Water isotopes are an important tool for reconstructing the amount of atmospheric lifting related to high topography in the geologic past. However, our capacity for meaningful interpretation requires understanding the climatic setting and isolating the influence of orography on water isotopes. Patagonia's simple, steady climatology and location within the Southern Westerlies makes it an ideal setting for successful application of water isotopes to measuring topography through time. Here we use hydrated volcanic glass to construct a new record of the size of the Patagonian Andes during the Cenozoic. We also utilize a novel method for identifying the contribution of orography in regional climate records. Our results show that variation in the observed record can largely be explained by variations in climate. Thus we conclude that the mountain range has maintained a size similar to modern since at least Paleocene. This result is in agreement with geologic data, which constrain the bulk of the surface uplift of the Andes to the Cretaceous. The reconstruction of the Patagonian Andes, which grew in the Cretaceous and remained high through the Cenozoic, is markedly different from the widely held view of Miocene formation of this mountain range. In particular, the topography appears to remain stable during the northward propagation and collision of offshore spreading centers.

中文翻译：

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巴塔哥尼亚安第斯山脉的生长和稳定状态

水同位素是重建地质历史中与高地势相关的大气抬升量的重要工具。然而，我们进行有意义解释的能力需要了解气候环境并隔离地形对水同位素的影响。巴塔哥尼亚简单、稳定的气候条件和位于南部西风带的位置使其成为成功应用水同位素测量随时间变化的地形的理想场所。在这里，我们使用水合火山玻璃构建了新生代巴塔哥尼亚安第斯山脉大小的新记录。我们还利用一种新方法来确定地形在区域气候记录中的贡献。我们的结果表明，观测记录的变化在很大程度上可以用气候变化来解释。因此我们得出结论，至少从古新世开始，山脉就一直保持着与现代相似的大小。这一结果与地质数据一致，地质数据将安第斯山脉的大部分地表抬升限制在白垩纪。巴塔哥尼亚安第斯山脉在白垩纪生长并在整个新生代保持高位，其重建与普遍认为该山脉中新世形成的观点截然不同。特别是，在向北传播和海上扩张中心碰撞期间，地形似乎保持稳定。它生长于白垩纪并在整个新生代保持高位，与人们普遍认为的该山脉中新世形成的观点截然不同。特别是，在向北传播和海上扩张中心碰撞期间，地形似乎保持稳定。它生长于白垩纪并在整个新生代保持高位，与人们普遍认为的该山脉中新世形成的观点截然不同。特别是，在向北传播和海上扩张中心碰撞期间，地形似乎保持稳定。