When my family and I decided to start of the process of planning a vacation to South America, we knew that seeing the Andes Mountain Range was a must. The Andres are the largest continental mount range is the world. The massive mountain range is about 7,000 km long and between 200 and 700 km wide depending on where you are on the range. The Andes extend through seven countries--Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Because we have family in Peru, we decided to travel there and try to enjoy the beauty of the Andes. This mountain range did not disappoint.
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| The Andes Mountain in Yerupaja, Peru |
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| The Andes Mountain Range |
To see this mountain range in person is truly breathtaking. While being on the range one can't help but wonder about how it was formed. Andes Mountain Range is an example of a convergent boundary between an oceanic boundary and a continental plate. Through the process of subduction, the Nazca Plate is forced down and under the more buoyant South American Plate. As a result of the subduction, a major volcanic belt, the Andean Volcanic Belt, was formed along the Andean cordillera. The Andes are being folded and uplifted from the thicker, less-dense rocks of the South American plate. While hiking and enjoy the Andes my group noticed a great deal of Andesite, an igneous rock that was formed in the Andes when the lava flow comes in contact with ash and tuff deposits of the stratovolcanoes. Because of sheer magnitude there was obviously so much we were not able to see of the Andes Mountain Range. There are several peaks, ranges, and plateaus in that comprise the Andes. Being able to not only see the beauty of the mountain range, but to also see and understand the geological aspects of it is something I am grateful for. It was a once in a lifetime adventure!
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