Perito Moreno Glacier, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Created in 1937, Los Glaciares National Park is located in southern Patagonia, near the border of Chile. This protected zone, declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1981, contains 13 glaciers that originated from the continental glacial covering Patagonia, the largest in the world after Antarctica and Greenland. With a frontal width of 2.5 miles (4 km) and a height of 147 feet (60 m), Perito Moreno extends for 32 miles (52 km) and moves along one of the arms of Lake Argentino, dragging rock debris torn from the banks in its wake, which erode and shape the landscape. Global warming could melt the ice formations like this, raising the level of the oceans by 3 to 35 inches (9 to 88 cm) before the end of the century, drowning fertile shore areas and posing increased disaster risk in areas around the world.