Perito Moreno Glacier, Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina.
Perito Moreno is a glacier in the Argentine section of Los Glaciares National Park that stretches roughly 30 kilometers and meets Argentine Lake with its 70-meter-high front. The overall 250-square-kilometer ice surface pushes between wooded slopes and rocky shores, forming jagged walls with deep crevasses in several places.
The ice formed thousands of years ago from compacted Andean snow and has carried the name of an explorer who mapped Patagonia since the early 20th century. Several times the front blocked the drainage of a side arm through its advance, creating temporary dams that later collapsed.
The name honors a Patagonian pioneer, while the ice wall draws walkers from many countries who follow secured paths to watch pieces break off. Local guides lead trekking tours on the surface and explain the glacier's movement in several languages.
From nearby El Calafate, paved paths and raised viewing walkways lead directly to the glacier front, allowing visitors to stand safely within a few meters. Weatherproof clothing is advisable, as wind from the ice cools even in sunshine and the light changes.
Unlike most glaciers worldwide, this one still pushes forward and thereby builds up a barrier from time to time that holds back water and breaks through with a loud roar after years. The rare insect Andiperla willinki lives exclusively in the cold surroundings of this ice wall and has been observed nowhere else.
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