Northern Patagonian Ice Field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern Patagonian Ice Field |
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Northern Patagonian Ice Field, May 2017
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 Location in Chile
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| Location | Aysén Region, Chile |
| Coordinates | 47°00′S 73°30′W / 47°S 73.5°W |
| Area | 4,200 km2 (1,600 sq mi) |
The Northern Patagonian Ice Field is a huge area of ice and glaciers in southern Chile. It's like a giant, frozen blanket covering part of the Andes Mountains in South America. This ice field is the smaller of two main parts left from a much bigger ice sheet that once covered this region. It is completely inside Laguna San Rafael National Park, a protected area.
What is the Northern Patagonian Ice Field?
The Northern Patagonian Ice Field is what remains of the huge Patagonian Ice Sheet. This massive ice sheet covered most of Patagonia during past ice ages, called the Quaternary glaciations. Imagine a time when thick ice stretched for miles!
Today, the ice field is still very large, covering about 4,200 km2 (1,600 sq mi). This makes it the second largest continuous mass of ice outside of the North and South Poles. Its survival depends on a few things:
- High elevation: It sits high up, between 1,100 to 1,500 m (3,600 to 4,900 ft) above sea level.
- Good landscape: The mountains help to trap snow and ice.
- Cool, wet weather: The climate is cold and rainy, which helps the ice to grow and stay frozen.
The ice field has 28 main glaciers that flow out from it. These are called "exit glaciers." The two biggest ones, San Quintin and San Rafael, almost reach the Pacific Ocean to the west. Other smaller glaciers, like San Valentín and Nef, feed many rivers and lakes to the east.
Exploring the Ice Field
People have explored the Northern Patagonian Ice Field for many years. It's a challenging place to travel because of the ice and mountains.
In the summer of 1963-64, a team led by Eric Shipton crossed the ice field. They started from the San Rafael Glacier and went all the way into Argentina.
Later, in 1972-73, a group led by Captain CH Agnew (who later became Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw) spent five months doing scientific research. They studied the ice cap and the Benito Glacier. Three members of this team even crossed the ice field from north to south. A glaciologist (someone who studies glaciers) from that expedition, Martin Session, returned to the Benito Glacier in 2007 and 2011 to continue his research. These expeditions help us understand how the ice field is changing over time.
See also
In Spanish: Campo de hielo patagónico norte para niños
