Glacier area changes in the central Chilean and Argentinean Andes 1955-2013/14

Jeppe K. Malmros, Sebastian H. Mernild, Ryan Wilson, Jacob C. Yde, Rasmus Fensholt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

To improve our knowledge of glacier area changes in the central Chilean and Argentinean Andes (32°9'S-33°4'S), two new glacier inventories from 1989 to 2013/14 are compared with a reinterpreted inventory from 1955. Comparisons show glacier area retreat of 30 ± 3% since 1955, decreasing from 134 to 94 km2 in 2013/14, whilst the annual rate of area loss showed a small increase (insignificant) between the periods of 1955-1989 and 1989-2013/14. Separate analysis of the 1989 and 2013/14 inventories, including a larger sample, revealed a higher rate of glacier change compared with the smaller samples of these inventories. Additionally, an analysis at ∼5 year intervals for six major glaciers (1955-2013) indicates large variability in response times and area loss magnitudes. Glacier Olivares Alfa, for example, lost 63% of its ice area, while the Juncal Norte Glacier lost only 10% (1955-2013). The findings from this study improve our current knowledge base concerning widespread glacier decline in the southern Andes, and furthers monitoring efforts in this poorly described region of the world, a region containing vital water resources for populated areas in South America.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)391-401
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Glaciology
Volume62
Issue number232
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Apr 2016
Externally publishedYes

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