The Perito Moreno glacier Names: Santiago G, Tomas C y Martin R

Location The Perito Moreno glacier is a thick mass of ice located on Lake Argentino department of the province of Santa Cruz, in the southwest of Argentina, in the Patagonia region. In its descent reaches the South Arm of Lake Argentino, with a front of 5 km in length, surfacing on the water with a height of about 60 m. Los Glaciares National Park, of ha, has a total of 356 glaciers.

Rupture Pressures from the weight of the ice slowly pushes the glacier over the southern arm ("Brazo Rico") of the "Argentinian 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 Lake Argentina.

Periodically, the pressure produced by the height of the dammed water breaks through the ice barrier causing a spectacular rupture, sending massive of water from the Brazo Rico section to the main body of Lake Argentina.

The last rupture As the water exits Brazo Rico a showing evidence of the height of the water build-up. This dam rupture cycle recurs naturally between once a year to less than once a decade. The last rupture occurred on January 19th 2013, and previously, March 4th 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004, 1988, 1986, 1980, 1977, 1975, 1972, 1970, 1966, 1963, 1960, 1956, 1953, 1952, 1947, 1940, 1934 and It ruptures, on average, about every four to five years.

Tourism Due to its size and accessibility, Perito Moreno is one of the major tourist attractions in southern Patagonia. It is less than two hours by bus from El Calafate, and many tour companies run daily visits. A large visitor centre at the site features a walking circuit which allows visitors to view the southern flank and the east facing edge of the glacier.

In recent years, trekking tours on the ice have gained popularity. The two standard tours are a "mini-trekking" option, consisting of a short walk of about an hour and a half, and a "big ice" version, which is usually about five hours. Tour companies generally provide cramponss to customers.

The eighth wonder of the world For the spectacular view it offers, the Perito Moreno glacier is considered the eighth wonder of the world. The imposing mass of ice surrounded by endless forests and mountains is a spectacle that few want to miss. In fact, this place is, along with Puerto Madryn (Chubut) and Niagara Falls (Misiones), one of the sites most visited by foreign and Argentine tourism country.

Personal conclusion We think that the Perito Moreno its a very nice place to visit for a tourist. Its one of the eighth wonder of the world. We recomend to visit this place because is a very good expirience Video: k k