You are browsing the archive for chile glacier retreat Archives - From a Glacier's Perspective.
April 1, 2022
Central Andean Glaciers Laid Bare for Last Half of Summer 2022
Volcan Overo in Sentinel image continues to fragment with no retained snowcover this summer, and bedrock expansion at Point A. For an alpine glacier to survive it must remain mostly snowcovered throughout the year, even at the end of the summer. This is one reason for the majesty of glaciated mountains, they shine brightly even in summer. This year in the Central Andes of Argentina and Chile I have chronicled …
January 25, 2019
Tic Toc Glacier, Chile Rapid Losses with Time 1986-2019
Tic Toc Glacier (TT) and Oeste Glacier (O) in 1986 and 2018 Landsat images. Red arrow is the 1986 terminus, yellow arrow is the 2018 terminus location, purple dots the snowline. Tic Toc Glacier at the headwaters of the Rio Tic Toc and the adjacent Rio Oeste headwater glacier Oeste Glacier are in the Parque Nacionale Corcovado of Palena Province of Chile. Davies and Glasser (2012) noted that overall glaciers in …
January 12, 2018
Glaciar Olvidado, Chile Retreat Lake Expansion 1985-2017
Glaciar Olvidado (O) retreat illustrated in 1985 and 2017 Landsat images. Red arrow is 1985 terminus location, yellow arrow is 2017 terminus location and purple dots are the snowline. This illustrates an 1800 m retreat. Glaciar Olvidado (G) is a glacier in the southeast portion of the Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI), adjacent to Grey Glacier (G). The glacier terminates in a proglacial lake. Rivera and Casassa (2004) report the glacier terminating …
July 13, 2017
Gabriel Quiroz Glacier, Chile Retreat Forms New Lake
Gabriel Quiroz Glacier, Chile in 1987 and 2016 Landsat images illustrates the retreat. Red arrow is 1987 terminus, yellow arrow the 2016 terminus, purple arrow a retreating northern tributary and purpe dots the snowline. Gabriel Quiroz Glacier is a northern outlet glacier of the Southern Patagonia Icefield that drains into the Rio Pascua. The glacier in 1987 terminated within 250 m of Lago Gabriel Quiroz. Willis et al (2012) observed that between February 2000 …
April 7, 2017
Bernal Glacier, Retreating from Chilean Fjord
Bernal Glacier terminus looking towards Estero las Montañas from Eñaut Izagirre and Camilo Rada. Bernal Glacier drains east from the Sarmiento de Gamboa Range in Southern Patagonia terminating a short distance from the Estero las Montañas. The glacier is in the Alacalufes National Reserve and can be seen from boats traveling up the fjord. Davies and Glasser, (2012) indicate extensive recession of almost all glaciers in the range from 1870-2011. The …
April 3, 2017
Dama Blanca Glacier Retreat, Southern Chile
Dama Blanca Glacier in Landsat images from 1986 and 2017. Red arrow is the 1986 terminus, yellow arrow the 2017 terminus, purple dots the snowline and purple arrows a bedrock ridge. Dama Blanca Glacier drains west from Chile’s Sarmiento de Gamboa Range in Southern Patagonia. terminating in Lago Verde in the Alacalufes National Reserve. Alacalufes NR features kelp rich fjords, Northofagus coastal forests and glacier clad alpine zones. Davies and Glasser, …
January 17, 2017
Erasmo Glacier, Chile Terminus Collapse
Erasmo Glacier, Chile, comparison in 1987 and 2016 Landsat images. The red arrow indicates the 2016 terminus and the yellow arrow the 1987 terminus location. Purple dots indicate the snowline and purple arrows locations of upglacier thinning. Cerro Erasmo at 46 degrees South latitude is a short distance north of the Northern Patagonia Icefield and is host to a number of glaciers the largest of which flow northwest from the …
November 28, 2016
Hornopirén Glaciers, Chile in Spectacular Retreat
Landsat comparison of Rio Blanca Glaciers in Hornopirén National Park, Chile from 1985 to 2016. Red arrow 1985 terminus, yellow arrow 2016 terminus, purple dots the snowline and purple arrows expanding bedrock areas amidst the glacier. Hornopirén National Park is in the Los Lagos region of Chile. The park is host to a number of glaciers that are in rapid retreat. Davies and Glasser (2012) mapped the area of these glaciers …
November 21, 2016
RG150-17.01019 Glacier Retreat, Southern Patagonia Forms Lake
Retreat of RG150 indicated in Landsat images from 1984, 2001 and 2015. Red arrow indicates 1984 terminus and yellow arrow 2015 terminus. RG150 is a 3.5 km long glacier in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park on the western edge of the Southern Patagonia Icefield, Chile. RG150 is an unnamed glacier given this designation as part of the Randolph Glacier Inventory. The glacier terminates in a lake that drains into Seno …
May 10, 2016
Glacier Nef, Patagonia, Chile retreat 1987-2016.
Comparison of 1987 and 2015 Landsat images of Nef Glacier at right and Cachet Glacier at left. Indicating retreat of Nef Glacier from red arrows to yellow arrows of 1.8 km and development of a new lake at the terminus. Purple arrows indicate upglacier thinning leading to separation of glacier tributaries. Glacier retreat and thinning is particularly strong in the Patagonian icefields of South America. The two largest temperate ice bodies of …
Dean of Academic Affairs at Nichols College and Professor of Environmental Science at Nichols College in Massachusetts since 1989. Glaciologist directing the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project since 1984. This project monitors the mass balance and behavior of more glaciers than any other in North America.