Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia's Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia's Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina

© Juergen Schonnop/Getty Image

What's unusual about this glacier?. The persistence of Perito Moreno

Not all glaciers are shrinking. Perito Moreno, a low-lying glacier in southern Argentina, accumulates ice at about the same rate that it melts into chilly Argentino Lake. This equilibrium makes it one of the few glaciers worldwide that isn't losing mass because of climate change.

Perito Moreno is an Argentine icon, partly for its unusual accessibility via the lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in the country. Visitors to Los Glaciares National Park can boat or kayak out on icy blue water for a better look, but they need to keep a safe distance as icebergs constantly calve from the glacier's face, creating huge splashes and waves.

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