by eduars | Sep 29, 2013 | Coastal Desert
The cold Pacific or Humboldt Current is the reason why Peru’s coast is so dry. Moisture evaporating from the ocean is absorbed by the warmer air over land, keeping clouds from forming. In winter, however, when the air temperature drops slightly, heavy fog,...
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 | Coastal Desert, Featured
Along the Peruvian coast is a string of rocky islands and peninsulas that are home to guanay cormorants, boobies, and pelicans. The birds leave the islands every morning to feed on the fish, especially anchovies, that are plentiful in theHumboldt Current. They return...
by eduars | Sep 29, 2013 | Coastal Desert
The coastal ecosystems and the civilizations that flourished on the Peruvian coast have been shaped by Pacific currents. The Peruvian or Humboldt Currentflowing northward along the coast of South America, carrying cold, nutrient-rich water from the ocean...
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...
by eduars | Sep 22, 2013 | Elsewhere in the World
We call our planet Earth, but we tend to forget that it is really mostly water. And what is the state of the world’s marine environments? A new Ocean Health Index gives the world an average score of 60 out of 100, based on the rankings of 171 countries. When I was in...
