How do the Andes get so high?

Asked by: Andrea Alvarez

Can you live in the Andes?

Scarce oxygen, cold temperatures, and intense ultraviolet radiation make the Andes a tough place to live. How did humans adapt to such heights? A new study of ancient and modern DNA suggests in some South American highlanders, the answer includes changes to their heart muscles.

How high up do people live in the Andes?

17,100 feet

The highest altitude in the Andes at which people have resided permanently is 17,100 feet (shepherds in southern Peru) and, as temporary workers, 18,500 to 19,000 feet (Carrasco Mine, in the Atacama Desert, Chile).

What are 3 interesting facts about the Andes Mountains?

10 Fascinating Facts About the Andes Mountains

• The Andes Mountains are so much more than just one mountain range. …
• Most Andean peaks are volcanic. …
• The world’s highest/largest/biggest etc is probably here. …
• The Andes are a haven of biodiversity. …
• The Andes is the source of the astounding Amazon River.

Are the Andes higher than the Rockies?

The highest peak outside Asia is Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes at 6,962 meters (22,841 ft). The Rocky Mountains follow much later with Mount Elbert (4,401 meters / 14,439 ft).

Who built the Andes Mountains?

The breakup of Pangaea dispersed these plates outward, and the collision of two of these plates—the continental South American Plate and the oceanic Nazca Plate—gave rise to the mountain-building activity that produced the Andes Mountains.

Are the Andes growing or shrinking?

The icefields that stretch for hundreds of miles atop the Andes Mountains in Chile and Argentina are melting at some of the fastest rates on the planet. The ground that was beneath this ice is also shifting and rising as these glaciers disappear.

Which is bigger the Alps or the Andes?

The Alps includes several hundred peaks and glaciers, including numerous peaks over 12,000 feet, with Mont Blanc highest at 15,771 feet. The Andes are the second highest Mountain Range in the world with many peaks rising over 20,000 feet. The Andes Mountains are the longest mountain range in the world.

How old are the Andes?

The researchers found that Andes uplift began between 30 million and 20 million years ago.

How cold does it get in the Andes?

In winter the temperatures usually averages about less than 52°F. In the summer it usually averages 68°F.

Does it snow in Andes?

Every austral winter in the central Andes, fresh snowfall covers and fills the gaps between mountaintops that have more permanent snow and ice.

Are the Andes safe to visit?

Earthquakes rock the region frequently, although most of the earthquakes are small and pose little danger. In addition, mild volcanic activity and even tsunamis have been known to occur, but such occurrences are rare and should not dissuade travels from exploring the mountains.

Are Andes taller than Rockies?

This is even true for all seven-thousand-meter peaks. The highest peak outside Asia is Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes at 6,962 meters (22,841 ft). The Rocky Mountains follow much later with Mount Elbert (4,401 meters / 14,439 ft).

What are 3 interesting facts about the Andes mountains?

10 Fascinating Facts About the Andes Mountains

• The Andes Mountains are so much more than just one mountain range. …
• Most Andean peaks are volcanic. …
• The world’s highest/largest/biggest etc is probably here. …
• The Andes are a haven of biodiversity. …
• The Andes is the source of the astounding Amazon River.

Why are the Himalayas so much taller?

Rising at the border of Tibet and Nepal, Mount Everest formed from a tectonic smashup between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates tens of millions of years ago. The collision crumpled the landscape, raising mountains along some 1,5000 miles, a range we know as the Himalaya.

Are the Andes higher than the Alps?

The Alps includes several hundred peaks and glaciers, including numerous peaks over 12,000 feet, with Mont Blanc highest at 15,771 feet. The Andes are the second highest Mountain Range in the world with many peaks rising over 20,000 feet.

What is the largest mountain in the world?

Mount Everest’s

Mount Everest’s peak is the highest altitude above mean sea level at 29,029 feet [8,848 meters].

Which country has the most mountains in the world?

Bhutan

The most mountainous country in the world: Bhutan



By nearly any measure, Bhutan is the world’s most mountainous country. Bhutan’s average elevation is 10,760 feet and mountains cover 98.8% of its total area.