The glaciers of Chile cover 2.7% (20,188 km2[1]) of the land area of the country, excluding Antártica Chilena, and have a considerable impact on its landscape and water supply. By surface 80% of South America's glaciers lie in Chile. Glaciers develop in the Andes of Chile from 27˚S southwards: further north they are confined to the Argentinian side because of extreme aridity, though rock glaciers formed from permafrost are common. The largest glaciers of Chile are the Northern and Southern Patagonian Ice Fields. From a latitude of 47° S and south some glaciers reach sea level.
Apart from height and latitude, the settings of Chilean glaciers depend on precipitation patterns; in this sense two different regions exist: the Dry Andes and the Wet Andes.
This is a list of the ice fields of Chile.
| Name | Area (km²) |
Regions of Chile | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Patagonian Ice Field | 4,200 | Aisén | |
| Southern Patagonian Ice Field | 14,200 (of 16,800) | Aisén and Magallanes | |
| Cordillera Darwin | 2,300 | Magallanes | |
| Gran Campo Nevado | 200 | Magallanes | |
| Grandes Ventisqueros | Magallanes |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||