It has been suggested that glacial erosion has an important role in controlling mountain height. Here, spatial and temporal patterns of erosion in the glaciated Patagonian Andes have been assessed with the help of a low-temperature thermochronologic data set. The results show that, between 38° S and 49° S, accelerated erosion at the onset of widespread glaciation limits mountain height. But at higher latitudes, glaciation protects the landscape from erosion and leads to growth in mountain height and width.
- Stuart N. Thomson
- Mark T. Brandon
- Nathaniel J. Wilson
