Lluta Valley, Chile

The Andes range, called "The Spine of South America", runs along the Pacific Ocean the length of Chile and on through Peru , Ecuador and Columbia. The prevailing winds and weather are from the East to the West, which means that, because of the very high altitudes of the Andes, the western coast gets virtually no rain; almost all the water in Chile comes from the run-off of melting snows from the mountains. This explains why there is almost no water erosion, only wind erosion, in Chile. The other principal factors in the orogenic diastrophism (mountain formation) are the uplifting action of the Pacific tectonic plates and the intense volcanic activity all along the range. The painting shows the results of all this in what appears to be a very different topography. The Andes are truly awe inspiring.