Wet Andes

Wet Andes
Andes Ap Iwan
Highest point
PeakDomuyo
Elevation4,709 m (15,449 ft)
Dimensions
Length2,500 km (1,600 mi)
Geography
CountriesChile, Argentina
Parent rangeAndes

The Wet Andes (Spanish: Andes húmedos) is a climatic and glaciological subregion of the Andes. Together with the Dry Andes it is one of the two subregions of the Argentine and Chilean Andes.

Background

The Wet Andes runs from a latitude of 35°S to Cape Horn at 56°S. According to Luis Lliboutry the Wet Andes can be classified after the absence of penitentes. In Argentina well developed penitentes are found as south as on Lanín Volcano (40°S).[1] Another difference is that the Wet Andes is largely devoid of rock glaciers.[2] The glaciers of the Wet Andes have a far more stable line of equilibrium than those of the Dry Andes due to summer precipitations, low thermal oscillations and an overall high moisture.

References

  1. ^ "Glaciers of the Dry Andes". Louis Lliboutry, USGS. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  2. ^ Corte, Arturo E. (1976). "Rock glaciers". Biuletyn Peryglacjalny. 26: 175–197.