Ice Loss in Los Glaciares, Argentina

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Title, EarthWatch, Exploring the Blue Planet by Satellite.
 
A view from space of fragmented white masses on blue water.
 
The view from space changes to one showing the white boundary between fragmented, green landmasses of Chile and the solid, tan landmass of Argentina. Small blue tributaries run from the white layer down through Chile and into the Pacific Ocean to the west and into large blue bodies of water to the east in Argentina.
 
Text, Ice Loss in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. Date, February 4, 2019.
 
This icefield in Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia is the southern hemisphere's largest expanse of ice outside Antarctica. Ice in this region is being lost at some of the highest rates on the planet. Much of the ice loss happens through the more than 60 major outlet glaciers descending from the icefield.
 
These rivers of ice calve, or shed, icebergs and melt.
 
The icebergs and meltwater flow to the Pacific Ocean and to freshwater lakes.
 
The freshwater lakes in this region are filled with fine sediment known as glacial flour, causing them to appear in various shades of turquoise.
 
The lakes are labeled Lago San Martin, Lago Viedma, and Lago Argentino.
 
Lago Viedma is much grayer because it receives sediment-rich water directly from Viedma glacier.
 
The meltwater in Lago San martin and Lago Argentino flows through fjords first, where much of the sediment settles out, causing them to appear bluer.
 
To learn more, go to earth observatory dot nasa dot gov.