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Discover the Andes
Cordillera del Paine
by Martin Mergili
East of the main range of the Patagonian Andes, the Cordillera del Paine raises sharply above the eastern forelands. The entire area is protected through the Torres del Paine National Park, which is well developed through a network of roads and hiking trails. This contribution will help you to better understand the exciting geological history of this mountain range, before visiting the individual points of interest which are the Mirador Ferrier and the Mirador Base Las Torres. The Cordillera del Paine forms part of the Southern Patagonian Andes - drop by also there in order to learn more about the climate, glaciers, and vegetation prevailing in this region!
Geological structure of the Cordillera del Paine
One of the most distinctive features of the Cordillera del Paine is the sequence of alternating bright and dark rocks. The bright rocks are granites, whereas the dark rocks represent folded and tilted turbidites - sedimentary rocks once deposited in the deep sea. Another characteristic of this mountain range is its extremely rugged appearance.
Try to tell the geological history of the Cordillera del Paine in the last 100 million years. If you are unsure with regard to certain aspects, you can formulate two or more hypotheses.
Click on the arrows to travel in time through the exciting geological history of the Cordillera del Paine.
In connection with the subduction of the Southern Pacific Ocean beneath the South American Plate, extension of the crust led to the formation of a so-called back-arc basin east of the young Andes. The material eroded from the Andes was transported to the deep sea through so-called turbidity flows.
