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You are browsing the archive for chile glacier melt Archives - Page 2 of 5 - From a Glacier's Perspective.

March 4, 2022

Volcan San Jose, Central Andes Glacier Decline and Snowcover Loss in 2022.

Volcan San Jose, Chile/Argentina Glacier change in Landsat 5-7-9 images from 1991, 2001 and 2022. Red arrows indicate the 1991 terminus location of three glaciers draining from the summit region, including Nieves Negras Glacier (NN). Point A-D are locations of expanding bedrock amidst the glacier.  Snowpack very limited in 2022. Volcan San Jose is a 5850 m glacier draped volcano that straddles the Argentina-Chile border. Here we focus on the …

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February 18, 2022

Palomo Glacier, Chile Snow Cover Loss in 2022 and Accelerating Retreat

Palomo Glacier, Chile in Landsat 5, 8 and 9 images illustrating retreat from 1987 position, red arrow, and expansion of bare rock areas amidst the glacier at Point A,B and C. Note lack of retained snowcover in 2022. Palomo Glacier is a large valley glacier in Central Andes of Chile. Adjacent to the Cortaderal Glacier and Universidad Glacier, it flows east from Volcan Paloma (4860 m)  and drains into the …

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January 31, 2022

Olivares Beta and Gamma Glaciers, Chile Bare of Snowcover in 2022

Olivares Beta (B) and Olivares Gamma (G) Glacier in Sentinel image from 1-23-2022, illustrating the lack of retained snowcover with 8 weeks left in the melt season. The yellow arrow marks proglacial lakes below each glacier. The red arrow an area of emerging bedrock on the upper Beta, X marks a location where the glaciers were joined in 1986 and now have separated.  Olivares Beta and Olivares Gamma Glacier are …

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January 17, 2022

Cortaderal Glacier, Chile 2022 Heat Wave Reduces Snow Cover, Retreat Continues

Cortaderal Glacier in Landsat images from 2014 and 2022. The glacier retreated 1400 m during this interval. The snowline in January 2014 is at 3750 m. On January 15, 2022 the snowline averages 4100 m with less than 15% snowcovered with 2.5 months left in the melt season. Red arrow is 2014 terminus and yellow arrow is 2022 terminus. Cortaderal Glacier is a large valley glacier in Central Andes of …

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December 27, 2021

Oriental Glacier, Chile Retreats from Island Poised for Rapid Lake Expansion

Oriental Glacier in 1986 and 2021 Landsat imagery illustrating retreat from the island (I) and diminishing width and flow of tributaries at P0int A and B. A marginal lake has formed at Point M as the glaciers terminus section has thinned and narrowed. Oriental Glacier terminates in an expanding proglacial Lago Oriental at the northeastern margin of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI). The glacier had terminated on an island in …

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December 12, 2021

Steffen Glacier, Chile Drainage of Laguna de Los Tempanos

Laguna de los Tempanos full on February 9, 2021 and drained on December 6, 2021 in Sentinel 2 images. Point A marks the western margin when full. Point C marks the western margin when drained.  Steffen Glacier is the south flowing glacier from the 4000 km2 Northern Patagonia Icefield (NPI). Several key research papers have reported on the spectacular retreat of this glacier in recent years.  Glasser et al (2016) reported …

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November 21, 2021

Bernardo Glacier, Chile Retreat Yields 15 km2 Lake Expansion 1986-2021

Bernardo Glacier in Landsat images from 1986 and 2021 illustrating retreat at the southern (S), middle (M) and northern (N) terminus respectively. Red arrows are 1986 terminus locations, yellow arrows are 2021 terminus locations. Separation from Tempano occurs at S, while lake expansion occurs at M and N. Bernardo Glacier is an outlet glacier on the west side of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI) that  currently ends in an expanding …

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October 26, 2021

Queulat Glacer Complex, Chile Recession 1987-2021

Seven outlet glaciers of the Queulat glacier complex, Chile in 1987 and 2020 Landsat images. A=Rosselot Glacier and D=Colgante Hanging Glacier are the only ones in 1987 not terminating in a proglacial lake. The other five retreated from a proglacial lake since 1987 and Rosselot Glacier retreat has led to formation of two lakes.  Nevado Queulat, Chile is the centerpiece of the Queulat National Park in the Aysen Region.  This …

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February 24, 2021

HPN4 Glacier, Chile New Lake Forms and Drains in 2021

Glacier dammed lake formation at HPN4 Glacier, Chile between Landsat images of Feb. 2020 and Feb. 2021, yellow arrows indicating new calving fronts on either end of lake.  HPN4 Glacier drains the southern side of NPI just east of Steffen Glacier. The terminus retreated little from 1987-2015, see below (Pelto, 2015 and 2017). The main change is in the eastern tributary 1-2 km north of the terminus. In 1987 there were …

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February 17, 2021

Tres Puntas Glacier, Chile Loses 50% of its Length this Century

Tres Puntas Glacier, Chile in 1999 and 2021 Landsat imagery. Red arrow is 1999 terminus location, yellow arrow the 2021 location, Point A is where tributaries joined in 1999 and Point B is where an adjacent glacier drains west. Tres Puntas Glacier flow south from Cerro Tres Puntas draining south into Lago O’Higgins in Patagonia. The icefield is east of the Patagonia icefields where Davies and Glasser (2012) noted the …

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