Topography

Topographic relief in South America is dominated by the Andes Mountains, which extend all along the Pacific Coast. These mountains were created by the convergence of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. The Nazca Plate, which lies under the eastern Pacific Ocean, shifted under western South America resulting in the plate rising and volcanic activity. Another zone of plate convergence occurs along the north-western coast of South America where the Caribbean Plate also slides under the South American Plate and forms the north-eastern extension of the Andes Mountains.

East of the Andes, much of northern South America drains into the Amazon River, the world’s largest river in terms of both watershed area and flow volume. Topographic relief is very low in much of the Amazon Basin but there is a gentle slope causing the river to drain east, into the South Atlantic.

South of the Amazon, the Brazilian Highlands show a mix of landforms, including some broad areas that indicate erosion. The high and smooth plateaus are the remains of rock structures created under geologic and environmental conditions very different from today. Coastal formations on the Atlantic side can be related to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean as South America drifted away from Africa, about 130 million years ago.

These high mountains have a distinct impact on which areas are suitable for viticulture. The tropical, damp and humid Amazon basin and the lowlands of the far south eastern coastline are not suited whereas regions close to the mountains with altitude and cooling influence of melt waters make many regions suitable, despite their latitudes. Because of these mountains, wine is made in parts of Brazil and even as far north as Peru, at similar latitudes as Mozambique or Northern Australia.