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Ultima Patagonia, an underground scientific expedition deep in chilean patagonia

The exploration of a remote island by a multidisciplinary team of scientists as part of a single project won over the Petzl Foundation! Paul Petzl, president of group Petzl, after his lightning visit into the eye of a Chilean storm, said: "Here, I find the spirit of expedition in the broadest sense of the word: an international expedition that Petzl and its foundation are happy to support”.

 

The Madre de Dios archipelago is an exceptional site for scientifi c research being totally isolated and in an extreme geographic location where polar and maritime infl uences meet. This archipelago resents the archetype of large limestone regions, the limestone hard-rock of cold areas, and presents forms of corrosion that are unique in the world, the famous rock comets: “It felt like I had arrived in another world. The place is magical.” Paul Petzl tells us.
 
 
The discoveries
 
After this most recent expedition, which lasted for two months at the beginning of 2008, the results are very encouraging. Although exploration of the chasms is particularly physical being diffi cult to access and subject to copious rainfall, caving enables fascinating discoveries: archaeological deposits, Alakaluf Indian rock paintings, the karst network.... For example, how do you explain the presence of whale bones in a coastal cave 37 meters above the Pacifi c Ocean?
 
 

The Ultima Patagonia expedition is the fourth of its kind organized by the Centre-Terre Association on Madre de Dios Island after a reconnaissance trip in 1997 and studies carried out in 2000 and 2006. 2008 was a milestone year for the expedition since the Chilean government decided in January 2008 to protect the island, acknowledging the importance of the unique heritage of this archipelago. Ultimately, this research will enable an application to be made in collaboration with the Chilean government to include this area on the UNESCO’s world heritage list, with the same aim of preserving this unique, exceptional heritage site.
 
For more info: www.centre-terre.fr

 

   © Photos - Centre-Terre