Perito Moreno
Stunning Perito Moreno Glacier, 85 kilometers from El Calafate, has a network of walkways and viewpoints enabling visitors to get a closer look.In Los Glaciares National Park, 85 kilometers from the center of El Calafate, the spectacular view points of Perito Moreno glacier awaited. The 30 kilometer drive form the entrance of the protected area to the vantage points goes through really astonishing natural scenery. We went along the Rico Branch of Lago Argentino through a beautiful forest of native trees such as lenga beech, Chilean firetree, Patagonian cypress and calafate.
Our excitement grew as we went down the steps to the first viewpoint. We knew the glacier would be there, as it had for so many years. We also knew the pass between the Canal de los Témpanos and Brazo Chico had narrowed, increasing its flow volume 5 centimeters a day.
Every now and then the distinctive sound of calving reached our ears, raising our hopes of witnessing a new detachment. We were optimistic because if the natural dam had held out during the summer a new detachment could actually take place. We closed our eyes to hear the mighty roar of the ice giant.
Our excitement grew as we went down the steps to the first viewpoint. We knew the glacier would be there, as it had for so many years. We also knew the pass between the Canal de los Témpanos and Brazo Chico had narrowed, increasing its flow volume 5 centimeters a day.
Every now and then the distinctive sound of calving reached our ears, raising our hopes of witnessing a new detachment. We were optimistic because if the natural dam had held out during the summer a new detachment could actually take place. We closed our eyes to hear the mighty roar of the ice giant.
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The last rupture occurred on March 10, 2016 and previously, March 4, 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004, 1988, 1986, 1980, 1977, 1975, 1972, 1970, 1966, 1963, 1960, 1956, 1953, 1952, 1947, 1940, 1934 and 1917. It ruptures, on average, about every four to five years.
As of February 2012, before the March 2, 2012 rupture, the glacier dammed the Brazo Rico. The water level there had risen 5.6 meters. |
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Pressures from the weight of the ice slowly pushes the glacier over the southern arm ("Brazo Rico") of Argentino Lake, damming the section and separating it from the rest of the lake. With no outlet, the water level on the "Brazo Rico" side of the lake can rise by as much as 30 meters above the level of the main body of Argentino Lake. Intermittently, the pressure produced by the height of the dammed water breaks through the ice barrier causing a spectacular rupture, sending a massive outpouring of water from the Brazo Rico section to the main body of Lake Argentino. As the water exits Brazo Rico, the scored shoreline is exposed, showing evidence of the height of the water build-up. This dam–ice-bridge–rupture cycle recurs naturally between once a year to less than once a decade.
