Brains
You likely know the Andes as the backbone of South America and the longest mountain chain on Earth. But did you know this massive range actually continues all the way into Antarctica? Before we dive into its path across the world’s most remote continent, let’s look at some of the most fascinating facts about this legendary range.
The Andes are home to the highest mountains outside of Asia. Aconcagua is the highest mountain on the continent, rising to an impressive 22,838 feet (6,961 meters) above sea level. The range also helps divide South America’s climate, forcing moisture out of incoming storms. This results in the world’s driest non-polar desert, the Atacama, on one side and one of the world’s wettest places, the Amazon rainforest, on the other.
The Andes are also a part of the American Cordillera, an almost continuous chain of mountains starting in Alaska and creating a spine all the way through North America, through Central America, and finally all the way down to Antarctica by way of the Andes. Together, the Andes and the mountain ranges of western North America form part of the American Cordillera, an almost continuous mountain system stretching from Alaska’s Denali to Antarcticaca.
The Andes continue down through stunning Patagonia, forming some of the most famous mountaineering destinations in the world such as the stunning Cerro Torre. From there, the mountains disappear beneath the Southern Ocean, becoming what is known as the Antarctandes by many geologists. The Antarctandes submerge into the Southern Ocean/Scotia Sea just to the east of Tierra del Fuego, forming the underwater Scotia Arc mountain range. They then re-emerge through island chains including the South Orkney Islands, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, and the South Shetland Islands, before finally resurfacing on the northern Antarctic Peninsula.
Some geologists believe the chain ultimately connects into Antarctica’s Ellsworth Mountains. Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, reaches an astounding height of 16,050 feet in this range. Forming a serpentine-like arc, the range then hooks downward all the way to the South Pole. By these metrics, the range stretches over 3,000 miles across the continent.
While the Andes are inarguably one of the most impressive mountain ranges in the world, the thought of the parent range stretching from Alaska to Antarctica really puts into perspective how incredible it really is. Though challenging to see in real life, if one is willing and able to make the journey to the furthest reaches of the planet, the views would be more than worth it. Seen this way, the Andes are not just South America’s defining mountain range, but part of a nearly unbroken spine of mountains stretching from Alaska to the edge of Antarctica.
