magellanicus) raise your arms. You should never run Brazo Rico away or turn your back on it. Glaciar P. Secc. Chisel-shaped beak, long tongue and rigid tail Moreno Co. Moreno Lago Roca Co. Pietrobelli 1640 m are some of its unique adaptations. Its skull 2950 m is thick and contains spongy «pads» in order to Estancia Notro (Embothrium coccineum) and Nibepo Aike avoid concussions. Woodpeckers feed on larvae Calafate . that live in tree barks. They play an important role (Berberis microphylla) These two shrubs call visitors’ attention with their a El Calafate: in controlling forest pests. El Chaltén Co. Gardener 60 km beautiful and fragrant flowers. 2384 m r he ffo a a Co. Tnte Feilberg Brazo Sur D R a io i LOS 2505 m Orange bumblebee il v la GLACIARES m F E . NATIONAL (Bombus dahlbomii) © e u PARK q It is an important pollinator. A great p G diversity of native species live in our © forests, thickets and bogs. The presence n of the orange bumblebee is threatened ó El Calafate er C by the exotic bumblebees. These insects o Glaciar ard Notro Calafate only sting if they are disturbed. © Ger Frías Schematic sketch access Andiperla Torrent’s duck (Andiperla willinki) REFERENCES Andiperla is the only permanent form of life (Merganetta armata) in glacial ice.