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You are browsing the archive for chile glacier retreat Archives - Page 2 of 7 - From a Glacier's Perspective.

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 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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November 11, 2021

Melt Severs Northern Patagonia Icefield Glacier Connections

Loss of glacier connection between HPN1 and HPN2 in Landsat images from 2000 and 202o at Point A and B. Glacier tongue retreat at Point A from HPN1 and at Point C from HPN2. Formation of 1.4 km2 lake at HPN1. HPN1, HPN2 and HPN3 drain adjacent sections of the the Northern Patagonia Icefield (NPI).  HPN2 and HPN3 comprise the Acodado Glacier, with HPN1 being the next glacier to the …

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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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April 13, 2021

Benito Glacier, Chile 2021 Calving Event Drives Further Retreat

  Benito Glacier in 2000 and 2021 Landsat images. Locations 1-6 are current or former distributary terminus locations. Red arrow is the 2000 terminus location and yellow arrow the 2021 terminus location.  A small cloud is obscuring an iceberg near terminus.  Purple dots are the snowline. Benito Glacier is a temperate outlet glacier on the west side of the North Patagonian Icefield terminating in an expanding lake. The glacier is …

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March 12, 2021

Gorra de Nieve East Glacier, Chile Retreat-Lake Expansion

Gorra de Nieve East Glacier in 1986 and 2021 Landsat images. Red arrow is the 1986 terminus location, yellow arrow is the 2021 terminus location, orange arrows the three main tributaries. The Gorra de Nieve massif is 50 km southwest of Monte San Lorenzo, draining its eastern flank the largest glacier of this massif is unnamed and referred to here as Gorra de Nieve East Glacier. The glacier consists of …

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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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