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  Image: Geographic Location Direction Photo #: ISS010-E-5803 Date: Nov. 2004
Geographic Region: ARGENTINA
Feature: PERITO MORENO GL., L. ARGENTIN0

Ordering information for space photography
 
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  View Low-Resolution Image  
  Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Perito Moreno (or Moreno Glacier) is located in the icefields of southern Patagonia and is the centerpiece of the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The glacier is also noteworthy as a tourist attraction, due to periodic formation of an ice dam between the main portion of Lago (Lake) Argentino to the northeast and a southern extension of the lake (Brazo Rico). Meltwater runoff from the surrounding mountains fills Brazo Rico to a higher elevation than nearby Lago Argentino and exerts hydrostatic pressure on the ice dam. This pressure leads to formation of drainage tunnels and fractures in the ice dam, which eventually fails. Earlier this year (March 2004) the ice dam collapsed in a spectacular show.



A new ice dam across the Brazo Rico arm of Lago Argentino is visible in this astronaut photograph. The past extent of glaciation in the region is marked by several valleys formerly filled by flowing ice. A particularly striking example of this landscape feature is in the center of the image, where five glacial valleys converge to a central star-shaped outflow valley. Widespread recession of the glaciers in southern Patagonia has occurred over the last 30 years possibly due to warming of the regional climate. Contrary to this trend, Perito Moreno seems to be maintaining equilibrium between ice formation in the mountains and ice loss due to melting and calving into Lago Argentino.




 
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Images: All Available Images Low-Resolution 210k
Mission: ISS010  
Roll - Frame: E - 5803
Geographical Name: ARGENTINA  
Features: PERITO MORENO GL., L. ARGENTIN0  
Center Lat x Lon: 50.5S x 73W
Film Exposure:   N=Normal exposure, U=Under exposed, O=Over exposed, F=out of Focus
Percentage of Cloud Cover-CLDP: 10
 
Camera: E4
 
Camera Tilt: 8   LO=Low Oblique, HO=High Oblique, NV=Near Vertical
Camera Focal Length: 180  
 
Nadir to Photo Center Direction: SE   The direction from the nadir to the center point, N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West
Stereo?:   Y=Yes there is an adjacent picture of the same area, N=No there isn't
Orbit Number: 2038  
 
Date: 20041104   YYYYMMDD
Time: 163828   GMT HHMMSS
Nadir Lat: 50.3S  
Latitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Nadir Lon: 73.4W  
Longitude of suborbital point of spacecraft
Sun Azimuth: 359   Clockwise angle in degrees from north to the sun measured at the nadir point
Space Craft Altitude: 194   nautical miles
Sun Elevation: 55   Angle in degrees between the horizon and the sun, measured at the nadir point
Land Views: GLACIER, VALLEY  
Water Views: ICE, LAKE  
Atmosphere Views:  
Man Made Views: DAM  
City Views:  
Photo is not associated with any sequences


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