Chacaltaya

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chacaltaya

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How high is Chacaltaya?5,421 meters (17,785 feet)
2. How big is Chacaltaya?0.22 km2
3. What is the location?Cordillera Real, Bolivian Andes
4. What is the scientific name?N/A (Mountain)
5. What is Chacaltaya and why is it special?Chacaltaya is a tall mountain in the Bolivian Andes that once had a glacier. The glacier melted away quickly, showing how climate change can affect mountains.
6. Why did the glacier melt so quickly?The glacier melted faster because there was less snowfall and warmer temperatures, especially during El Niño events. These conditions made the ice melt and shrink faster.

Ablation: The process of ice melting, evaporating, or breaking off from a glacier.
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): A recurring climate pattern that involves changes in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean.
Mass Balance: The difference between the amount of snow/ice gained and lost by a glacier over a year.