Argentinian Physical Geography
By: Zachary B, Sukanya B, Asutosh D.
Capital: Buenos Aires
Relative Location
Cause of Seasons
Physical Features
Patagonian Desert
Ash from the Andes volcanoes millions of years ago swept across the plain turning everything into a desert. It formed primarily because of a lack of rain in the area, meaning there are less plants. The temperature may vary alittle, but as a whole it is unlikely to change form
Parana River
As water slowly eroded away soil in the rolling hills of argentina and paraguay it formed. It formed primarily as a means of continence to the water of the rivers north of it. It is likely to straighten out more, as currently it is very curved and misshapen.
Tierra Del Fuego Archipelago
As glaciers slowly cut through the different islands and archipelago formed with rivers and lakes between the islands. It formed their because of the temperature and rainfall which produced glaciers that cut through the soil.
Ushuaia Fjord
As a glacier cut between two mountains, it was large enough to produce a Fjord between them. With the glacier and mountains present it is easy for these to form over a couple million years. Over the next million some cliff face is likely to weather and erode away make the fjord larger.
Le Maire Strait
It formed as water from both oceans rushed toward Argentina it slowly cut out a path between the two oceans. It formed there because the distance between oceans is relatively minimal and the land was already cut up by glaciers. Over the next million years it is likely to change its shape rapidly as the continent starts to move it will need to accommodate that change and right its course.
Aconcagua Mountain
Being part of the Andes mountains, tetonic plate are pushed agaist each other and thrust upward forming mountains. Without the tectonic plates no mountains could form, neither could this one. The mountain is likely to grow in height and eventually collapse under its own gravity as the tectonic plates move it up to the point of breaking.
Parana Delta
As the river splits, the water splits up among a delta. It must form their, because it requires a river and an alluvial plain . The delta is likely to fan out more as water continues on its path creating a more fan like shape.
Gran Chaco
It is formed as sedimentary rock lays underneath the soil and grass grow from that. It requires the necessary rock that may not be found in other places. It is likely to get warmer and have some vegetation die out but as a whole it may look very much the same.
Cape Horn
It formed as strong currents around the point cut down everything but the horn/cape itself. It needed those strong currents and winds to form. It may decrease in size over the years as currents continue to push and erode the wall of the horn.
Calchaquí Valley
Climate of Argentina
The Biomes of Argentina
tropical rain forest
Since Argentina is located in the subtropical high area, there is often not enough rainfall to make a rainforest.
The very northern tip near Uruguay and Bolivia are were very small clusters of tropical rainforest remain in Argentina
rainfall from 200 to 1000 cm of rain yearly
grasslands
usually very dry but has a rainy season
wild grasses and shrubs thrive here
yearly rainfall from 50 to 90 cm
air is usually very dry due to high air pressure, but rainfall is still not as low as in deserts
temperate deciduous forest
As most of the forests are in Chile, the Argentine forests are near the Chile-Argentina border.
The temperatures of these places are usually much colder in the winter and warmer in the summer causing broadleaf plants to grow here.
The forests are exposed to both warm and cold air masses, so the area gets all four seasons letting the plants survive the cold winters.
This biome is in the very west of Argentina near Chile. Like the tropical rain forest, it is not a very prominent biome in Argentina.
yearly rainfall from 75 to 150 cm
wetlands
caused by runoff from rivers or excessive rainfall
the Parana River and its tributaries go through the Ibera wetlands, which is the primary region of wetlands
ground becomes filled with water and overflows into the land
in the north eastern part of Argentina
desert
Largest biome in Argentina, takes up most of the Eastern side.
The high pressure in this region causes the air to be very dry
little to no rainfall with long periods of drought
hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters.
Natural Disasters in Argentina!
Floods
Storms!
Earthquakes! BOOM!
Bibliography
- http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_causes_thunderstorms.htm
- http://www.gfdrr.org/sites/gfdrr.org/files/Chapter_2-Argentina-Assessment_of_Disaster_Risk_Management_Strategies_in_Argentina.pdf
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Argentina
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/446174/Patagonia
- http://glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::573::356::/sites/dl/free/0078617006/164155/516_Fig_5.swf::Climate%20Types
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Argentina
- http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2013/04/argentinas-deadly-storms
- Pictures : Wikipedia