Andes Mountain Range Structure and Natural Events

Regional Characteristics and Climate

It has rich minerals. The population adapts to the altitude and survives on beekeeping, American camelids, and agriculture.

South or Southern Andes

This region develops along the Argentine-Chilean border, from the mountains to Tres Cruces. Differences in appearance, climate, and biome exist:

Arid Andes (North)

• Located at the higher elevations of the Andes, featuring Aconcagua, Tupungato, and Mercedario volcanoes.
• High ranges are separated by deep valleys.
• Rivers originating here are exploited for hydroelectric power and irrigation energy.

Humid Andes (South)

• The ridge height decreases southward, allowing the entry of winds from the Pacific.
• These areas suffered the effects of glaciation, leaving traces in glaciers and numerous lakes.
• Tourism is a significant source of income.

Distinction Between Natural Physical Events, Disasters, and Catastrophes

Natural Physical Event: Physicochemical extremes that, by their mere appearance, do not constitute a natural disaster.

Natural Disaster: A natural physical event is considered a natural disaster when a population is exposed to the occurrence of these events and lacks the tools or strategies to counteract their effects.

Catastrophe: A natural disaster becomes a catastrophe when it involves a vulnerable human group.

Cenozoic Formations

Solid Folding of the West

This borders the American West with an enormous set of plateaus, ridges, and intermontane basins.

• A coastal set of ranges develops parallel to the Pacific Ocean, receiving moisture from Pacific winds. Towards the south, humidity decreases, and vegetation becomes drought-tolerant.
• To the east lie the uplands and intermontane basins, featuring different biomes according to latitude, distance from the sea, and the arrangement of containing ranges: tundra, taiga, and warm desert.

Rocky Mountains

These areas are very dry due to the lack of moist winds, which determines a continental climate. They possess important mineral resources, attracting population centers.

The Andes Chain

The Andes form the longest mountain chain in the world, stretching from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. Considering morphology and other structural features, they can be divided:

Northern Andes

This section runs through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru up to the Knot of Pasco. Knots and landslides occur in chains, containing plateaus and valleys. Agricultural activities and mining are conducted here. The hot and humid weather determines the formation of a forest biome.

Central Andes

This extends from the Knot of Pasco to Cerro Tres Cruces. It is characterized by extreme aridity and peaks enclosed in the Peruvian-Bolivian Altiplano.

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