From a Glacier's Perspective

You are browsing the archive for northern patagonia icefield retreat Archives - From a Glacier's Perspective.

March 19, 2015

Downwasting Tributary-Glacier Dammed Lake Formation at HPN4 Glacier, Patagonia, Chile

We often are more concerned with what is happening at the terminus of a glacier; however, often key changes are happening up glacier some distance. This is the case with the following example. The Northern Patagonia Icefield (Hielo Patagónico Norte, HPN) is one of the two main icefields in Patagonia. The remoteness of the region is evidenced by the number of significant lakes and glaciers that remain unnamed. This remoteness has …

Reichert Glacier Rapid Retreat, Northern Patagonia Icefield, Chile

Reichert Glacier (Reicher) is at the northwest corner of the North Patagonia Icefield (NPI) and flows west from the Mont Saint Valentin region and ends in the expanding Reicher Lake. Rivera et al (2007) notes that the glacier was named for French geologist Federico Reichert, but that Reicher has ended up as the established spelling. They further note that the glacier lost 4.2 square kilometers of area from 1979 to …

Glaciar Gualas Retreat lake expansion, Patagonia, Chile

Glaciar Gualas drains from the northwest portion of the Northern Patagonia Icefield (NPI) into a rapidly expanding new lake Laguna Gualas. There is a spectacular icefall (I) where the glacier descends from the main NPI from 1600 m to 900 m, which is below the equilibrium line. Below this point the Gualas has a 2 km wide, 15 km long valley reach extending to the terminus which currently has a …