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TOPOGRAPHY
Elevation and peaks of El Yunque Elevation (m) 0
12
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El Yunque National Forest
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60
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90
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Photo by Jerry Bauer
Hydrologic units
Most of El Yunque National Forest lies between 400 and 900 m in elevation; only 5 percent lies above 900 m. Five peaks in the forest exceed 1000 m in elevation: El Toro, El Yunque, Pico del Este, Pico del Oeste, and El Cacique. The lowest point is along the northeastern boundary near the town of Sabana.
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FOREST PEAKS 3
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Climate at the peaks
El Yunque National Forest is situated in the Luquillo Mountains, which rise from the coast to over 1000 m above sea level. El Toro Peak (1074 m) is the highest point within the forest. Many environmental gradients reach their extreme values at the mountain summits, such as the highest wind speeds, lowest air temperatures, lowest incoming sunlight, highest rainfall, and lowest oxygen concentrations in the soil. 3, 7, 13
Moist air from the trade winds arriving from the Atlantic Ocean cools and condenses as it rises up the steep mountain slopes, resulting in the mountain peaks being cloaked in cloud cover most of the time. February and March are the months when the peaks are most likely to be free of clouds. 3 The continuous rainfall at the peaks transforms into the headwaters for six major rivers: Río Espíritu Santo, Río Grande de Loíza, Río Blanco, Río Mameyes, Río Fajardo, and Río Sabana.
10 km
Name 1. El Negro 2. La Mina 3. Mount Britton 4. Los Picachos 5. Cacique 6. Pico del Oeste 7. Pico del Este 8. El Yunque 9. El Toro
Elevation (m) 750 931 941 968 1020 1025 1051 1065 1074
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2010 digitital aerial photos 14
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