QUICK FACTS
The place is it? Los Glaciares Nationwide Park, Argentina [-50.469690266, -73.03391046]
What’s within the picture? The purpose the place a non-retreating glacier, a turquoise lake and a murky river meet
Who took the picture? An unnamed astronaut onboard the Worldwide House Station (ISS)
When was it taken? March 2, 2021
This unbelievable astronaut picture exhibits the bizarre level the place a hefty non-retreating glacier, a pristine turquoise lake and a murky inexperienced “river” completely converge on the intersection of three valleys in Argentina.
The trio of hydrological options — the Perito Moreno Glacier, Lago Argentino and Brazo Rico — lie on the coronary heart of Los Glaciares Nationwide Park, which covers an space of round 2,300 sq. miles (6,000 sq. kilometers) within the Santa Cruz province of southern Argentina, close to the nation’s border with Chile.
The aerial picture doesn’t simply showcase these three aqueous entities in a single body; when you look carefully, it additionally reveals the purpose the place the trio contact in a slim channel alongside the western fringe of the Magallanes Peninsula — the rocky outcrop that lies between the lake and the river, in keeping with NASA’s Earth Observatory.
On this picture, the waters of Lago Argentino and Brazo Rico are probably in direct contact with one another (as within the picture under). However their waters don’t readily combine as a result of they’ve totally different densities, attributable to their respective concentrations of suspended particulate matter, in keeping with a 2022 research.
However each 4 to 5 years, the glacier’s tongue juts ahead, colliding with the Magallanes Peninsula and briefly damming the Brazo Rico. When this occurs, the floor of the murky physique of water rises by as much as 100 toes (30 meters) till a strain build-up causes the icy dam to spectacularly “rupture,” the Earth Observatory beforehand reported.
Perito Moreno is the biggest glacier in Patagonia, which incorporates elements of Argentina and Chile. It’s roughly 19 miles (30 km) lengthy with ice as much as 200 toes (60 m) thick. In complete, the glacier holds roughly the identical quantity of water as 360,000 Olympic swimming swimming pools, in keeping with back-of-the-envelope calculations.
The glacier is “non-retreating,” that means that it’s not shrinking regardless of rising atmospheric temperatures triggered by human-caused local weather change. That is extraordinarily uncommon these days, and Perito Moreno is often cited as one of many “world’s final main non-retreating glaciers.” Nonetheless, a current research hints that it could lastly be beginning to shrink.
Lago Argentino is the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina, masking a complete space of round 550 sq. miles (1,425 sq. km). The part seen within the astronaut picture is the lake’s southernmost arm. It comprises glacial meltwater full of rocky particles launched by the glaciers’ fixed actions, collectively often known as “glacier milk,” which provides the water its putting turquoise coloration.
The lake’s northernmost arm additionally connects to the Upsala Glacier, which is at the moment in full retreat.
Brazo Rico, that means “wealthy arm” in Spanish, can also be technically a part of Lago Argentino. Nonetheless, it has grow to be more and more remoted from the remainder of the lake attributable to repeated damming by the Perito Moreno glacier, making it behave extra like a river than a part of a lake.
The frequent icy obstruction can also be accountable for Brazo Rico’s insipid coloration, which is the results of sediment dislodged by its actions. The continued rising and falling of the river’s floor has additionally carved out a border round its edges the place no timber can develop.
Eagle-eyed viewers could have additionally noticed the slim street winding throughout the Magallanes Peninsula and alongside the Brazo Rico’s northern edge (simply above the tree line): One can solely think about the extraordinary views you’d get to expertise driving alongside there.
For extra unbelievable satellite tv for pc pictures and astronaut photographs, take a look at our Earth from area archives.
