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| Los Glaciares | |
|---|---|
| Name | Los Glaciares National Park |
| Iucn category | II |
| Photo caption | Perito Moreno Glacier in 2005 |
| Location | Santa Cruz Province, Argentina |
| Nearest city | El Calafate |
| Area km2 | 726,927 |
| Established | 1937 |
| Unesco designation | 1981 (World Heritage Site) |
| Governing body | Administración de Parques Nacionales |
Los Glaciares is a vast national park in Santa Cruz Province in southern Argentina centered on an ice field surrounded by rugged peaks, deep lakes, and temperate rainforest. The park contains a complex of glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, with several iconic ice masses and mountain landmarks drawing international scientific interest and visitor traffic. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a focal point for studies of glaciology, climate change, Andean orogeny, and Patagonian biodiversity.
The park occupies a portion of the Andes in southern Patagonia between the Lago Argentino basin and the Lago Viedma basin, encompassing a landscape sculpted by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, high summits such as Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, and glacial valleys that drain into the Santa Cruz River. Its boundaries lie within the administrative division of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica's neighboring territories and connect to transboundary conservation areas referenced in bilateral accords between Argentina and Chile regarding the Andean southern ice fields. Major parks and reserves in proximity include Tierra del Fuego National Park, Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, and Los Alerces National Park, creating a regional network of protected areas. The park's topography features moraines, cirques, and hanging valleys formed during successive Pleistocene and Holocene glacial advances described in geomorphological surveys by institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.
Early European exploration of the region was recorded during expeditions by figures associated with the era of Patagonian discovery, including navigators linked to Falklands War era mapping, and scientific campaigns supported by organizations such as the Royal Geographical Society and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. The park's establishment in 1937 followed conservation movements influenced by personalities and institutions like Francisco Moreno and the Administración de Parques Nacionales, while mountaineering and cinematic attention increased following ascents by climbers connected to the British Mountaineering Council and the Argentine Alpine Club (Club Andino) communities. Landmark exploratory achievements around peaks such as Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre attracted alpinists associated with expeditions documented by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation.
The park's glacier system derives from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world's second-largest contiguous extrapolar ice mass after the Greenland ice sheet in terms of area, feeding major outlet glaciers including Perito Moreno Glacier, Upsala Glacier, and Viedma Glacier. Research by institutions like the World Glacier Monitoring Service, Instituto Antártico Argentino, and university teams from University of Buenos Aires and Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires has tracked mass balance, surge behavior, and terminus fluctuations influenced by El Niño–Southern Oscillation and regional climate forcings recorded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Notable glaciological phenomena include the periodic ice-dam ruptures at Perito Moreno Glacier and the documented retreat of the Upsala Glacier, with data contributions from satellite missions by NASA, European Space Agency, and remote sensing groups at CONAE.
Biodiversity in the park reflects Patagonian ecosystems ranging from subantarctic forests dominated by Nothofagus species to steppe habitats influenced by southern Andean climatic gradients studied by botanists affiliated with Missouri Botanical Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Faunal assemblages include large mammals such as guanaco and predatory birds including Andean condor, with other species like puma recorded across elevational zones cataloged by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Aquatic systems support trout introductions linked to anglers associated with the International Game Fish Association, while ecological monitoring programs connect to biodiversity initiatives by BirdLife International and regional universities.
Tourism centers on gateway towns such as El Calafate and El Chaltén, with infrastructure and services provided by operators registered with the Asociación Empresaria Hotelera Gastronómica y Afines del Calafate and outdoor providers collaborating with the Argentine National Tourism Board (INPROTUR). Activities include glacier boat tours to Perito Moreno Glacier, trekking routes to Laguna de los Tres beneath Cerro Fitz Roy, and technical climbing on spires documented in guides published by the American Alpine Club and mountaineering journals. Visitor management and search-and-rescue coordination involve the Gendarmería Nacional Argentina and local mountain rescue teams linked to the Club Andino El Chaltén.
Management is overseen by the Administración de Parques Nacionales under frameworks influenced by Argentina’s conservation policies and international obligations to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Conservation challenges addressed through collaborative programs with the WWF, IUCN, and academic partners include glacier retreat driven by anthropogenic climate change noted in reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and invasive species control coordinated with provincial authorities of Santa Cruz Province. Transboundary cooperation with Chilean agencies builds on precedents set by treaties such as bilateral environmental accords negotiated at forums involving the Andean Community and regional conservation networks.
Category:National parks of Argentina Category:World Heritage Sites in Argentina