The dark blue shades of Laguna Sibinacocha contrast with bright ice and snow on the upper reaches of the mountains, while smaller glacial lakes, such as Lagunas Singrenacocha and Amayuni, show light blue to blue-green tones. Some of the “rainbow mountains,” identifiable by peaks that appear tinged red, can be seen in the bottom left of the image, south of Nevado Auzangate. These mountains are culturally significant to the regional population and have ended up being a widely known tourist attraction due to their special colors.
The ice-capped mountains and glaciers in this image are known as low-latitude or tropical glaciers, formed at first during the last ice age.
A stunning picture of the Andes Mountains in southern Peru captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station on May 31, 2023.
The icy landscape high in the Andes is dotted with colorful glacial lakes and weathered rock.
While in orbit over the Andes Mountains in southern Peru, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) photographed the Vilcanota range of mountains punctuated with glaciers and alpine lakes. The range hosts the second-largest glaciated mountain area in Peru.
The dark blue hues of Laguna Sibinacocha contrast with bright ice and snow on the upper reaches of the mountains, while smaller sized glacial lakes, such as Lagunas Singrenacocha and Amayuni, display light blue to blue-green shades. Moraines mark the historic paths of glaciers that feed the lakes. Laguna Sibinacocha extends roughly 18 kilometers (11 miles) at its longest, and its water ultimately flows into the Amazon River.
The Allure of the Rainbow Mountains
Some of the “rainbow mountains,” identifiable by peaks that appear tinged red, can be seen in the bottom left of the image, south of Nevado Auzangate. The differing shades of the mountains arise from millions of years of erosion and weathering. These mountains are culturally substantial to the regional population and have actually become a well-known traveler destination due to their special colors.
The Peculiarity of Tropical Glaciers
The ice-capped mountains and glaciers in this image are referred to as low-latitude or tropical glaciers, formed at first throughout the last glacial epoch. Though situated in the tropics, these ranges retain permanent ice year-round due to the fact that of the low temperatures at high elevations. The surrounding Quelccaya Ice Cap is the worlds largest tropical ice cap.
Climate Impact on Glacial Features
Glaciers in the tropics are at threat of vanishing due to increasing temperature levels connected with environment change. Astronauts have actually collected imagery of glaciers worldwide for years, documenting changes such as the economic crisis of glacial tongues.
Astronaut photographs ISS069-E-16604– 16613 were obtained on May 31, 2023, with a Nikon D5 digital cam using a focal length of 400 millimeters. It is offered by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take photos of Earth that will be of the biggest worth to scientists and the public, and to make those images easily readily available on the Internet.