El Leoncito National Park

Last updated
El Leoncito National Park
Parque Nacional El Leoncito
Parque Nacional El Leoncito, Calingasta, prov. de San Juan, Argentina.jpg
Horses roaming in the park with snow-capped Andes in the distance
Relief Map of Argentina.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location within Argentina
Location San Juan Province, Argentina
Nearest city Barreal
Coordinates 31°48′S69°22′W / 31.800°S 69.367°W / -31.800; -69.367
Area89,706 ha (346.36 sq mi)
EstablishedSeptember 18, 2002 (2002-09-18) [1]
Governing body Argentine National Parks Administration

El Leoncito National Park (Spanish : Parque Nacional El Leoncito) is a federal protected area in San Juan Province, Argentina. Established on 18 September 2002, [1] it houses a representative sample of the Central Andean Puna and the Southern Andean steppe biodiversity in good state of conservation, as well as historical and paleontological sites (including a portion of the Inca road system). It has an area of 89,706 ha (897.06 km2; 346.36 sq mi)

Contents

Description

El Leoncito is located on the western slopes of the Sierra del Tontal in the Calingasta Department, 34 km (21 mi) from Barreal.

The lack of atmospheric pollution in this isolated place and the dry weather guarantee at least 300 days of unmatched sky transparency per year, making it particularly suitable for astronomy research: within the park there are two astronomical observatories: the Leoncito Astronomical Complex (CASLEO) and the Félix Aguilar Observatory (2,552 m (8,373 ft) above sea level)

The area of the current national park lay within the jurisdiction of the aforementioned Leoncito Astronomical Complex, under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Safeguarding the atmospheric quality was a central concern for the astronomical center, which in turn required careful administration of the ecological environment. Thus in 1994 it was decided to place the area under management of the National Parks Administration as a strict natural reserve. On 18 September 2002 it was further promoted to national park status with the enactment of national law 25656 after its territory was ceded by the San Juan Province to the federal state. [1]

The climate is cold, with permanent ice in the high Andean region. In the Puna the weather is cold and very dry with large temperature amplitude. Overall, the average annual rainfall is 200 mm (7.9 in).

The park has almost no infrastructure for tourists, so it is recommended to stock up before visiting. There is free camping with a stove, tables, grills, barbecue, toilets and hot showers. Besides visiting the astronomical observatories, there are trails to local water streams and waterfalls, most of them of low difficulty and short length.

Biodiversity

The flora is mostly made up of shrubs, typical of dry mountainous areas. The fauna include important species like the guanaco and birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra de San Pedro Mártir</span> Mountain range in northwestern Mexico

Sierra de San Pedro Mártir is a mountain range located within southern Ensenada Municipality and southern Baja California state, of northwestern Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Pampa Province</span> Province of Argentina

La Pampa is a sparsely populated province of Argentina, located in the Pampas in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise San Luis, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Río Negro, Neuquén and Mendoza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Félix Aguilar Observatory</span> Observatory

Félix Aguilar Observatory is an astronomical observatory. It was established in 1953, in San Juan Province, Argentina. In 1974, it was renamed to Carlos Ulrrico Cesco Astronomical Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manu National Park</span> National park in Peru

Manu National Park is a national park and biosphere reserve located in the regions of Madre de Dios and Cusco in Peru. It protects a diverse number of ecosystems including lowland rainforests, cloud forests and Andean grasslands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huascarán National Park</span> World Heritage Site and national park in Peru

Huascarán National Park is a Peruvian national park that comprises most of the mountain range known as Cordillera Blanca which is part of the central Andes, in the region of Ancash. The park covers an area of 340,000 hectares and is managed by the Peruvian Network of Protected Natural Areas, or SERNANP. It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1985 by UNESCO, is also a well-known mountaineering spot, and harbors a unique biodiversity with plant species such as the Queen of the Andes, trees of the genera Polylepis and Buddleja, and animals such as spectacled bears, condors, vicunas, and tarucas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentine Northwest</span>

The Argentine Northwest is a geographic and historical region of Argentina composed of the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llano de Chajnantor Observatory</span> Observatory

Llano de Chajnantor Observatory is the name for a group of astronomical observatories located at an altitude of over 4,800 m (15,700 ft) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The site is in the Antofagasta Region approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of the town of San Pedro de Atacama. The exceptionally arid climate of the area is inhospitable to humans, but creates an excellent location for millimeter, submillimeter, and mid-infrared astronomy. This is because water vapour absorbs and attenuates submillimetre radiation. Llano de Chajnantor is home to the largest and most expensive astronomical telescope project in the world, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Llano de Chajnantor and the surrounding area has been designated as the Chajnantor Science Reserve by the government of Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torres del Paine National Park</span> National park in southern Chilean Patagonia

Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park is located 112 km (70 mi) north of Puerto Natales and 312 km (194 mi) north of Punta Arenas. The park borders Bernardo O'Higgins National Park to the west and the Los Glaciares National Park to the north in Argentine territory. Paine means "blue" in the native Tehuelche (Aonikenk) language and is pronounced PIE-neh. It was established as a National Park in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leoncito Astronomical Complex</span> Observatory

The El Leoncito Astronomical Complex is an astronomical observatory in the San Juan Province of Argentina. CASLEO is one of two observatories located within El Leoncito National Park, which is in a part of the country which rarely sees cloud cover. The other facility in the park is the Carlos U. Cesco Astronomical Station of the Félix Aguilar Observatory. CASLEO was established in 1983 by an agreement between National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) of Argentina, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MINCYT) of Argentina, the National University of San Juan (UNSJ), the National University of La Plata (UNLP), and the National University of Córdoba (UNC). The facility was dedicated in 1986 and regular observations began in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park</span> National park in Baja California, Mexico

Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park is a national park in the Mexican state of Baja California. The Park is part of the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California. The area was first explored by Native people then Europeans in 1701 by Eusebio Francisco Kino by Dominican orders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purico complex</span> Pleistocene volcanic complex in Chile

The Purico complex is a Pleistocene volcanic complex in Chile close to Bolivia, formed by an ignimbrite, several lava domes and stratovolcanoes and one maar. It is in the Chilean segment of the Central Volcanic Zone, one of the four volcanic belts which make up the Andean Volcanic Belt. The Central Volcanic Zone spans Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina and includes 44 active volcanoes as well as the Altiplano–Puna volcanic complex, a system of large calderas and ignimbrites of which Purico is a member. Licancabur to the north, La Pacana southeast and Guayaques to the east are separate volcanic systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atacama Desert</span> Desert in South America

The Atacama Desert is a desert plateau located on the Pacific coast of South America, in the north of Chile. Stretching over a 1,600-kilometre-long (1,000-mile) strip of land west of the Andes Mountains, it covers an area of 105,000 km2 (41,000 sq mi), which increases to 128,000 km2 (49,000 sq mi) if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pampa de Achala</span> Region in Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina

Pampa de Achala is a region that lies at the heart of the Sierras de Córdoba located within Sierras Pampeanas, and located in central-northwest of Argentina. It is a rugged area with little vegetation, lying over 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level, and which has distinctive species, ecology, relief and hydrography. The region is a regional water reserve, and the source of the vast majority of streams that run through the Córdoba Province. Quebrada del Condorito National Park is in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra de las Quijadas National Park</span> National park in San Luis, Argentina

The Sierra de las Quijadas National Park is a national park located in the northwestern part of the Argentine province of San Luis. It was established on December 10, 1991, to protect the natural features, representative of the Semiarid Chaco and the High Monte ecoregions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebrada del Condorito National Park</span> National park in Argentina

Quebrada del Condorito National Park is a federal protected area in Córdoba Province, Argentina. Established on 28 November 1996, it houses a representative sample of the Sierras Pampeanas biodiversity in endangered state of conservation. It has an area of 37,344 ha

An astronomical complex or commemorative astronomical complex is a series of man-made structures with an astronomical purpose. It has been used when referring to a group of Megalithic structures that it is claimed show high precision astronomical alignments. For the study of Archaeoastronomy, such complexes of similar structures are required for adequate measurement and calculation to ensure that similar celestial sightlines were intended by the designers. These arrangements have also been known as observational, ceremonial or ritual complexes with importance for the study of prehistoric cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Andean steppe</span>

The Southern Andean steppe is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion occurring along the border of Chile and Argentina in the high elevations of the southern Andes mountain range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Andean Yungas</span> Ecoregion in Argentina and Bolivia

The Southern Andean Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of southwestern Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nidia Morrell</span> Argentine astronomer

Nidia Irene Morrell is an Argentine astronomer who is a permanent staff member at the Las Campanas Observatory in La Serena, Chile. She was a member of the Massive Stars research group led by Virpi Niemelä and the Hubble Heritage Project. Professionally, she is known for her numerous contributions related to the astrophysics of massive stars. She participates in the systematic search for variations of brightness in stellar objects, including the observation of a candidate for the Thorne–Żytkow object. She was also a member of the team that discovered the supernova ASASSN-15lh.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ley No. 25656, 16 de octubre de 2002, B.O., (30005), 4  (in Spanish); sanc.: 18 de septiembre de 2002