The Future of the Andes Mountains

The Andes Mountains are notably one of the largest and highest mountain ranges on Earth. The Andes Mountains formed while the Nazca and Antarctic plate subducted under the South American Plate creating this massive wonder of nature. The Andes Mountains spans more than 4500 miles across seven different countries, including, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The Andes Mountains has an average elevation of 13,000 feet high and at its tallest peak, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, 22,841 feet high. With all the varying elevations across its span, the Andes Mountains has many different weather patterns and climates.

Currently in the Andes Mountains

The climate in the Andes Mountains continues to change at an alarming rate, which is directly affecting the tropical glaciers they house. The Andes Mountains is home to more than 95% of the world’s tropical glaciers. Snow and ice is accumulated from precipitation (water formed in the earth’s atmosphere), aiding in the formation of the glaciers. Ablation occurs (the natural removal of snow and ice converting into water and vapor) from the glaciers, playing an important role in the agriculture. With the effects of Global Warming and the impact it has on this cycle, it is dramatically changing the climate in the Andes Mountain.  

Accumulation and Ablation of Glaciers

The glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, 70% or 40 million natives will no longer have access to this fresh water by the year 2020 (“Water conflicts in Andes”). As temperatures rise at an average of 0.15° C per decade, glaciers proceed to retreat. Smaller glaciers located at altitudes below 5,400 meters with an average ice thickness of 40 meters have lost 1.35 meters each year since 1970. These results lead scientists to believe that these glaciers will disappear within decades (“Glacier Melting in the Andes”).

10,000 years from now

At this rate, within 10,000 years the Andes Mountain glaciers will have completely disappeared. Temperatures rising at elevations of 5400 meters are not able to melt the ice completely, but are able to change the nature of the precipitation. The frost line, the maximum depth at which soil is frozen, is retreating, limiting the snow and rain fall to higher elevation. This limits long-lasting snow cover and prevents albedo, radiation reflected off the surface, from protecting the glaciers surface. Glaciers at higher levels than 5400 meters are also at risk. The radiation influx, solar radiation from the sun absorbed and reflected by the glaciers, which is stronger in the tropics affects these glaciers to melt at higher rates as well.

A climate pattern, categorized as El Niño that influences weather patterns and ocean conditions has greatly influenced the change and shrinkage of the glaciers. Having changed in frequent patterns since the 1970’s, El Niño lead the way for the dramatic disappearance of the Andes Mountain glaciers.

El Niño Event

Some glaciers have already disappeared. In 2009, the glacier at 5350 meter high, Chacaltaya in Bolivia melted away, once having been one of the world’s highest ski resorts. Pico Espejo in Venezuela disappeared earlier in 2008.  

1,000,000 and 10,000,000 years from now

In 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 years from now, the native people of the Andes Mountains will no longer exist in this area, since the water source from the glaciers will no longer be available. As the glacier melt, glacial erosion will occur. Glacial erosion is the carving and shaving of the landscape beneath a moving glacier. The glacial striations left behind, will be the only evidence that grand glaciers once covered the area. Post-glacial rebound will occur from the weight of the melting glaciers in the Andes Mountains, causing the land to rise. The sea level would then rise .05 meters as it absorbs the results of this occurrence.

Glacial Erosion

Post-Glacial Rebound

The people of the Andes Mountain are not the only victims of this event, but also the ecosystem in the area. The change is happening at an alarming rate and will only continue to intensify, putting significant regions of the Andes Mountain at risk of permanent change or disappearance.

Work Cited

http://www.egu.eu/news/55/unprecedented-glacier-melting-in-the-andes-blamed-on-climate-change/

http://www.dw.com/en/glacier-water-conflict-andes/a-16376190

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/27/global-warming-glacier-depletion-andes

http://study.com/academy/lesson/glacial-erosion-definition-processes-features.html

Andes Mountain Volcanoes

Volcanoes of the Andes Mountains

During the formation of the Andes Mountains, approximately 170 million years ago, the Nazca plate and Antarctic plate subducted under the South American Plate. That is when one tectonic plate moves under another, sinking into the mantle as they converge. This convergence caused magma from the mantle to solidify underground becoming an extrusive igneous form. Thus creating minerals that would become valuable to the natives who lived near the Mountains. Volcanic arcs also formed from the movement of the plates along the western edge of the South American Plate, which resulted in numerous volcano formations throughout the Andes Mountains.

