by eduars | Sep 29, 2013 | Andes Mountains, Featured
The uplift of the Andes mountains over millions of years has been due to a combination of plate tectonics and volcanism. Tectonic plates are sections of the earth’s crust that are in motion. Where they collide, they cause earthquakes and volcanoes and form...
by eduars | Sep 29, 2013 | Andes Mountains, Featured
The Andes are topped by the largest concentration of ice anywhere in the Earth’s tropics (the belt around the middle of the planet, between 30 degrees North and 30 degrees South latitude). In 1991, tropical Andean glaciers covered an estimated 1,065 square miles...
by eduars | Sep 29, 2013 | Andes Mountains
The uplifting of the Andes Mountains formed an unusual ecosystem on the eastern slope of the range, where the headwaters of the Amazon River system lie. The east-west winds that blow over South America pick up moisture from the humid Amazon basin. When moisture-laden...
