Where Did The Andes Mountain Originate From? Study Reveals New Finds

Researchers have found that the Andes Mountain range may have been around for the past 30 million years, according to a study at the University of Bristol in the UK.

Over the past several years, researchers have constantly debated the origin and age of the Andes. The Andes were formed during plate tectonic activities where the oceanic crust subducted the continental crust, eventually forming an immense mountain range.

The timing of the Andes' rapid uplifting process could help scientists to have a better understanding about mountain formation and how they erode.

Dr. Laura Evenstar used a cosmic ray method, which enabled her to determine the altitude history of rock surfaces. Evenstar and a team of researchers examined several large boulders, two kilometers high, in the Andes' western margin. The researchers found that the Andes were "already near their present elevation 14 million years ago."

"It seems highly likely that the Andes have gone up slowly over at least the last 30 million years, and are the result of gradual thickening of the crust," Evanstar said. "This means that the uplift of the Andes probable effected large scale atmospheric circulation patterns at least 4 million years before previously thought."

The findings of this study were published in Geophysical Research Letters.

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