Seno Otway is a large inland

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

lying between Brunswick Peninsula and

Riesco Island Riesco Island () lies at west of the Brunswick Peninsula, Chile. It is one of the largest islands in Chile, with an area of . Its highest point is Mount Atalaya at . The island is bordered by two large piedmont embayments: Otway Sound and Skyring ...

in southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. Alternatively called Otway Sound, this natural waterway occupies a valley blocked by a large terminal moraine left by the retreat of a

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

during the last glacial period. In spite of being located east of the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

, it is connected to the open

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

through the Strait of Magellan via a narrow passage, which cuts into the Andean Massif. Seno Otway also is

hydrological Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...

ly connected with Seno Skyring by the Fitzroy Channel.

Ecology

There are a variety of marine species within the Otway Sound, as well as along the coastal terrestrial and intertidal zones. Notably there is a moderately large colony of the Magellanic penguin along the coast of the Seno Otway.C.M. Hogan, 2008 Not to be confused with Otway Bay at the west entrance of the Abra Channel.

References

* United States Geological Survey (USGS) ''P 1386-I Chile and Argentina - Wet Andes: Past Glaciation'

accessdate=2008-01-29 * C. Michael Hogan (2008) ''Magellanic Penguin'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromber

Line notes

Sounds of Chile Bodies of water of Magallanes Region {{MagellanAntarctic-geo-stub

Ecology

See also

References

Line notes