Andean Volcanic Belt

The Andean volcanic belt formed along the Andean Cordillera in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. These volcanic formations are divided into four zones, Northern, Central, Southern, and Austral. The Northern zone extends from Colombia to Ecuador, while the Central zone extends from Peru to Chile. The Central volcanic zone is known for its continental crust that has reached a thickness of 70km, which is made up of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. The Southern zone extends from the central Chile Andes to Santiago, Cerro Arenales located in the Aysen Region of Chile. The Austral zone extends south of the Patagonian volcanic gap to Tierra de Fuego, Archipelago and is made up of alkaline, basalt and basanite. It also consists of composite volcanoes that are built by layers of lava flow and subglacial volcanoes, volcanoes formed beneath a glacier or ice sheet.

The Andean volcanic belt within the Andes Mountains and the major volcanoes located in Ecuador.

Volcanoes in Ecuador

There are fifty-five volcanoes that are located in Ecuador and nineteen more located in Colombia, which makes up the Northern Volcanic Zone. The Cayambe volcano is located on one of the highest mountains in the world measuring 5,790 meters at its highest point. It is classified as a Holocene volcano made up of particles that come from basaltic silica, an extrusive igneous rock. Another notable volcano located within the western Ecuadorian Andes is Quilotoa, known for its three kilometer caldera. The caldera is the collapse of the volcano within itself from lava spilling out of the magma chamber, thus creating the crater. The water inside the crater is green because of the minerals in volcanic ash (“Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes”).

Caldera of volcano Quilotoa.

Formation of Caldera.

There are many volcanoes in the Andes Mountains depicting the various and unique changes that occur in volcanic formations.

Work Cited

https://www.britannica.com/place/Andes-Mountains                                                                                                 

http://www.ecuador.com/blog/explore-ecuadors-avenue-of-the-volcanoes

https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Andean%20Volcanic%20Belt

The Andes Mountains

When I chose my location, I assumed that the Andes Mountains were located in Peru, boy was I off. The Andes Mountains are considered the longest mountain range in the world. It spans 4500 miles across seven different countries, including, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Besides the Himalayas, the Andes Mountains are one of the tallest mountains in the world. The average elevation is 13,000 feet high and the tallest peak, Mount Aconcagua in Argentina is 22,841 feet high. Due to the difference in elevations and locations, there are various ranges of climate and weather in the Andes Mountains.

Climate and Weather

There is very diverse weather that surrounds the Andes Mountains and the countries that surround them, for example, the Northern side of Chile is extremely dry, while the Southern side of Chile is very humid. Whereas, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador experience humid, tropical climates. As a result, Peru and Ecuador have wet and dry, tropical climates, which brings rainfall in the summer and dry winters. Colombia is an especially tropical, wet location with constant rainfall (“The Andes Mountains Biomes”). The warm, moist air rises vertically and adiabatically, which then condenses forming cumulonimbus and cumulus clouds, allowing for that daily rainfall.

Rain Shadow

Rain shadow between Chile and Argentina

The Andes Mountains are so high, that they change the precipitation between Southern Chile and Argentina. The moist air from the Pacific Ocean rises up the mountain and condenses as the air cools, creating rain. The rain falls windward towards Chile. The air flow travels down the leeward side of the mountains, becoming dry as water in the atmosphere evaporates, which creates a rain shadow over Argentina, making it much drier than Chile.

The Andes Mountains are truly unique, not only in size and greatness and the varying weather and climate, but also for being home to tropical glaciers, including the largest ice cap in the world. The Quelccaya ice cap is located in Peru, which is a wonder of nature given the climate that surrounds the glacier. Perhaps something to explore next!



Work Cited

http://www.livescience.com/27897-andes-mountains.html

http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=57447

http://andesbiome.weebly.com/factors.html

Hi! My name is Maia Elise Abeyta. I was born and raised in Denver Colorado and currently reside in Westminster. I am a sophomore at CU Denver studying for a Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in illustration. I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember and attended Denver School of the Arts to pursue my passion in learning and creating art. I graduated high school in 2015 and am hoping to graduate from CU Denver in 2019!

I am still exploring my options for a long term career and know there are so many to choose from, although I have always wanted to become a tattooist. I have drawn art for tattoos, dabbled with an actual tattoo machine, and even have some people ready to go with their first tattoo. However, feel that I need a lot more practice before I can do that.  

For my blog, I would like to explore and discuss the Andes Mountains in Peru, so that I could learn more about my ancestral home. I have heard many stories about the beauty of Peru, in particular, the ruins of Machu Pichu. I’d love to visit someday and actually experience the site for myself!