The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world. The ice formation is 250 square kilometers. It rises around 75 meters above the water, with a total height of 170 meters.
Baffling scientists, this glacier is the only glacier in the world that is advancing rather than retreating. The reason is still being debated and is not understood. It is advancing at about two meters a day.
The glacier is named after explorer Francisco Moreno, who played a major role in defending Argentina during an international border dispute with Chile. During this feud, the glacier acted as a barrier between the two countries. In Spanish, "perito" means expert.
The weight of the ice puts lots of pressure on the glacier and pushes it over the southern arm of Argentino Lake, separating the section from the rest of the lake. This causes the water level on that side to rise, and the pressure causes the water to break through the ice barrier. This creates a rupture, sending a massive outpouring of water from the dammed section to the main body of Lake Argentino. This cycle recurs naturally between once a year to once a decade. The last rupture occurred on March 13th, 2018.
