Penitentes are spiky snow formations in the Andes, consisting of tall thin blades of closely spaced hardened snow; their blades point towards the sun. Their height ranges from a few centimetres to even 5 metres. These pinnacles of snow or ice grow in the Dry Andes above 4,000 metres. Penitentes are a common sight in the regions between Argentina and Chile. Sometimes the snow sublimes into water vapour forming smooth depressions in the snow. Sunrays focused on such depressions speed up sublimation leaving the higher points as the forests of towering spikes. Studies are being pursued to discover the effect of global warming on the Penitentes.
Penitentes
